Best PT Manual/Transmission Flush

[ptbeard]

Greetings,

The family PT Cruiser is recently out of warranty, and I think I'm going to start doing some minor preventative maintenance on it myself. It's a 2004 base model, with a 5-speed manual transmission, and 61k on it.

I'm thinking about flushing and changing the transmission fluid on it, because even though it was her idea to get a manual transmission, my mom is really hard on it (rocky shifts, engine lugging, etc.). Is this do-able for a beginner like myself, or should I recruit help or take it to a shop?

What else should I do at this stage? I got some throttle body cleaner, and fuel-injector cleaner, and I'm going to use them this weekend.

Also, which is better, the Chilton or Haynes manual?

[CREWZIN]

The only Haynes manual covers 01-03 but I don't think there were very many changes in 04.

If you have access to a lift or good hydraulic jacks, check out the front wheel bearing and the bushing all around the front. Throttle body cleaner sprayed into the TB while running will clean out any built up gunk. Plugs and wires that aren't from Chrysler and follow the guide in this forum. The PT is 5 years old so you might want to think about a brake fluid and coolant fluid change.

[ptbeard]

Hmm, well after reading some more on this forum, I guess I have to take it somewhere for a transmission flush. What is a fair price for a flush and filter replacement? Also, would synthetic fluid be better (I have a non-turbo manual transmission)?

[CREWZIN]

For a full flush i paid about $120. They said I didn't need to change the filter because the flush and cleaner that they use cleans the filter too. That was with synthetic.

P.S. I paid to have the filter changed later which cost me the filter price plus 4 more quarts of synthetic.

Synthetic costs a bunch more but you can go further between changes. I go 5k. If you live in a climate like Florida or Fargo North Dakota where you have extreme weather, I'd say definitely go for the synthetic.

[soonercruiser]

Carey!
I'm going to show how really mechanically challenged I am.....
Tranny flush for a manual transmission??? Maybe the rear end????
Please educate me!

[CREWZIN]

Frank, as lot has changed since I messed around with changing the fluid in a manual trans and I never did it on a front wheel drive. Maybe they do "flush" it out like the automatics, I'm not really sure.

There is no "rear end" on a front drive either. That's why I call them "transaxle" because everything is all together up front.

[slartyblarfast]

On a manual transmission all you do is drain and refill. I think it uses atf 4 but I'm not sure right off the top of my head.

[luvmysxs]

Haynes says under normal operating conditions manual transmissions gear lube will not need to be changed.