What spec & brand of fluid you all using and how many quarts will it take when I go to replace the filter?

the transmission fluid is Dexron VI ... GM dumped Dexron III in 2006 .. GM went bankrupt because the dex III creates acid in the transmissions ..the parts breakdown ..
I used mobil synthetic transmission fluid in 1999 .. dexron III/VI is the correct fluid spec on the mobil synthetic ..
mobil fluid is around 10 bucks .. but my old vehicles hae no issues and when I drop the pan the fluid looks like new ..
DEXRON III FLUID LOOKS LIKE GRAY METAL COLOR WHEN IT IS IN THE TRANNY 20-30k MILES ..

 

the transmission fluid is Dexron VI ... GM dumped Dexron III in 2006 .. GM went bankrupt because the dex III creates acid in the transmissions ..the parts breakdown ..
I used mobil synthetic transmission fluid in 1999 .. dexron III/VI is the correct fluid spec on the mobil synthetic ..
mobil fluid is around 10 bucks .. but my old vehicles hae no issues and when I drop the pan the fluid looks like new ..
DEXRON III FLUID LOOKS LIKE GRAY METAL COLOR WHEN IT IS IN THE TRANNY 20-30k MILES ..

I would like to know where you get this information from because I know multiple professional transmission builders who state stick with Dexron III in 2006 and below.

I also have a 2003 S10 4.3 with a 4L60E that has 124,000 miles with no service history and probably was not serviced before but the fluid is still got red to it and has absolutely no gray metal color. If you got a gray metal color you have internal transmission components failing.

I have owned a 1994 Silverado 4.3 4L60E it had 250,000 original miles and was never serviced before up until I serviced it finally and it had the original Dexron III with probably 230,000 miles at the time and it was not gray metal colored. Even my 1998 Blazer had almost 200,000 on it and the Dexron III was not gray metal colored.

Either way Dexron III is the original you can now buy it as Dex/Merc or go with Dexron VI. GM recommends Dexron VI now and it is backwards compatible.

 

PROBABLY A 6 cyl truck would have about 3.75 qts.. shallow pan . on the V8 trucks the deep pan will have 5qts ..
dropping the pan you have see if the shift lever will obstruct the pan drop .. loosen the screws ..

 

Also my 2003 S10 has a deep pan, not sure if that carried over to a 2004 Silverado but probably, I think they dropped the shallow pan all together in 1997 so some vehicles in 1997 may have it some may not.

Either way it is very simple to find out, just do not get the wrong filter that will be a recipe for disaster. I recommend you stick with the AC Delco filters it is OEM and they come with the better Farpak gasket. They have both deep and shallow options.

 

GM didn't go bankrupt because of Dexron III in 2006 they went bankrupt because of poor management in the 80's and mostly because of Roger Smith cheapening up products. Dexron VI was developed by GM for there new 6L80E transmissions and other transmissions with more than 6 speeds.

 

Yea, Dexron III was a good transmission fluid. Is Dexron VI superior? absolutely but people racked up 200,000+ on transmissions with Dexron III.

Dexron III still has it's place as well because supposedly people have issues using VI in power steering.

If you want your transmission to last the way to do that is the following steps.

Step 1. Do not abuse it
Step 2. Do not abuse it
Step 3. Do not abuse it
Step 4. Maintenance/Servicing
Step 5. Maintenance/Servicing
Step 6. Maintenance/Servicing
Step 7. Maintenance/Servicing
Step 8. Repeat steps 1 to 3 constantly.
Step 9. Repeat steps 4 to 7 at proper intervals.



Without following those steps it does not matter what transmission fluid you use.

 

There's many times when j cat and I don't see eye to eye; however, on the topic of Dexron 3, I agree with his observations.
Dexron 3 has 2 main problems, it has poor shear strength stability and it suffers from oxidation.
Your transmission will thank you if you upgrade to Dexron 6.

Here is a handy reference, everyone may not abide by wiki; but I refer to it a lot.

