Thanks to everyone who offered tips on the ATF flush post that I made yesterday. I have completed the flush successfully. However, I have learned a couple of important things by making mistakes. Since this can be a very expensive way to learn, I thought that I should swallow my pride and share my experience with others.

First of all, the procedure for flushing the fluid is written up very well, with pictures, at OzBrick (google it). However, I must have suffered from a moment of dislexia. I drained the motor oil instead of the transmission fluid.

Let me be clear: the transmission cooler input line enters its cooler at the drivers side top corner, the oil cooler input line enters its cooler at the passenger side top corner. These two lines are identical in appearance. The photos in the procedure are very clear; I just screwed up.

I had just changed the motor oil prior to the transmission flush with Mobil 1. When I began the transmission flush, I saw that the fluid was brown. However, it was getting late in the afternoon and my light wasn't very good, another mistake and I know better. I ran the motor until I saw bubbles, shut the car down, and added 2 quarts of transmission fluid. I restarted the car, and immediately got bubbles again (because, of course, I was draining the motor oil instead of the transmission fluid.

The next thing that happened was I noticed that transmission fluid was being pumpd out of the dipstick tube and onto the ground. I stopped what I was doing and made my third mistake. I realized that I had the wrong line hooked up, but incorrectly assumed that I was hooked up to the transmission cooler outfeed. So, I hooked up the drain to the correct line and completed the transmission flush with much better results.

After checking the fluid level,I backed the car off the ramps, left it idling to warm up the transmission fluid and cleaned up the mess in the driveway.

I pulled the car back up to the garage to finish wiping down the front air dam (I'll be cleaning fluid off of the front of the car for the next several months) when I heard what sounded like a lifter starting to tick. I quickly shut down the motor and rechecked the oil level - nothing on the dipstick! I immediately recheck the capacities in my manual to reassure myself that I had added the correct amount of oil. Then I realized that I had pumped most of the motor oil out of the motor.

I checked with you guys to verify my mistake (thanks MadeInJapan for your prompt response last night!). So, I added the necessary motor oil and quit for the night.

This morning, I double checked all fluid levels, still heard the lifter, and decided that the lifter had probably collapsed, but the restored oil pressure/volume might pump the lifter back up. So, I said a prayer and made a quick drive. Much to my relief, the lifter quieted and the motor sounds like it always did (smoother and quieter with the fluids changed, though). The transmission shifts very well and has a more solid feel to it.

So, I'll keep an eye on the old girl for leaks and make sure that I didn't break any seals. And, I'll keep an ear out for that lifter as well. Lastly, I just hope that I didn't do any damage to her. I let the car idle while low on motor oil (I believe between one and two quarts was the minimum, based on the fluid in the flush bucket when I realized my mistake) for no more that 10 minutes. I also never let the transmission run dry; rather, I overfilled it. Again, it never ran for more that minute at a time for a total of no more that three minutes while overfilled.

Comments, please?



--
Ten Sleep 1980 245DL 1995 850 Turbo