Just a quick note to say thanks for advice I picked up here...

I changed my trans oil after dipping the dipstick and finding an engine oil coloured oil in my 'box. Oil from the Mitsu dealer was 2 x $39 for 5l of SPIII each plus $35 for AT filer (mine has the external filter).

I emptied the trans from the drain plug, and refilled. Drove for about 1 min while up on blocks to circulate it through, changing into all gears, then drained and refilled again.

When I took it on the road, the shifts were jerky the first shift in each gear - perhaps residual air in system, or the 'brain' getting used to oil that actually works. After a few k's, shifts were crisp but smooth. Felt like the trans was more of a manual... much less slush.

I am searching wreckers and ebay for a cheap cooler now to keep the oil nice.

Thanks guys, the oil change was well worth it.

Michael.

You need to flush the system as old oil stays in the torque convertor and clutch packs. Your oil will be brown/black again in days.

Also, the automatic gearbox takes 8.5 liters, so I hope you didn't just put in 5 liters.

Resetting TCU/ECU causes gearbox to forget shift points, causing gear changes to be quite harsh and flare as well. It will settle down after a bit of driving

You need to flush the system as old oil stays in the torque convertor and clutch packs. Your oil will be brown/black again in days.

Yeah, short of taking half the trans apart... It's pretty hard to get it all out, I believe. I emptied the oil, refilled and let her mix in with a short run, then dump and refill again. Took just a bit less than 10 litres total. By my sums, that should leave about 15% of the old oil still left.

Michael

Yeah, short of taking half the trans apart... It's pretty hard to get it all out, I believe. I emptied the oil, refilled and let her mix in with a short run, then dump and refill again. Took just a bit less than 10 litres total. By my sums, that should leave about 15% of the old oil still left.

Michael

I would tend to agree with you on that. Effectively, what you have done IS a flush. Use another 5L of oil and do it (i.e. let the new oil mix in again with the now diluted 'bad' oil still hiding in those clutch packs) again and the concentration of 'old' oil will be so small as to be negligible.

to remove all the fulid from the tranny, empty the pan first, this will drain about 1L
then place a bucket under the radiator, you will see a metal line going to the tranny, along this under the radiator there is a break in the line using a rubber section, unclip this and place a hose over it leading to the bucket.
leave the car in P and start the car, let it run for about 30 seconds or untill no more fluid comes out.

this is how to empty the torqe converter.
edit: id check the pan again to see if any flowed back into the pan

I am searching wreckers and ebay for a cheap cooler now to keep the oil nice.

Thanks guys, the oil change was well worth it.

Michael.

look for 2nd gen autos, there will be plenty at wrecks and most should still have the trans cooler still attached

to remove all the fulid from the tranny, empty the pan first, this will drain about 1L
then place a bucket under the radiator, you will see a metal line going to the tranny, along this under the radiator there is a break in the line using a rubber section, unclip this and place a hose over it leading to the bucket.
leave the car in P and start the car, let it run for about 30 seconds or untill no more fluid comes out.

this is how to empty the torqe converter.
edit: id check the pan again to see if any flowed back into the pan

I presume it is safe to empty the transmission oil in this way?

I presume it is safe to empty the transmission oil in this way?

Yeh, that's pretty much the workshop manual way of doing it.

If you replace the oil with new stuff, let it run, dump the oil, then replace the oil again, that is not a transmission fluid flush.

Check the workshop manual for the correct procedure.

http://rapidshare.com/files/247582457/TH-TLmagnaworkshop.iso

I presume it is safe to empty the transmission oil in this way?

yeah, as long as you dont drive it, put it in gear, or leave it running for ages. just long enough for the fluid to stop

yeah, as long as you dont drive it, put it in gear, or leave it running for ages. just long enough for the fluid to stop

You know when it's pumping the oil out, and it gets to a point where it starts to sort of gargle and spit, and you can see the heat in the oil, do you go past that point? Until there's no oil coming out anymore?

lol na, it started to gargle and i stopped, filled it back up again and repeated.
i shoulda explained further.
: untill fluid stops to flow continuesly, rinse and repeat

lol na, it started to gargle and i stopped, filled it back up again and repeated.
i shoulda explained further.
: untill fluid stops to flow continuesly, rinse and repeat