DEXRON - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

Dexron III-H has oxidation stabilization properties. This was used on 2003+

 

Yeah, Oil (fluids) & Politics always causes a...uh...a Discussion. I'm just gonna go with AC/Delco, see pic, probably get it from Rock Auto. Even with shipping I think it's $20 less than the O. I still need to crawl underneath the truck to be sure on the pan/filter. I'm pretty sure it's the shallow one because I did do a drain and fill when I first got the truck (2016/2017?). Shoot, I might have even change the filter back then too. I'll really be thinking that if the transmission pan DOESN'T have a drain plug. Hopefully I made notation in my Carfax Garage back then. I'll check it right after I post this!
Yes Gents, I do get confused, I have 6 vehicles I maintain.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, Oil (fluids) & Politics always causes a...uh...a Discussion. I'm just gonna go with AC/Delco, see pic, probably get it from Rock Auto. Even with shipping I think it's $20 less than the O. I still need to crawl underneath the truck to be sure on the pan/filter. I'm pretty sure it's the shallow one because I did do a drain and fill when I first got the truck (2016/2017?). Shoot, I might have even change the filter back then too. I'll really be thinking that if the transmission pan DOESN'T have a drain plug. Hopefully I made notation in my Carfax Garage back then. I'll check it right after I post this!
Yes Gents, I do get confused, I have 6 vehicles I maintain.



Thanks!

This page will help you identify which pan you have.

How To Tell If You Have a Deep or Shallow Style 4L60E Oil Pan (gmtransmissionparts.com)

Check the dealership and see if they can get Dexron VI cheaper because they had it cheaper than the auto part stores here last time I called.

It is very important that you get the correct filter. If you put a shallow in a deep it will starve it, if you put a deep in a shallow it will crack it and also starve it.

 

Anyways Loose Screw, seems like you got a solid truck, good to know you keep it maintained and with that low of miles I hope it lasts a long time for you.

Just remember the important part about getting the correct filter. As mentioned the dealership may be able to get you the correct fluid cheaper than the auto part stores as I said they offered it cheaper here at least, worth a phone call to them at least.

Hell check on them for the filter as well, they may also be able to get that cheaper, I believe AutoZone had it for like $35.

 

Good Day Amigos!
Yeah, so, okay, okay, I'm learning...I should have done a bunch of research Before posting here Aaand taken a picture! I hate throwing people off when I don't even know what I'M doing! But really I have learned a lot from Everybody that has replied.

Here's a picture of My pan:

Yes, I'm Still going to change the filter.

Now let me throw everything sideways on you all.
About a week ago I started noticing a buzzing noise, sounds like a pulley bearing starting to go bad. It's not the idler pulley I've replaced that twice with Delco part. And I put a brand new belt. I'm pretty sure it's none of the other pulleys (alt, tension, a/c, p/s ect). *Might be fan clutch.
But I'm thinking Transmission because the buzzing seems to be affected by the shifting and the other day stopped on a hill it seemed like the hill hold function (if there is one) switched on and off for a split second, twice. Anyway that's why I'm getting into this.

And I Know This truck has some electrical gremlins like the abs bell&light going off once and awhile and the door and key buzzer Not going off once in a while also the a/c rely didn't activate once. So heck, it could even be a solenoid that's acting up in the transmission.

Off to chase windmills , Later!

 

Oh, and headed to get a scan right now!

 

Is there any possibility you can get an audio recording of the sound it is making?

Also if it does it in park I recommend you get a $5 automotive stethoscope from harbor freight and see if you cant pinpoint the exact location.

 

Is there any possibility you can get an audio recording of the sound it is making?

Also if it does it in park I recommend you get a $5 automotive stethoscope from harbor freight and see if you cant pinpoint the exact location.

I'll *try audio, no promises if it will show up, but I'll look into it.
I'm setup to listen threw a long screwdriver, I'll check out a stethoscope.
Oh, I came up with a better word, I hope I spell it right: whirring buzz, but more of a whirring like a fan.

Thanks!

 

I'm gonna run the truck for a minute or two without the serpentine belt also....

 

I will tell you this.

My 2003 S10 4.3 the alternator started whining on it but at first I could not pin-point it and I was worried at first it was the transmission pump because the sound was bouncing around too hard to pin-point by ear.

Well luckily it was the alternator the bearings in it were shot and I got a Duralast Reman which I have always had good luck with and it comes with a life-time warranty.

