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30K Service & Transmission Flush?

12K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  osufans 
#1 ·
Our 2007 T&C is approaching 30,000 miles. The dealer is recommending a transmission flush at $149 as a part of the service. This is because we live in the severe Arizona climate. (And it really is severe!) :nut: When we bought the car new, I has an auxiliary transmission fluid cooler installed because of that. Also suggested, but not written down on the sheet, is a throttle body service.

What do you think of the transmission flush idea? I want to keep this transmission going as long as possible. Will this flush work towards that? At the dealer, I know that they won't put in Dexron fluid!

The throttle body service is a different matter. The present driveability is just fine and I see no reason to mess with it.

As to the dealer, it's been a family business since 1927. The owners have managed to keep it a family business since then, and also grow with metro Phoenix. That's no small thing in a place as big as Phoenix has become. The service writer knows me by name, and has since I bought my truck in 1996, and their technicians tend to stay through their careers. My now-retired supervisor took his 1996 Caravan in for what he thought would be a $1500 A/C compressor replacement, and ended up paying $65 for an orifice tube replacement instead. So the place treats customers fairly, and I generally trust their suggestions. But I'm also looking for opinions from the list.
 
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#2 ·
Is it truly a flush or just a fluid change? I never recommend flushes, as they have a tendency to knock loose crud in the trans. A flush also does not change the trans fluid filter (which, when you're knocking loose crud in the transmission, is kind of important).

On the other hand, if they drop the pan and change the fluid along with the filter, I'd be okay with it. I know the manuals state something like every 100K miles, but I don't think there's any harm in using the old rule of thumb with every 30K. Generally speaking, that's how often I service my transmissions.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Concerning the tranny flush, I lean towards it being overkill though I can understand having it done concidering tranny history on these vans. Generally sludge moving around during a flush is a concern on higher mileage vans. Even then, considering you have the synthetic ATF+4 fluid I wouldn't see it as a problem. Synthetics are much less prone to creating sludge. Changing the filter is a good idea for two reasons. There's the obvious plus it will give them the chance to inspect for any signs of debrie in the pan. If they see anything besides fuzz on the magnets then it could indicate internal problems are croping up. Clean the throttle body? Seems a bit extreme since all is well.

FYI - My 96 with 210K miles has had the fluid and filter changed twice. Changed just the fluid twice using the x3 method. Pumped it out the dipstick. No aux cooler. Never flushed. Never even hickuped.
 
#4 ·
Didn't see the part about the throttle body before. You can probably clean that yourself and do a better job. They're not hard to disassemble, and past that you just need a can of brake cleaner or something of the like. I've even used one of those freebie toothbrushes you get at the dentist in the past if something was caked on there pretty good.
 
#5 ·
Have them do a pan drop, not a flush. And watch them to make sure they do that.

As for the TB cleaning, I have seen many high mileage vehicles with clean TB's, but some peoples get really bad. I guess it depends on the gas you get.
 
#6 ·
Throttle body cleaning ........ I have never had it done in the past 10 years atleast. It's a money grab. Don't see it in the Owner Manual either. If concerned about the quality of your gasoline, ie insufficient cleaners in it, then add some cleaner to the tank with a fillup every so often. Shell gas is suppose to be one of the highest in cleaners (much above the minimun standard, so they say). Also look for "Top Tier" gasolines, they are "cleaner".

I don't believe any Chrysler Minivan Owner Manual, for the past ten years, has put a "transmission flush" in their maintenance schedule. They call for a pan drop and fluid/filter change. For severe service, that's 60,000 miles. Respectable transmission shops aren't likely to do transmission flushes as they aren't part of the vehicle's maintenance schedule. I know one transmission shop locally that won't do flushes and he has lots of reasons why, including a very dirty filter to show his Customers. Flushes are a $ grab. However if you want to change all the transmission fluid at a time (pan drop, fluid/filter change only gets half of it) it can be done, but isn't by a power flush. Don't need it though unless somebody put in the wrong fluid and you want it all removed.
 
#12 ·
Throttle body cleaning ........ I have never had it done in the past 10 years atleast. It's a money grab. Don't see it in the Owner Manual either
Well, mine gets so dirty, the throttle plate starts sticking and you feel a click when you press down the accelerator pedal.

As for the flush, not needed at 30K. Just do a fluid/filter change between every 30K-50K (have to drop the pan.) If you feel comfortable with them doing the work, then I don't see any problem letting them do it. They are probably just recommending a service, one, to increase revenue, and like said before, two, because of the notorious past of these transmissions.
 
#7 ·
I never recommend a transmission service at 30K, unless you tow A LOT and ask me about it. Dodge recommends them at 60K. Having said that I usually do my own vehicle at around 40K. If your dealer has the same 'flush' machine that we do, there is no power flushing done at all. You simply hook the machine up to the transmission cooler lines, start the vehicle, and let the pump in the transmission do all the pumping and work. No pressure flushing at all. If you want to do it this early, that is up to you. But you are not going to hurt it.

I would say the throttle body needs to be cleaned, especially if it has never been done. The placement of the EGR tube going back into the intake on these engines leave some to be desired. It is so close to the butterfly of the throttle body that the throttle body can cake up fast with carbon build-up. There is even a bulletin about it. My 07 T&C's throttle body was cleaned at 31K, then I cleaned it again when I traded it in at 44K. It was nasty. It started so much better after I cleaned it and had improved throttle response. You can do it yourself. But if your dealer is as cheap as we are to clean it ($45), you may just want them to do it.

And I know SEVERAL of you do not see any benefit of cleaning the throttle body. If you have an engine without an EGR (like my 03) you can go for a long while before a cleaning is needed, as long as you run top tier fuel. However I don't care if you run top tier fuel, if you have an EGR your throttle body will eventually build up to the point where the butterfly sticks if you don't clean it.
 
#8 ·
I should get some pics of my TB, my van has EGR and in 113k miles, the TB looks pristine. Not new looking, but slightly dirty with no buildup. I don't even run "good" gas all the time. I'll buy what ever station I'm around when I need gas. Citgo, BP, shell, ect..
 
#10 ·
Andy I'm not sure where the tube from the EGR goes back into the intake on your van, but the closer to the throttle body the worse the build-up.

One thing that helps keep a throttle body clean is taking longer trips where the engine has plenty of time to warm up. The other is 'blowing the soot' out of it every now and then. I'm sure that is partly why your not having issues. :)
 
#9 ·
OK, thanks to all, really. I have a better idea of what questions to ask. Or more accurately, what questions to have my wife ask. The T&C is the most complicated car I've ever owned, though this is a fairly simple matter. I used to all this sort of work myself. With our other auto transmission car, I have a Dorman pan on the transmission, and I drain and replace 4 quarts of ATF+4 at the same time I change oil, so I deal with it that way. I learned that from a landlord 30 years ago, who had 300K miles on a Ford C6 using that method. I figured I'd try that when I finally bought something with an automatic.

If the dealer's flush just gently replaces all the ATF+4 with new fluid, I'll do it. If it uses some turbulent backflush, then not. A transmission is not a cooling system. I wish I had time to do this work myself. My new job, fun though it is, keeps me super busy.
 
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