Why don't all transmissions come with a drain plug?

[shovenose]

Seriously. I just had the filter and pan changed in my 99 Crown Vic. It shifts so much better and no longer has awful torque converter shudder (that's the 4R70W telling you that brown 20-year old tranny fluid with 140K on it is not doing its job). But anyway the new pan has a drain plug, so now I can do a drain&fill a bit more often. I'll probably do it the next few times I change my oil, just to get it super clean, but it's such an awesome idea. I wonder why don't all vehicles have a drain plug? Would make life so much easier for DIY people, because you could do your own drain&fill like every year or something, and even if you wanted to drop the pan to change the filter every 5 years/50k miles, you could drain the fluid first, so no mess! That's just about the guaranteed way to get a really long life out of an automatic transmission...

And they make one for the Envoy too! If I ever get my Envoy back that's the first thing I'm going to do. For an 02 Envoy, Dorman # 265-811 is $32 on Rockauto... For the Ford, it was Dorman # 265-813 which was $22 on Rockauto (though I ordered it through work for even cheaper). I usually dislike Dorman but once in a while they make awesome stuff!

 

[Sparky]

Because that drain plug costs a buck extra.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

They seem to want to make everything non-serviceable these days

 

[DocBrown]

They seem to want to make everything non-serviceable these days

X2 on that. Many vehicles no longer have a trans dip stick. My HHR is like this. My Sierra has the crossover pipe blocking the trans pan, I had to have someone do it for me at a cost of $200 because I really didn't want to take a chance breaking a bolt on the exhaust manifolds.

 

[Mooseman]

Actually, they stopped putting in drain plugs on trannies back in the 70's because people and shops were just draining and refilling them without replacing the filter. By omitting the drain plug, this forces them to replace the filter.

 

[shovenose]

Actually, they stopped putting in drain plugs on trannies back in the 70's because people and shops were just draining and refilling them without replacing the filter. By omitting the drain plug, this forces them to replace the filter.

Thing is, you don't need to change the filter nearly as often as you should change the fluid. And just changing the fluid is better than doing nothing at all. At least, that's my uneducated opinion.

 

[Sparky]

I think it is supposed to be changed every 50k miles if using Dex III, but Dex VI is supposed to be good for 100k miles, under normal conditions, IIRC. I could be wrong. I know I've left my Dex VI in mine for close to 100k (215k on the vehicle) and it was still a very nice red color and the trans never complained...

 

[primem]

if you do complete fluid exchanges from new every 60 000miles. gm engineering is ok with not changing the trans filters.

 

[Mooseman]

And you got this information from???

 

[Sparky]

I don't care if GM engineers are "OK" with not changing the filter or not, I would never recommend not changing it. It is still going to collect stuff, and it should be replaced regardless.

 

[Mooseman]

From the GM horse's mouth (GM-SI):

Transmission Service
Automatic Transmission
Change both the fluid and the filter according to the maintenance schedule intervals. For maintenance schedule information, refer to Maintenance Schedule.

 

[Reprise]

And you got this information from???

It's unreal how much we think alike sometimes.

To sidetrack just a bit... the *only* GM vehicle I've ever owned that had a drain plug before the Voy came along was my '70 Monte (which had a THM350).

I know my friend / drummer at the time, who was going to technical school to become a mech, was amazed to see it.

I remember it came off a lot easier than the Envoy's did. And we changed the filter, too.

 

[northcreek]

Because GM figures that you're just going to put an aluminum finned cover on anyways and that will have plug. GM..always thinking

 

[primem]

And you got this information from???

from gm. I worked for gm as a tech for 10 years. My supervisor was a gm field engineer.

the first fluid/filter change is the most important. Its removes 80% of the particulates (from assembly, break-in) than circulate in the life of the transmission. the need to replace the filter after that not essential.

depth filters are not used in jatco trans((and many other makes) but rather a permanent mesh screen.
by all means, do what you want. I prefer to fluid exchange all the old fluid; rather than drop the pan, change the filter and leave half the old fluid to circulate in the system.

 

[Mooseman]

I agree with the fluid exchange. Similar to leaving 60% of old engine oil. Doesn't make sense.

I can sorta see the logic with the filter. I just didn't want unverified info getting in.