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Seafoam Trans Tune any good?

9

99BluGP

New member
Hello,
I have a 99 GT with 138k.
The trans seems to be working ok but tonight it was shifting harder than usual. I just picked up this car and I'm not sure how well it was taken care of. I'm thinking about flushing the trans at a shop that flushed my Durango last summer with no problems. I've heard that Seafoam is a good product to use in the trans before a flush and wanted to get your expert advise on this.
Thanks
 


Trannyman is the resident 4T65E expert here and Im sure he will make it in here to give you his input.

That said I'll give you my thoughts in the mean time.

If it is shifting harder and consistently doing so, that could be an indication of something starting to go wrong in the tranny, like a pressure control solenoid. In which case, Seafoam is not going to do anything for you.

I would wait, if you can, for the word from Trannyman though, he would have far more insight to this than I would.
 
Again, TRannyman is the guy in the know.

But for my opinion, I never use anything in the trans other than transmission fluid. Additives and special liquid flushes I do not like as they often do not work.

But many times people will try to add them thinking it will fix a transmission that is on its way out. So of course they won't fix a transmission with mechanical problems. So like Scotty said, if you are seeing signs of the transmission going south, I don't think there is much you can do to stop it.

But I would wait for Dave for the final word...
 
Zef_66 said:
Again, TRannyman is the guy in the know.

But for my opinion, I never use anything in the trans other than transmission fluid. Additives and special liquid flushes I do not like as they often do not work.

But many times people will try to add them thinking it will fix a transmission that is on its way out. So of course they won't fix a transmission with mechanical problems. So like Scotty said, if you are seeing signs of the transmission going south, I don't think there is much you can do to stop it.

But I would wait for Dave for the final word...
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the trans-tune isnt meant to be left in the trans, it's to be put in before you get your flush....
 
Toasty said:
the trans-tune isnt meant to be left in the trans, it's to be put in before you get your flush....
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I understand that. And many places that do trans flushes probably use a solvent of similar sorts. But I still don't like it. :)

My tranny is working just fine and never used that stuff.
 
Ive seen many that do flushes that use BG products. I dont know what specifically they use, but Im with you Zef. A properly maintained tranny I dont see the need for any additional chemicals.
 


SyntheticShield said:
Ive seen many that do flushes that use BG products. I dont know what specifically they use, but Im with you Zef. A properly maintained tranny I dont see the need for any additional chemicals.
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true, but what percentage of america's trannys are properly maintained at such a level?
 
Toasty said:
true, but what percentage of america's trannys are properly maintained at such a level?
Click to expand...

But again, a poorly maintained transmission is going to show signs of mechanical failure. And we all know that a liquid out of a can won't cure worn clutches or broken gears. So again, these products do not have use in any tranny in my book. If it won't fix the problem, don't use it. And if properly maintained, the products are not needed...why buy them at all? Just save your money and do proper regular maintenance or pay for a rebuild. They are not miracle products...
 
If your trans is intermittantly shifting hard you likely have a failing pressure control solenoid or your trans is just tired and is no longer shifting within the set parameters that the pcm/computer wants to see. When either of the above happens the car goes into a fail-safe mode and will max out the line pressure to prevent the trans from slipping and burning up. This condition will go away when you shut the car off and start it back up but it will come back after a few shift cycles or once it warms up. I am honestly no fan of using any additives in transmissions. If it doesnt work properly on straight ATF then there are problems. I have not used sea-foam but like most additives they are designed to loosen up contaminents and also will soften seals which is not a good thing. They are at best a short term bandaid but likely will do nothing for your trans and may cause more damage in the long run. I also wouldnt have a fluid flush done since the history is unknown. Dropping the pan and changing the filter and the fluid that drains out is much safer so the new trans fluid can mix with the old and not cause a chemical shock to everything since your mileage is high. I would honestly take it to a trans shop or someone knowledgeable with trans diagnostics and see what they think. Often its just a bad pressure control solenoid BUT your mileage is getting up there and its a coin toss as to what is causing it without seeing the car. Changing the fluid may soften the shifts a bit as new fluid will do that. If your pressure control solenoid is at fault then its a pretty involving job to take upon and if you have a shop fix it then you will likely be looking in the $400-$800 range and that is near half the cost of a new trans.
 
Trannyman95 said:
This condition will go away when you shut the car off and start it back up but it will come back after a few shift cycles or once it warms up.
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Thats whats starting to happen more often now. I'm not hard on the car at all and for now I only drive to work 10 miles each way.

If I don't take care of this will it cause more problems or could it wait till spring?

Thanks for all your advise.
 


If you dont fix it then it may be fine for a long time, but keep in mind that high line pressure will take its toll on parts and can caues more problems down the road. Its a tough call to make but most people put up with this problem for a long time if they even fix it.
 
Hard shifting could be caused by low fluid in the trans its self. Check the fluid level and add if needed. And you might want to look into lucas transmission fix to help free up anything inside there that could be sticking. I swear by it its saved my azz on three transmissions. Made then hold out long enough for me to get them fixed.
 
I have had this problem with both of my GP's. They all seemed to start doing it after I did a tranny fluid change. All I did was drop the pan and change the filter. I was told it was the Pressure Control Selenoid. I only tend to drive the car in town, but would want more security if it is alright to drive on the Interstate? With it getting hot, and it going to fail/safe mode, once it is in gear, it should not really matter, right?
 
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