Automatic Transmission Fluid Flush
 

Uh, does anyone know if it's possible to flush the transmission fluid yourself? 2007 HHR.

Yes,just jiggle the handle.

If you mean a real transmission flush where new fluid is pumped in to force the old fluid out, then I would say it's hard to do it yourself. Assuming you don't have a flush machine, one of the options is to get a bucket of new fluid, disconnect the transmission return cooler line and place it into the bucket of fluid. Then disconnect the cooler line that is the output from the transmission and place it in an empty bucket. Start the car, old fluid will be pumped out of the output line into the empty bucket while new fluid will be sucked out of the bucket with the new fluid. A friend did his GM truck this way. Keep pumping until new fluid runs out of the output line. HOWEVER, some transmissions will pump the fluid out faster than it can be sucked in, possibly running the trans dry momentarily (bad situation). On those you have to add some fluid thru the filler tube as its pumped out.

Given the complexity and possible damage, I'll let my local garage do it for about $100 every 2 or 3 years.

Steve

$100 is pretty cheap to avoid buying a new transmission. Just my :2cents:

Transmission Flush Problems
 

hello,

I recently went to jiffy lube to have a transmission flush performed on my 2006 HHR. Since then I have experienced problems with the transmission. I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with a transmission flush and if the procedure can harm the transmission? I currently have 98000 miles on my car. I use the car for business.

Thanks

Flushing a transmission with high miles, that has never been flushed before, is never advisable. It is very rare to see problems after flushing an automatic transmission on a vehicle that has had the service performed at regular intervals. I have seen a first time flush performed on a high mileage vehicle and the vehicle wouldn't back out of the stall. We ended up overhauling the transmission at no charge, for customer satisfaction. Needless to say we refuse to perform first time flushes on high mileage vehicles now. The same is true for engine oil flushes. It is possible that there is a piece of debris stuck in one of the check balls in the valve body. A pressure check would tell a tech if that may be the problem. Also without the flush machine I don't know how a person could flush a transmission on their own.

check out page 398 in the owner manual (h)
it states that the only time you need to chenge the fluid and filter if the vehicle is driven under one or more of these conditions
_in hevey city traffic where the outside temp regularly reaches 90 or higher
-in hilly or mountaions terrain
-when doing frequent towing
-uses such at a taxi,police:roll: ,or delivery service
if you do not use you vehicale under any of there conditions ,the fluid and the filter do not require changing

_in hevey city traffic where the outside temp regularly reaches 90 or higher
-in hilly or mountaions terrain
-when doing frequent towing
-uses such at a taxi,police ,or delivery service


I use the car for my delivery job at the St. Louis airport where I deliver lost luggage for the airlines.

Flushing is a big money maker for places like Jiffy Lube, but simply draining the fluid and replacing the filter is sufficient in most cases and will not cause unwanted debris to be broken loose and foul the rest of the transmission.

I'm going to have my transmission drained and refilled with a new filter in a couple thousand miles at 50k, but I also drive in hilly terrain for my job and I've put over 30k on the car since last year. I think those two factors, the mileage and frequent downshifting in the hills, probably make my car meet the severe service interval for the transmission.

You're about to turn 100,000 miles? You win the award for the HHR with the most miles. The most I had heard of before was about 50,000 miles. How has it been running? I have an '06 also and hope it goes that many miles without major problems.