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How much transmission fluid?

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9.1K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  rejesterd  
#1 ·
Think I'll have a go at changing trans fluid at next oil change (43,000 mi). Assuming that I use the simple "drain it; measure it; and put the same amount back in method, how much do I need to buy for the 2.0 engine.
 
#4 ·
Don't believe the engine size matters as they all have the 6 speed auto and four quarts isn't going to be enough to change out a significant percentage of the fluid via dilution. It's $18 a gallon at Wal-Mart for the synthetic Valvoline which meets all of our cars requirements so having an extra gallon on hand is no big deal. I went through about 2.5 gallons to dilute it twice. You don't need to measure what you remove, there is a "overflow" outlet to watch for it to start to dribble out. Just follow all the requirements to warm up the transmission and go through the gears after refilling it and then recheck. Simple job unless you don't have enough replacement fluid on hand to get the weeping and don't have another vehicle to go hunt down another gallon. Plus, if you can store it, buy it now before the price skyrockets along with everything else petroleum related.
 
#7 ·
Or, you gave them one gallon and so they exchanged one gallon. That's why I like to DIY and know exactly what came out and exactly what went back in. Especially if the shop used a fluid exchange machine - they can be set to exchange X number of quarts or to run a complete flush cycle.
 
#10 ·
There are a few ways to do it, from professional all at once, to basic drain and fill 2-3 times In one sitting, or a simple drain and fill every so many K miles. Just pulling the drain plug gets about +/- 1 US gal out, all the rest (about 50% dirty fluid) is still in there, that's why there are multiple answers , so you can pick your way to go.

From the 2017 Owners manual page 8-6 .
 
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#13 ·
When I asked Kia dealer to change tranny fluid they claimed it was completely sealed and could not be changed
2016 Sedona???
That's not true. The fluid change on my 2015 Sedona (same as your '16) was relatively easy, same as a Sorento which also uses the same 6 speed transmission.

Drain plug on bottom of the transmission gets the fluid out. There's a plastic screw cap underneath the battery (on top of transmission) that serves as the fill port. To check the fluid level when you're done, there's a plug on the front side of the transmission (in the plastic side pan) you unscrew, that serves as a check port. So no it's not as easy as older transmissions that had a simple dipstick, but plenty easy enough.

The basic steps go like this:

Open fill cap, drain fluid via drain plug. Reinstall drain plug, measure what came out (pouring the drain fluid into single quart bottles is an easy way), and put that amount of fluid back in to get you at a ballpark level. Close fill cap and then start the vehicle and either drive it, or let it sit (will take much longer) till the fluid gets to the appropriate temperature-- I don't remember what it was exactly (it's in the service manual or someone here on the forum can hopefully fill this in), but it was around 140F if I'm not mistaken. At that temperature (give or take), check the fluid level with the engine running and vehicle in P or N by opening the side level check plug. Do this on a level surface. You should see a very slow stream or dribble. If it's a fast stream, let it drain out until you get there. If nothing comes out, add fluid until it does.

As far as reading trans fluid temp, any cheap $20 bluetooth OBD-II scan tool with appropriate Iphone or Android app can tell you this. On Iphones I use an app called Car Scanner and on Android I use an app called Torque Pro.