is the transmission due for a flush and refill at 45k or is this only for four wheel drives and awd drives
thanks jamie

ps i think the fluid is sp3 is this the stuff

I'm pretty sure the service book says to do it every 90k but that is way to much. I'd be doing it at your 45k & yep it is SP3 Mitsubishi stuff.

Yeah I did mine at 45 too, just to be on the safe side.

Especially if you are towing or driving hard or lots of stop and start driving. As a matter of course I had mine flushed as soon as I bought it just to be on the safe side.

I reckon even 45k is a bit on the high side. If your budget permits I'd be inclined to flush every 30-35k kms. Rebuilding/replacing an auto isn't cheap so I'd be doing whatever it takes to prolong its lifespan.

I get my Magna tippy flushed every 20-25k and my mechanic has commented that it's started to brown a little. I enjoy some spirited driving here and there but most of my day to day driving is reasonably sedate. Having said that, 20-25k is about two years driving for me.

18-24 months is what I do mine in or when I notice the performance on the box decreasing and I notice it

I did mine cause the motor was replaced and they recommended it.


But...

If the book says 90,000 and it has a 10 year drivetrain warranty...why should I bother doing it any sooner?

I did mine cause the motor was replaced and they recommended it.


But...

If the book says 90,000 and it has a 10 year drivetrain warranty...why should I bother doing it any sooner?

That's all well and good if YOU want YOUR transmissions replaced due to poor servicing, but PLEASE for the good of the forums don't push your poor servicing attitude onto the rest of the club.

Thanks.

That's all well and good if YOU want YOUR transmissions replaced due to poor servicing, but PLEASE for the good of the forums don't push your poor servicing attitude onto the rest of the club.

Thanks.


Hmmm..

How is it poor servicing to follow the service guidelines as set by the manufacturer?

If the book says 90,000 and it has a 10 year drivetrain warranty...why should I bother doing it any sooner?
Yeah, i was thinking that too :)


That's all well and good if YOU want YOUR transmissions replaced due to poor servicing, but PLEASE for the good of the forums don't push your poor servicing attitude onto the rest of the club.
Great constructive post, will def. read again.


How is it poor servicing to follow the service guidelines as set by the manufacturer? +1 :)

Mine's done 56kms - about to have it flushed out, I agree that 90kms sounds too long :)

Hmmm..

How is it poor servicing to follow the service guidelines as set by the manufacturer?

Like I said. It's fine if that's what YOU want to do, but it's common knowledge that 90,000kms is far too long between transmission services.

For the people who want to look after their transmissions, they shouldn't be following that advice, but rather service the transmission every 45,000kms at most. For more spirited driving, earlier services would be recommended.

I did mine cause the motor was replaced and they recommended it.


But...

If the book says 90,000 and it has a 10 year drivetrain warranty...why should I bother doing it any sooner?
Mate I would definitely be doing it more than 90K especially if you are talking about your Supercharged cars with no tranny coolers!! Mitsubishi may well cover warranty but do you want your cars off the road for another 3 months if there is a problem??

Mate I would definitely be doing it more than 90K especially if you are talking about your Supercharged cars with no tranny coolers!! Mitsubishi may well cover warranty but do you want your cars off the road for another 3 months if there is a problem??


The original poster is referring to a stock 380.

What you and I have to do in terms of servicing due to our supercharging is completely different to the service intervals on a stock 380.

Over-servicing a car doesn't guarantee improved reliability.

I would go with what the manufacturer recommends instead of what a forum poster shouts.

Settle down guys

Yes Mits does recommend 90k for each service, if you have a drive train warranty fantastic HOWEVER what happens when your warranty expires an then your trans expires? Something in that for all of us dont you think?

