[A-Man]

Has anyone done it on the Captiva?

 

[Victor]

Never done it on the Captiva or Antara but done it on others eg Jeep Grand Cherokee. Drop the oil pan and catch fluid in large drain pan, then the filter assy, clean it all out and refit then refill transmission. Trouble is you're only changing half the fluid because you're not changing the fluid in the torque converter or the oil cooler, you need a proer rig to do that. Not really a DIY job unless you have access to ramp and equipment to flush it all out properly.

 

[Aussie Ed]

Victor is correct that 'total' refill is a specialist process. I've only ever had a 'drain' and refill which actually represents only about half the fluid actually gets changed.I recall that forum member BEL gave details of the full procedure in one of his posts about 2-2.5 years ago which involves running engine through the gear shifts etc.
I'll try and find it and post it tomorrow .

 

[A-Man]

Your right what you actaully should do is an transmission flush.Stupid that they did put any drain plug on,.

 

[bel]

On the 2ltr there is a drain plug [easy access] and a mini dip stick [ hidden down back of engine virtually inaccessible have to make up extension filler tube and extensionfor 2" dipstick and use probes to guide into filler hole] allow a fair amount of time and some calming down therapy. when I first changed my fluid the gearbox was performing fine but because I used it for towingthought it would not harm. when I dropped the fluid thought it was the engine oil, pure jet black !!!! .
must have caught it just in time, first thing changed the cooler not much bigger but more heat exchangersurface area went from a coil to a plate type. Secondthing fitted an extra in line filter with internal magnets . Third thing fitted a sensor and a gauge to give me a temp read out so I now know what is going on.
when draining, the coolers do drain, one in the radiator [helps warm the oil on start up] and one mounted in front of the radiator. so it is just the oil in the torque converter that is going to mix with the new. when I drain mine I get about 5ltrs out, can not remember total capacity. on my first change swopped the oil three times to get the colour back to something like. I had all four wheels in the air got the oil up to 65 degrees and went through the gears. Ichange the oil every year now just changed it this weekend but onlyone empty and fill no running through the gears, the colour is perfect. When filling to check the level oil has to be up to temperature and engine running.

Just a point about pressure cleaning the gearbox some people advise against it because any debris it removes can be left behind in places you do not want it, and prefer justto change the fluid.

Edited by: bel

 

[Aussie Ed]

Thanks Bel. I found your previous post (12 March 2015) part copied here :-
"Changing thefluidis awkward butwill go into it at a later date if requested, involves all 4 wheels in the air to go through all the gears and the wheels reaching 50 miles per hour while the abs and stability trying to kick in, also making extended dip sticks and filler tubes.No wonder they said filled for life. The above could be done at a garagebut my advice would be stop with the car ask to see the colour of thefluideach time it is dropped till satisfied its clean, the car also has run through every gear change between eachfluidchange, also the finalfluidlevel check is done with the car level, up to full gearbox working temp. have got temp. and the level is dipped with the engine running. "