[@Basshacker98]

I have an outback 2008 4AT 168 miles and i check the trans oil and it is not too dark yet but it is not too red. My question is, if I change the external and internal oil filter will be good?
So far I know, any transmision you not have to change the oil of any transmision because then after few miles it broke down with the time, guys just drain and catch the oil, clean the inside filter, replace the outside filter and put back the oil they catch from the same trans, and it runs good again.

So, any recommendations or concerns about it?

Thanks in advanced.

 

[Shark_911]

The belief that you shouldn't touch the trans fluid is an old wives tale.

If someone neglected it for nearly 200,000 miles, finally changes the fluid, and it fails shortly after... Guess what, it was going to fail anyways.

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[Micron]

The belief that you shouldn't touch the trans fluid is an old wives tale.

That might stem from a related notion that I heard in the '70's when I was an apprentice. Basically, on a high mileage automatic trans (especially one that was ignored and abused) changing the oil can cause rapid failure thereafter. The reason being that the dirt/crap was aiding in friction between clutches and pistons. Put new oil in and soon you have slippage, clutch burning and outright failure. So save the money you'd spend on oil because it's going to fail anyway. Of course, no one was saying never change your oil; just that you shouldn't bother in one that's been badly ignored.

 

[Mutsuraboshi]

The belief that you shouldn't touch the trans fluid is an old wives tale.

If someone neglected it for nearly 200,000 miles, finally changes the fluid, and it fails shortly after... Guess what, it was going to fail anyways.

Not entirely true.

In some cases - particularly if the transmission is slipping, or exhibiting other symptoms - flushing or draining the trans fluid can make the symptoms worse. This is due to the fluid change disturbing & breaking free clutch material, metal, or other debris that was actually helping to keep the transmission running. Flushing in particular can make it worse.

Typically, if I had a customer that complained of a slipping transmission and their fluid was dirty/burnt, I would advise them of the possibility of making it worse if it was changed, and even then I'd never flush, only drain & fill.

 

[@Basshacker98]

Not entirely true.

In some cases - particularly if the transmission is slipping, or exhibiting other symptoms - flushing or draining the trans fluid can make the symptoms worse. This is due to the fluid change disturbing & breaking free clutch material, metal, or other debris that was actually helping to keep the transmission running. Flushing in particular can make it worse.

Typically, if I had a customer that complained of a slipping transmission and their fluid was dirty/burnt, I would advise them of the possibility of making it worse if it was changed, and even then I'd never flush, only drain & fill.

I bought the car having this oil like that and it have a hard shift delay(also when is warm up). Idc about the uncomfortable shiftings but I just want to make this trans to last longer. Is a good idea to change filters and put back the same oil? Or wait till the trans get broke down because is cheap to swap it for a low mileage one more than just try to avoid broke down.

 

[seagrass]

Do yourself a favour and do a drain and fill. This is what Subaru does when they “service” the transmission and it typically makes the transmission shift much more smoothly and the shifts are more responsive.

Many members that have done this are amazed how much better the transmissions seems to be.

Also change the external filter BUT leave the internal filter alone at this time. If your transmission does have problems after the oil change (I doubt it will) it would just be wasting money if you had replaced the internal filter.

Seagrass

 

[cardoc]

Change the fluid with Subaru HP or Idemitsu HP.
I change the internal filter. Two reasons:. A clean filter allows for better fluid sump and it will also allow you to see the interior of the pan. If there is a large amount of metal then you have worn clutch packs, and by large I mean the magnet has a good amount stuck to it increasing its size appearance by a few mm. The spin on filter is to catch debris that wears off during break in and keep.it out of the radiator. It's changed with a rebuild. You can replace it if you want, but if that filter is restricted you are definitely in the can.

Drain and fill with a pan drop them drive it about 200 miles and drain/fill again. It'll be about 10-11 quarts total with a pan drop the first time.

As for "changing the fluid makes things worse", the fluid breaks down over time and use. Pressure and temperature do this and it's normal. If the trans is slipping due to extreme wear, it's going to break down regardless of a fluid change or not. New fluid in place of old provides better friction additive properties, temperature control and more stable pressure.

I'll add that you may want to make sure the battery cables are good and free of corosion. Poor grounding and a weak battery can cause issues with the trans. The first thing to be screwed by a bad battery and grounding is an automatic trans. The solenoids can't work properly and fluid flow lacks and reduces pressure on the clutches causing slips. And you generally won't notice it for quite some time because the TCM is adaptive and makes changes to its shifting when it sees as timing or slip issue.

 

[Mutsuraboshi]

I bought the car having this oil like that and it have a hard shift delay(also when is warm up). Idc about the uncomfortable shiftings but I just want to make this trans to last longer. Is a good idea to change filters and put back the same oil? Or wait till the trans get broke down because is cheap to swap it for a low mileage one more than just try to avoid broke down.

If you're planning on keeping the vehicle long-term, I'd do a drain & fill w/filters. There is a chance it may make things worse, but I'd say it's offset by increasing the longevity of the transmission itself.

If you were planning on replacing the vehicle as soon as the transmission failed, I'd probably say just consider leaving it alone & driving it till it fails.