You can service every 90k if you wish, OR you can service every 45k and remember Blackstar, not everyone here has a 10yr drivetrain warranty for starters and secondly, preventitive maintenance is always far cheaper in the long run. Even many dealers will now days recommend 45k service IF the fluid is starting to brown

Believe me, I have seen more broken mits transmissions than most here, a fluid change and flush certainly goes a long way. Once customer I have has approx 75 on the clock, trans was flaring all over the place, local dealer had the assumption that as the car had not hit 90k the fluid HAS to be fine after all it was under 90k, and then proceeded to quote him near 3k for a trans rebuild in his AWD. He brought it here for a second opinion, a flush and $160 later, he was as happy as a pig in shit. The car changed gears perfectly with no flaring at all. This car took near 18l to flush so as to ensure that the fluid being pumped out was clean and not still tarnished.

Just to get the facts straight....

the recommended first transmission service on a 380 is 105,000klms not 90,000

I rang three Mitsubishi dealers for an opinion as of today 9th August 2010.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rex Gorell Mitsubishi- phone 1300 409 685- Greg
Werribee Mitsubishi- phone 1300 504 676-Corey
Southern mitsubishi- phone 1300 381 951-Reece

All three service departments basically said the same thing almost word for word.

"if doing heavy towing, or extreme temperatures then 45-60000k" but for normal driving the regular service interval of 105,000ks is fine and fully covered by warranty.


Happy to be proven wrong by anybody with actual facts.

You really are living up to the hype of your previous iteration on these forums, Blackstar.

No one is arguing the fact of what the book says. But for the good of the gearbox it is strongly recommended to service it every 45k or sooner.

That is all.

/thread.

Blackstar, you hit the nail on the head NORMAL driving....did you even listen to what they said or what you even typed

A lot of people on these forums do NOT drive normally and are not normal plebs who use the car to go shopping and pick up the kids, they mod the cars, drive them harder etc etc

Sorry mate if this is harsh but you have stepped into a relm of personal opinion here and experience has shown that the 105 or 90 is too much for most of the people how own cars on these forums but shite mate, let people destroy transmissions as it only keeps me in business

It is just like the oil change interval of 15k lets face it, any car being used for short trips where the engine barely gets warm will benefit from more frequent changes, remember the service book is there for the AVERGE user and can not take into account every single car, driving style and vehicle use

Madmagna,


I appreciate your comments, especially since I know you know what you're talking about first hand.

It's impossible however to make a service schedule for people who thrash their cars.

Having said that I guess you'll be fixing a few 380 autos regardless of how often people change their fluids.

Of course you'll never have to do Disciple's 380 cause he doesn't have one.

Madmagna,


I appreciate your comments, especially since I know you know what you're talking about first hand.

It's impossible however to make a service schedule for people who thrash their cars.

Having said that I guess you'll be fixing a few 380 autos regardless of how often people change their fluids.

Of course you'll never have to do Disciple's 380 cause he doesn't have one.

Seeing as though the 380 automatic gearbox is the same as the one in the Magna, I have a fair bit of experience with servicing them myself, and seeing first hand in FFEEKY's Verada what not servicing it, combined with hard driving, can do to the gearbox. My recommendations are based on personal experience with the gearbox in question. How often do you do your own servicing, Blackstar? When was the last time you flushed a Magna/380 gearbox?

Seeing as though the 380 automatic gearbox is the same as the one in the Magna, ....


I stopped reading at that point, no offence....

Do I do my own servicing?

If I walk around the house I see about 12 internal combustion devices that I maintain.

(cars,bobcats,tractors,go karts, motor bikes,ride on mowers,chain saws,pumps...)

That's not counting the 1953 landrover that we fitted a 186 Holden kit into, or the 1983 Volvo paddock bomb with auto trans that my son pushed on its side to reconnect the tail shaft.

I stopped reading at that point, no offence....

Do I do my own servicing?

If I walk around the house I see about 12 internal combustion devices that I maintain.

(cars,bobcats,tractors,go karts, motor bikes,ride on mowers,chain saws,pumps...)

