Recently I was servcing my 97 Dakota (replaced brakes) and I asked the mechanik about changing trans fluid too ..He told me there are two ways of doing that ...The old-fashioned way is when you just remove the drain pan (there is no drain plug for transmission), pour the fluid into a container large enough, because it's really pouring, not draining, then change a filter, put everything back on place, add 3 1/2 quarts of new fluid, then put the truck on parking brake, run the engine and run the transmission through each position. Then check the fluid level and add if necessary. That's all. But in this way transmission still retains some quantity of old fluid mixed with new one. Another method they use is power washing when the fluid is pumped into the tranny under pressure and actually washes out all old fluid (and some quantity of new one) ...That seems to be more effective but it will cost $190 ....So I'm thinking ...
Tranny Fluid change
