is a coolant and manual tranny flush easy ?

[EstoMax]

my car is due for these two things... so i was wondering how hard it is to do. cause the coolant flush costs 60$US and tranny flsuh 32$US at greasy monkey (an oil change place) ill look at a private shop soon too about prices


max

[Redlyne_mr2]

Its not bad depend on your drain and fill plugs ...some of the fills holes are in really bad spots making it necessary to have pressure to get the fuid up into the tranny. Its basically an empty refill job. Ive only flushed one coolant system before, theres a drain plug at the bottom of most rads, drain it refill it with a mix of water coolant until full let the car run with the rad cover off until there are no more bubbles spurting out

[EstoMax]

i c.. so i might do the tranny coolant myself..but the tranny flush i might take to shop.
so they said my coolant is acidic or something.. so does that mean anything besides the fact i need to get rid of it and put new one in ?

max

[Redlyne_mr2]

After time coolant turns midly acidic nothing dangerous just empty it into an oil pan and dispose of it at a hazardous waste site

[EstoMax]

so why do they ask 60$US to flush the damn thing ?
o should i put a hose in the radiator to flush it out with pressure?


max

[turboMiata]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
After time coolant turns midly acidic nothing dangerous just empty it into an oil pan and dispose of it at a hazardous waste site

Coolant (ethylene glycol) is extremely dangerous to humans and animals. Puppies and kittens die a slow death after drinking them because they smell so sweet and yummy.

I usually siphon off the coolant from the rad and use a pan to catch the rest of the overflow. The firehall on 32nd ave NW takes hazardous wastes.

Flushing coolant is very easy as long as you don't introduce bubbles into the system. I usually top it off, leave the rad cap off, start the car and heater, wait till the thermostat opens and keep filling until the level stays constant.

Good luck!

[littledan]

tranny fluid change is super easy. just go and buy a hand pump (i got mine at walmart for $14). you will use the pump to get the fluid into the fill hole, otherwise you could try using a hose and a funnel from above the engine bay somehow.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by turboMiata


Coolant (ethylene glycol) is extremely dangerous to humans and animals. Puppies and kittens die a slow death after drinking them because they smell so sweet and yummy.


Good luck!

Of course its dangerous if ingested..I meant to the touch its harmless..from experience anyways

[EstoMax]

i think ill let the pros do the tranny fluid change.. its like an oil change and its every 20k miles i would rather not mess it up cause its a very crucial part of the drivetrain

max

[rice_eater]

someone is chickening out hardcore!!! dude it's easy...take plug off tranny, let the fluid drip...put plug back in, take off filling plug and fill with new fluid...done

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by EstoMax
i think ill let the pros do the tranny fluid change.. its like an oil change and its every 20k miles i would rather not mess it up cause its a very crucial part of the drivetrain

max

dude, i know u care about your car, but its a hyundai, not a mercedes...and also, if u want to learn stuff about cars, learning how to do simple things like this is a good place to start. if u are uneasy, go buy a cheap repair manual for the car and use it to help u along..

[hjr]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
dude, i know u care about your car, but its a hyundai, not a mercedes...and also, if u want to learn stuff about cars, learning how to do simple things like this is a good place to start. if u are uneasy, go buy a cheap repair manual for the car and use it to help u along..

True. If you plan on doing ANYTHING to your car ever, this is one of the easiest places to start. If you cant change your own gear oil, then you really cant do anything. And 20,000 to a change??? Maybe if you syncro's are going and there are alot of metal chips in the oil. The thing about gear oil is that is alot thicker and really isnt heated up and used to the same extent as motor oil.
Now for the Tranny flush, if you find a cheap place let them do it as they will actually flush it rather than draining the old an putting in new.

EDIT : 20,000 miles - ooops - thats not too bad for timing on a gear oil change.

[EstoMax]

well ill see where the tranny oil plugs are ... i dont feel like buying a pump and i think the gear oil guys also flush it so i would like to have that done.. ill do the coolant right now myself tho.

max