That's not counting the 1953 landrover that we fitted a 186 Holden kit into, or the 1983 Volvo paddock bomb with auto trans that my son pushed on its side to reconnect the tail shaft.

I really don't get this reply mate. The 380 auto is the same gearbox as far as I am aware, as the 5 speed in the Magna/Verada, unless someone can show or tell me with some authority otherwise, in which case I will retract my statement. I don't see what a bobcat or a 1953 Landrover have to do with a 380 automatic gearbox?

thanks everyone for your replies it seems the 45k has won and il get it flushed i do a bit of towing nothing to heavy and a lot of short stop start driving
thanks again for your replies
jamie

The way i look at it is the more often your transmission changes gears then it should be serviced more often. So if you do alot of city driving or towing then 45,000 would be the go but if you do lightly laden highway kms then perhaps do it as per the service book. That said if you actually care for your car then i would go the 45! lol

I wouldn't be waiting until 105kms. The 5spd auto in my old verada had 85k's on it when I purchased it, and was flushed the week I got it home. It took almost 20l to get the fluid clean, as the previous owners all lived in Sydney (lots of stop start driving) and never had it serviced. 10k after the service I had it done again, and the fluid was completely fried. Within a further 20k's, the box was destroyed. Had it been serviced earlier it may have lasted longer. The proof really is though that people who service the box more regularly still have a working box.
You wouldn't let your engine oil go the full 15,000kms. And anyone who has seen oil of that age will know it is just like brown water. The same as your trans fluid will be at 105kms :)

all this talk of gearbox flushing has me paranoid now...ima get it done next week with the 75k service lol

I'm doing mine every 30K now with the blower & have a tranny cooler also.

Thanks Dave, you looked at another angle I have not brought up here, in stop start traffic yo do not rack the miles up on the odo like you do in the country, in real terms a car with 105 on the actual clock may have had closer to 150k of real running time compared to the hours the car has actually been running (looking at the fact that while stuck in traffic the car is still running but not moving)

Every single car I own I have given the car a full service the minute I get it. You never know what the last owner has done or not done regardless of kilometres. The pajero I brought at Xmas was 7yo with 120ks on it. Full major with coolant and trans included. I also had both diff oils flushed. The car was immaculate and has been serviced but really who knows if he had done it.

My magna gets oil every 2.5 - 5k and box every 2-3 oil changes. Mine is far from standard and far from driven normally.

One thing you can say is my cars will never break from being under serviced.:-) I deal with broken gearboxes and engines everyday of the week, 95 percent of the damage is through neglect.

I got rid of my Verada Xi when it had 275,000 k's on it.

The gears changed smoothly, the engine ran perfectly.

I never did anything other than the standard services on it.

It had a life of mostly city commuting in stop start traffic, with an ocassional interstate run.


I bought it new so knew exactly what history it had.

I really don't get this reply mate. The 380 auto is the same gearbox as far as I am aware, as the 5 speed in the Magna/Verada, unless someone can show or tell me with some authority otherwise, in which case I will retract my statement.


The part numbers are different.

The ratios are completely different except second gear at 2.057.

The final drive ratio is 3.325 versus 3.684.

.

Thanks Dave, you looked at another angle I have not brought up here, in stop start traffic yo do not rack the miles up on the odo like you do in the country, in real terms a car with 105 on the actual clock may have had closer to 150k of real running time compared to the hours the car has actually been running (looking at the fact that while stuck in traffic the car is still running but not moving)


Agree with your point, but I would expect that the Mitsubishi service dept would advise you if the transmission fluid looked degraded as part of a routine service?

After all the service book does say "check all fluids" :)

After all the service book does say "check all fluids" :)

You sure it doesn't say check all fluid levels.?

You sure it doesn't say check all fluid levels.?

If you check all fluid levels you surely would notice any discolouration or other problem.

I certainly know that the Mitsubishi dealer I use would absolutely, definitely correct it.