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I finally talked to a transmission specialist about fluid intervals

Was helping a buddy swap a trans on a 2010 Civic last weekend and his older mechanic neighbor came over. He saw us using dexron VI and asked if I knew about the actual breakdown rate under heat. Said most people change at 60k but the real wear happens way before that if you tow or drive hard. Has anyone else seen a trans fail way earlier than the manual suggests?
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nancy3
nancy33d ago
Dexron VI breaks down fast under heat, like 30k fast if you tow. Seen a 2012 F-150 lose 3rd gear around 45k because the owner hauled boats. The manual says 100k but that's wishful thinking from the factory. Fluid temps over 200 degrees cook the additives quick.
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anthony165
And something nobody talks about is that heat cycles make the seals swell and shrink differently with Dexron VI vs older fluids. So even if you change it on time, the valve body starts sticking because the clearances get weird after a few years of towing. Seen that on a couple GM trucks where the fluid looked fine but the trans acted up only when hot.
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