Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle CD4E FAQ

Maintaince -

Why should I change my ATF on regular intervals?
A lot of people think that you should not change your transmission fluid unless you are having problems. This is about as wrong as you can possibly be. Look! ATF is not some miracle fluid that will not break down. When ATF breaks down, it actually becomes abrasive. If you allow this liquid sand paper, if you will, continue to run through your transmission... it will eat away at everything it comes into contact with. Keep your fluid changed on a regular basis, all those parts will continue to be happy for a long time.

What kind of fluid should I use, when changing my fluid?
The CD4E is designed to use Mercon. Not Mercon V! This holds across all models years. You can use pretty much any brand of multi-purpose ATF fluid. You will most commonly see it on the shelf labeled as, "DexronIII/Mercon". These multi-purpose ATF's also cover the same specs as Type H, which the CD4E may call for in other countrys. If you want, you can use synthetic based fluids such as, Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF or Amsoil Synthetic ATF. There are of course others out there and I will let you do all that research. I will let you draw your own conclusion in that area on what is best for your CD4E. Just stay with either Mercon or a synthetic variant and you will be fine. And yes, if you want to slowly change over to a syn, by performing the 4 quart drop procedure, you can.

How do I change the fluid in my CD4E?
There's two ways. The first way is a drain and fill approach and the power flush. There is also a manual flush that I will also cover.

A)Drain and Fill - Jack the front of the car up a small amount. Remove the drain plug, using a 3/8" drive rachet. Allow the 4 quarts to drain out. After the ATF drains out, simply re install the drain plug and let the car down. Add 3.5 quarts and crank the engine. Hold the brake and work though all the gears. This ensures that all the fluid works through the system. Leave the engine running and check the fluid level and adjust as needed. You should only have to possibly add the last .5 quart.

B)Power Flush - This procedure calls for a mechanic to hook your ATX up to a machine that will force new fluid into the ATX case and, at the sametime, sucks out the old. The force of the fluid coming into the case cleans out most, if not all, contaminets throughout all parts of the ATX.

C)Manual Flush - To perform a tranny flush yourself, follow this little "How-To" by RoadRunner, Transmission Forum Moderator at CEG. Before you start put 4 quarts of WATER in a bucket and mark the INSIDE of the bucket with an INDELIBLE INK MARKER, at the top of the water level. When you get under the car, you will see two lines that go from the transmission to the passenger side of the car. One attaches to the BOTTOM of the radiator, while the other goes to the TOP of the radiator. Follow the line that attaches to the BOTTOM of the radiator back to the transmission. This is where you want to remove the line and then put the end of it into a bucket. Pour out the water and dry. Now you have a 4 quart measure inside the bucket ! Start the car and let it idle while the bucket fills. When it gets close to the 4 quart mark, turn off the car, and pour 4 quarts of ATX Oil into the Dipstick Tube. Take the 4 quarts in your bucket and pour it into the 4 empty ATX Oil bottles. You'll need to repeat this until the oil coming out of the line starts to resemble the oil you ar pouring into the dipstick tube.

I've heard that performing any type of flush can cause more harm then good. What's the truth to this matter?
Well see here is what happens with old ATF, while still floating around in your tranny. The old fluid flows through the tranny, causing all sorts of damage. One of the main problems is scaring. Scaring is where a piece of grit runs through say, the bore of the valve body. When it reaches the piston or valve, it gets caught between the seal and the bore. As the valve or piston continues to work normally, it is also cutting into the bore. Now, with scaring out of the way - As time goes by, this scare will become filled with other particles of grit and trash. This eventually seals whatever leaks might have been caused by the scaring action. Now! This is just one piece of grit, so imagine thousands if not millions upon millions of different examples of this happening throughout an entire trip! It does not take long for your transmission to become riddled with this damage. Well, here's the catch. ATF is naturally very good at cleaning. And if you flush your tranny with 12 quarts of new fluid, it is only a matter of miles before all those scares are cleaned out and you have a hydraulic mess on your hands. Valves and pistons will begin to stick or leak. Line pressure will fluctuate wildly. All sorts of problems. It is not unheard of for someone to flush their tranny, that has not taken very good care of it, and soon after flushing - it dies.

General rule of thumb here... Take care of it, from the beginning, and it will take care of you.

What if I bought my used and I have no idea how the former owner took care of the transaxle?
If you have purchased a used car, that you are not sure about the level of care that the previous owner car gave the transmission, I would suggest performing the 4 quart drop routine and not flushing the tranny, right off. Wait until you have completely at least three of the drain and fill's first. After that, if everything is working ok, then I would suggest a flush for your ATX.

How often should I change my ATF?
With the drain and fill method, I would suggest at least every 10-12,000 miles. A power flush should be performed, at least, every 20-25K. Yeah. Most transmission repairmen will tell you that this is overkill, but... we are talking about $10-$15 here! Would you rather pay an average of an average of $20-$50 a year (given that you drive an average of 30K a year) or $2500 over a week, while your CD4E is rebuilt by some guy at a shop that you don't know rebuilds something that you have no idea about?

How do I change the filter in my CD4E?
The filter, in the CD4E, is not a serviceable item. By this, I mean that the filter cannot be changed without actually disassembling the transmission. Don't go and get all upset about this! The filter actually works pretty good. The only known problem with the filter, was found back in `98, I believe. It was redesigned by Flitrek to address a fluid flow issue during extreme useage. In other words, when you would drive your car like a mad man - like most of us do on weekends, the fluid was not able to flow properly through the filter. This lead to premature failures of the coast & direct clutches. But if you are running alot of horsepower or torque, then might I suggest a B&M External Filter.