Ah, sweet. Yeah, I do the same. :happy:

it was a while ago i did it, car is now a manual. stupid way of filling it with a horizontal hole :nuts:
(to prevent over filling) much prefer verticale with a dipstick

Hi
I asssume a transmission flush is what you get at a garage when you ask for an auto "transmission oil change"?
I asked for that and one mechanic quoted $250 for a Magna 2.6L 1993 and $200-$225 for Verada 3.5L 2004?
he also reccomended to have the brake pads replaced in 3000km (the car has 38000km) and quoted $550 for the Verada (all discs), when I asked why so much he said they will machine the 3 discs. I will have to check them.
Any reccomendations for a mechanic welcome, I am in NSW - Crows Nest, Waterloo and near Sydney areas.

Hi
I asssume a transmission flush is what you get at a garage when you ask for an auto "transmission oil change"?
I asked for that and one mechanic quoted $250 for a Magna 2.6L 1993 and $200-$225 for Verada 3.5L 2004?
he also reccomended to have the brake pads replaced in 3000km (the car has 38000km) and quoted $550 for the Verada (all discs), when I asked why so much he said they will machine the 3 discs. I will have to check them.
Any reccomendations for a mechanic welcome, I am in NSW - Crows Nest, Waterloo and near Sydney areas.

Are the discs really worn down and needing new pads with only 40k on the clock? $550 for what now? Machining 3 discs? Why not 4? $550 for new discs? Why do they need to machine new discs? Need more info here...

it was a while ago i did it, car is now a manual. stupid way of filling it with a horizontal hole :nuts:
(to prevent over filling) much prefer verticale with a dipstick

Use a fluid transfer pump mate, $25 from super cheap :)

machine, look at approx $15 per rotor plus remove and refit

Pads, depending look at around 75 per end

Front pads worn, perhaps if there has been heavy driving, rears no way in the world

Flush, is usually worth around the $160 - $180 mark, not the price the quoted you though

your supposed to pour new oil in as the old oil pumps out, and when its nice and clean, turn engine off. you NEVER run an auto near dry.

your supposed to pour new oil in as the old oil pumps out, and when its nice and clean, turn engine off. you NEVER run an auto near dry.

Was hoping that back in the day the workshop I was at wasnt the only one that did it this way..

If you do it that way, it makes sure all the old oil is replaced by new oil in the torque converter etc. it uses more fluid but well worth the extra.

Hey Risingtempi, good thread. Everyone should change their own trans fluid. Good to read your comments. Probably its me, but I can never understand the workshop manual.

Hmmm... now for that timing belt.

Check out Castle Auto in St Leonards, a few of my workmates go there and have had no dramas.

check out Racing Performance works website. Pics and prices there for magnas. Was just checking today for an Auto Trans Cooler. Funny that. I think for my 24V TW it costs about $70 - $80 for a universal. I think they also install but located in WA Perth. Lots of other performance goodies for the magna aswell. I'll have to order some in. Read how beneficial these coolers were for the Auto Trans and thought id get one.

I joined up on this forum last year to read up a bit more on TF magnas. I've got a Solara 3L V6. Had it in the family since new.
In another thread I mentioned how I got the auto fluid and external filter changed at a Mitsu dealership, but on the invoice it only showed something like 5 litres whereas as others on here pointed out, it should have been more. I checked the dipstick when I got the car home and it was full, so I was happy.
5K kms later though and the transmission is still very rough, slipping, banging through the gears occasionally. I don't think it has much time left in this world. I do want to get a bit more life out of it though before I have the unit rebuilt.

Recently I took my car to a local mechanic to get the injectors cleaned ultrasonically and the guy checked the auto trans fluid (didn't ask him to but he did for some reason) and he thought "it looked a bit low" so he has put "half a litre" of something like castrol trans fluid in it. I checked it when I got home and there must be something rediculous in terms of litres in the gearbox, the oil is smeared all the way up the dipstick, way way way past the full mark. I want to dump the fluid in the trans because the local mechanic has over filled it and mixed Mitsubishi fluid with Castrol stuff. Obviously this can't be good.

My questions are, how hard is it to change the external filter on top of the transmission? I may as well just change the fluid and filter myself. Is there a decent dealership in Melbourne, I stood at City Mitsubishi's spare parts counter for 45 minutes a few weeks ago waiting for someone to serve me and walked out in the end.