# ATF Change



## jimtodd72 (Apr 26, 2013)

Hello all! 

I am at 110,000 on my 2010 Routan and feel I am probably a BIT past due for transmission fluid/filter change. Nearly all hwy miles and no problems but I want to keep it that way. No problems locating the pan and fill tube but, of course, there is no ATF dipstick indicator. Has anyone replaced ATF fluid and if so, suggestions on getting proper fill without guessing? 

Thanks!


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

Google for "62TE dipstick" 

http://compare.ebay.com/like/111048667154?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar 

Your gonna be about $70 for the stick, plus drop close to another Hundo or more on a filter and oil. Call a chrysler dealer, and see how much the VW dealer wants to do the service. Gonna be a tad more possibly then what it will be for the stick and fluids. This coming from a guy with a 2 post car lift in his garage, cost vs. savings vs. time, at the end of the day what ever is more cost effective.


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## Zambee500 (Jun 23, 2011)

The free online version of Bentley says 120k is first scheduled maintenance for transmission service, unless driven for towing or fleet duty in which case 60k miles. I don't think any ATF is meant to go 120k miles though, so I had it done around the 60k mark (actually got lazy and it was closer to 68k miles). When I reached around 60k and called some local VW dealerships, they all said "not recommended" and advised against transmission service at that mileage. I don't know if I wrote it down, but for some reason $179 or $229 stands out in my mind on the cost they threw at me. I instead went to an independent shop and it was $140, but they didn't change the filter b/c the filter is way up above the pan and takes significantly longer labor time than just a pan-drop and R&R the old fluid in the pan. So I stopped there figuring the pan-drop only @ 60k and then I'd do the full ATF service with new filter at 120k (if I or the transmission make it that far). 

A couple of notes. It's about 6 quarts of ATF+4 to do the pan-drop only. Napa is running a great Valvoline deal on it for about $5 a quart. I was charged the "standard" $9.95 per quart at the shop, which is typical mark-up and factored into the price so just keep that in mind when comparing DIY cost to what I paid at a shop. 

As you know, it's a sealed unit. It takes a silicone adhesive gel type of gasket to re-seal it. VW (and presumably Chrysler) has its own OEM part number for the gasket seal gunk, and i'd strongly recommend going that route. The indie shop I took it to had a booger of a time using generic silicone gasket sealant and it had a tiny leak after the gasket cured *twice*. The third time they used the dealership part and it worked fine. The pan sits at an angle when it's bolted on and wants to leak from the corner (front-left IIRC). The lip on the pan at first glance looks the same all the way around the pan, but it's slightly off at that corner and a few ounces wants to leak out. Poor mechanic was soaked in ATF+4 after bolting the pan up on the third try, and then he apologized to me for how long it took. 

In my view, it's not a DIY job for the light-hearted. As 58 says, some things are worth paying a bit more for hassle-factor avoidance.


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## Zambee500 (Jun 23, 2011)

jimtodd72 said:


> Has anyone replaced ATF fluid and if so, suggestions on getting proper fill without guessing?


 You can measure what you take out and put that much new ATF back in. I'm not sure if it's true with the 62LE, but I've seen elsewhere that some Chryco transmissions are easy to over-fill and over-filling will do more damage than under-filling. That might be the older 4 speed though, but IIRC that is the same platform the 62LE is built on.


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