I have a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 3.8L V6. I pulled the farthest cooler line from the engine off to begin the flush. That was the wrong one. It spewed fluid all over my engine bay for about 5 seconds. Realizing my mistake, I reconnected this line and disconnect the other correct cooler line. Once I cranked the engine again the fluid came out correctly into my bucket.

I stopped the engine and filled the pan with 5 quarts of Walmart Supertech ATF+4 once the fluid stopped flowing from the cooler line.

According to the transmission dipstick, I have more than enough fluid in the pan for the transmission to pick up the fluid. I let the engine run for a minute or two but it's not pumping out of the cooler line into my bucket now.

Did I damage something? Should I let the engine run more?

 

That is odd. My method was dropping the pan, collecting and measuring what came out, changing the filter, reassembling and replacing exactly what came out with new fluid, then doing just what you're doing, but keeping an eye out, stopping at about 4 more quarts and adding 4 more new. I'd go until nice kool-aid red oil ran out of the cooler. You shouldn't have to, but have someone you trust go through the gears for a few seconds each, R, then N, then D, then 3, then L, and back up to park while you're watching that hose. I bet you'll get it then. Probably airlocked somehow. I have done this method like 5 times with my cars, never had this issue. If still nothing, rev it a bit.

 

Hello, I want to make sure it wouldn't damage anything to keep the engine running before I rev it up. I did the same kind of drop pan and flush on this same vehicle last year 30,000 miles ago. This time I won't drop the pan. I will only flush the fluid through the cooler.

 

Revving a bit should be ok. The transmission oil pump should have enough oil in it to suck up from the pan even after a day. People run low all the time when they have leaks for example, and they start it up and go just fine. You put 4 quarts in it, so you really got enough in there to practically prime itself. Check the hose for kinks, maybe remove it and clean it out? I'm not sure if there is real pressure at the coolant hose, so if you got a kink or junk in there, maybe it is blocked from coming out. Go through the gears, I'm wondering if the electronic valve control has anything to do with opening up a channel from the pan to the pump. If you have a stuck valve in there, maybe going through the gears will loosen it up, just pondering.

 

Thanks, man. Revving it slightly for a few seconds did the trick. Fluid started coming out and I finished the flush in 10 minutes.