Transmission Fluid

Roxy · 07-04-2009, 08:56 AM

I have a 2007 Sportage LX, AT, FWD and I would like to change the tranny fluid. I have read about a million different things on the internet about what to do or not do with the filter, etc and I have come to the conclusion that all that needs to be done is to drain the fluid from the drain plug and then refill. How much fluid will come out of the drain plug? Should I use synthetic to refill? The manual says to use Diamond SPIII. Has anyone changed their's lately?

jcwit · 07-04-2009, 09:45 AM

Stick with what the mfg. recommends, SPIII. I usually do a drain and refill every other oil change. Drain the tranny, measure amount that drained, and refill with new fluid.

I realize some say to use synthetic, but you're dealing with one of the two most expensive units of you vehicle, why take a chance.

Roxy · 07-04-2009, 11:56 AM

Thanks for the advice. I am assuming that all 7.2 litres of tranny fluid will not come out of the drain plug?

deltadart · 07-04-2009, 01:16 PM

STICK with what the manual calls for! I can't stress this enough.

deltadart · 07-04-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcwit

Stick with what the mfg. recommends, SPIII. I usually do a drain and refill every other oil change. Drain the tranny, measure amount that drained, and refill with new fluid.

I realize some say to use synthetic, but you're dealing with one of the two most expensive units of you vehicle, why take a chance.

Are you saying you drain your tranny fluid every other oil change? How many mile interval is that and what kind of driving do you do?

deadrx7conv · 07-04-2009, 06:15 PM

Most aftermarket fluids surpass the performance of SPIII. I wish that Kia/Hyundai/Mitsubishi/Proton.... would step up to the plate and spec a new ATF with some real performance.

Any ATF that mentions the SPIII spec can be used. Amalie, RoyalPurple, Amsoil, Mobil1, Castrol, Wynns, BG,....... are some to choose from. Even ATF+4 is a better choice.

I don't know why anyone would want to stick with SPIII. Its a woefully under performing ATF and is usually spent by 10k miles. It can't take the heat, shears thin very quickly, has poor cold weather flow...... and every UOA is pathetic. Almost all the transmission failures that I've seen from Mitsubishi/Hyundai/Kia were caused by lubrication failure while using SPIII. Worn out seals, clutches, and hardpart wear is common.

The fear of not using SPIII comes from retards that used DexronIII which is even a poorer performer.

nstoolman1 · 07-04-2009, 07:55 PM

QUOTE]The fear of not using SPIII comes from retards that used DexronIII which is even a poorer performer.[/quote]

brsexton · 07-04-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deadrx7conv

Most aftermarket fluids surpass the performance of SPIII. I wish that Kia/Hyundai/Mitsubishi/Proton.... would step up to the plate and spec a new ATF with some real performance.

Any ATF that mentions the SPIII spec can be used. Amalie, RoyalPurple, Amsoil, Mobil1, Castrol, Wynns, BG,....... are some to choose from. Even ATF+4 is a better choice.

I don't know why anyone would want to stick with SPIII. Its a woefully under performing ATF and is usually spent by 10k miles. It can't take the heat, shears thin very quickly, has poor cold weather flow...... and every UOA is pathetic. Almost all the transmission failures that I've seen from Mitsubishi/Hyundai/Kia were caused by lubrication failure while using SPIII. Worn out seals, clutches, and hardpart wear is common.

The fear of not using SPIII comes from retards that used DexronIII which is even a poorer performer.

So if SPIII is this bad, why is Hyundai/Kia still using it? I would think if it were causing failure, they would switch to something else because having 100k mile warranty on the tranny is going to cost a ton of $$$ if tranny's are failing.

deadrx7conv · 07-05-2009, 12:36 PM

And, they are failing when stressed. How many people fight the dealer for warranty repairs? 100k warranty is nothing. I drive that in 3yrs. So, I have a 3yr warranty. The 10/100 is a great 'marketing' promotion. And, there really isn't anyone that doesn't meet the service service maintenance requirement which is a great warranty denial argument with the service department.

Why ask why? Why can't I play CDs that I burn? why is the plastic cheap? why does the rear suspension make noise? why do the Optimo tires suck? why don't I have enough power? why does the engine hang at rpm at every shift with a booming sound?

They have made progress in some areas and none in others. But, with 'other' suppliers for some transmissions, maybe we'll just see the end for SPIII all together. AW/ZF are beginning to supply/license transmissions for certain models. To suddenly change a fluid spec, and back test it to all years/models is expensive. That R&D expense is used for future models and not past models. The warranty expense formula is taken right of the top at the time of sale for future estimated warranty statistics. There is no R&D expense on models that have already been discontinued. Statisticians vs accountants vs. engineers vs the consumer!

Consumer cost is 3-4x more expensive then manufacturer cost to replace something. Its not a ton of money to replace a transmission. Its a write off as is every warranty repair.