It's been fine for me so far.

 

Rajod, the transmission fluid can be changed without replacing the transmission pan. It is a drain and fill job, with some gear shifting to ensure that fluid reaches all the crevices. Access to the fill plug is a bit tricky due to the proximity of the (hot) exhaust, but it is definitely doable for someone who changes their own oil. A fluid transfer pump is a must.

A number of people on this forum have opted to replace the plastic pan with a metal one as it allows for easier filter changes. The plastic pan has an integrated filter that is part of the pan, which means filter changes are not possible. As Houm pointed out, the metal pan has less fluid capacity. I merely changed the fluid at 75k miles without changing the pan. I intend to change the fluid again at 150k, again keeping my plastic pan.

 

I think the metal pan just makes servicing easier. You can just do the fluid and filter without jacking up the entire tranny thereafter; but I'll let the experienced people respond. As for your question on shifting/behavior. No change. It was fine before and it has been fine after.

My ONE gripe and this has been ever since the Cali-stop bug was fixed, sometimes when I manual shift it will not go into 1. It will go into 1 for < 1 second and pop into 2. This generally happens at low RPMs...like I haven't developed enough compression to make 1 stick. I think it's a programming thing....an artifact of the software update (was it "B034?")

 

No idea what you are talking about there. Cali-stop bug? B034 update?

Are you saying that before the transmission Oil change it use to shift better. It use to go into first gear and stay and after the change it pops out of first gear? That does not sound like an improvement to me.

I would have to see the entire cost on and oild change Plastic vs Metal, I don't care if they have to remove two extra bolts with a plastic pan as I am not doing it. I only care about total cost.

Plastic - Costs (Pan/filter intergrated 1 peice + Oil) = 250.00 + labor

Metal costs Pan+filter + oil = ?? + labor

I have a feeling Plastic is cheaper and you get more oil to boot.

Next oil change would be in like 7+ years. I don't put a ton of miles on it. Its not my primary transportation.

 

What is the big deal about keeping the pan? Most of the cost is labor.

The pan+new filter is not that much in cost compared to the oil cost and labor.

You still need to buy a filter, still need to take pan off.

Does the shop give you a discount for this? How much less is the labor charge to do a tranny change plastic vs metal?

 

That is not what I'm saying at all. There was a TSB out many years ago that changed the software to eliminate a "lurch" that the transmission would do if the driver executed a "California Stop." Ever since then, to the best of my own memory, my transmission will often pop out of 1st gear when I select it without enough RPMs. It will pop out and into 2. It did that before and after the fluid change. The fluid change did nothing.

So, I can be driving along happily in Command Shift, approaching a stop sign, and slow down gradually from 4th to 3rd to 2nd....and if I wait to shift into 1st, it will pop back out into 2nd...I'd say 50% of the time, maybe more. If, however, in the same scenario I select 1st gear a bit sooner, it will generally retain that gear selection.

 

What you call a cali stop is actually called a Michigan rolling stop.

Ok that clears that up.

 

Hahahaha.....semantics!

 

I did the trans fluid change myself, so no labor costs. I also didn't feel it was worth changing the filter, which is why I kept my plastic pan. From what I can tell, the transmission filter is not like an oil filter that will clog with time. It seems to merely be a magnet sitting at the bottom of the transmission pan. I think a better design would have been to integrate the magnet into the drain plug.

 

Wow, I tip my hat to you sir.

Did you do it like that video? Lifting motor off its mounts? Taking off pipes, torches etc.

So its a flat sheet magnet glued to the bottom of a Pan and called a filter?

That is a bit misleading using the term filter when its a magnet.

Almost like saying "Free Filter Included" and when you call them up asking about the missing filter they say "Hey its a gravity filter" we use gravity to collect things at bottom of pan.