Hit 5,000 miles on my truck and realized I should've checked the transmission fluid at 3k

I was changing my oil at 5k and figured I'd check the tranny fluid for once and it was dark brown and smelled burnt. Anybody else wait way too long to check something simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

maxl938h ago

Ngl @morgan.jason is right, I've seen way worse fluid still shift fine for years.

fisher.thomas10h ago

Burnt and dark tranny fluid is a rough way to learn that lesson. We've all been there with some maintenance item we put off too long.

morgan.jason9h ago

Oh, come on, 'rough way to learn that lesson'? I bet half the cars on the road are running on fluid that's been dark for months. My buddy's old truck had fluid that looked like used motor oil for two years before the transmission finally went, and even then it was a slow death, not some dramatic explosion. You really think a little burnt fluid is the same as ignoring a timing belt? I'm not saying it's good, but acting like one dark fluid change is a life-or-death call seems a bit dramatic. We've all seen worse, right?