But it just shows sounds can be really deceiving and can damn near cause a heart attack.

 

I will tell you this.

My 2003 S10 4.3 the alternator started whining on it but at first I could not pin-point it and I was worried at first it was the transmission pump because the sound was bouncing around too hard to pin-point by ear.

Well luckily it was the alternator the bearings in it were shot and I got a Duralast Reman which I have always had good luck with and it comes with a life-time warranty.

But it just shows sounds can be really deceiving and can damn near cause a heart attack.

Belt Tensioner Assembly, spring was shot. You could really see it moving around A Lot revving engine. Took it off, could move the spring fairly easy by hand. Got a new from the O, $40 Gates.

 

A quick way to tell is pull the belt and start the engine; noise disappears, a belt driven bearing.

 

Yeah guys life is starting to get in the way of chasen this. I'll get back on this in a few days.
But yeah, Furious I know about noises bouncing all around. I posted this a while back, the solution is in post #11:

2004 short single base 4.3-Right Front Metal Rattle Over...

No Clunk, pretty good metal rattle sound. I've had it up and down, tire off and beat all over the place with a mallet. All ball in sockets look good, stabilizer and end links look good, shock looks good, all control arm bushings are good. Heck I've looked for possible lost tools in the bumper...

www.gmtruckclub.com

 

10‑9395 vs 10‑9244

Summit In their Description mention "mineral"

And well the label on this one says "Full Synthetic"

And who knows what's sitting in the torque converter of a 2004 Chevy pickup when they ship it out of the factory in Indiana!
The guys at 800 delco sure don't, one of them even told me "Dexron 3"...and then goes "Oh! That's for a manual, hold on a minute"...long story short, he couldn't figure out the difference between 9395 and 9244. I'm a 3rd grade dropout and I can use the online AC/Delco, GM.com parts catalog better than the people who get paid by AC/Delco, GM.com!
I did see an Amazon "Question" where a Buyer said he ordered 9244 and received 9395 and the "Answer" was basically it The Same Fluid just a different part number.
So, so far it's either ones "Mineral" and the others "Synthetic" Or they are both the same just Different Part Numbers!
I'm going to go over to Bob the Oil Guy and see if anybody over there has Beat This Horse.....

Aaaand Yes ladies they've beat on it pretty dang Good!

AcDelco Dexron VI different part numbers?

Hello, new here. I tried searching, calling AcDelco asking dealships and as many people as I can but still not getting a clear answer. I’m wondering what the difference is between AcDelco 10-9243 Vs AcDelco 10-9394. They both say Dexron VI but one says full synthetic on the front and the other...

bobistheoilguy.com

Yeah, my take, and I've read this before in reference to engine oil, is how refiners are going to do the minimum to get their fluid into a class that can get their product Labeled "Synthetic". I think Amsol comes the closest to true synthetic products. And my take, legally if the labeling says Dexron VI it has to meet Dexron VI requirements no matter who's company name is on the label. In the end, I'm going to go out on a limb and say these Two part numbers are Blends.

Good Night...

 

Loose, I think your horse is long dead, you can stop beating on it.

If it meets GM 6 spec, it meets the spec.

Treat your tranny to some and go beat the engine oil dead horse

 

I used the mobil -1 synthetic fluid in 1999...I dumped the DEXRON III....
THIS IS THE MOBIL-1 SYNTHETIC TRANSMISSION FLUID SPEC SHEET... DEXRON III IS THE SAME VISCOSITY OF MOBIL SYNTHETIC FLUID .

 

THE NEW GM VEHICLES HAD TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUIDS TO DEXRON VI ....GM CHANGED THE TRANSMISSIONS ON NEWER VEHICLES .. TO USE THE DEXRON VI..
MY TRANSMISSIONS HAVE THE SPEC OF DEXRON III BUT DEXRON III IS CONVENTIONAL FLUIDS CAUSES FAILURES .. PARTS WEAR OUT ..METAL BREAKS DOWN ..
MOBIL -1 SYN TRANNY FLUID HAS THE CORRECT VISCOSITY AND HAD THE SPEC SHEET OF MOBIL ..

 

So was Factory Fill in 2004 Dexron 3?

 

No, it never came out until 2005 and was used in the 2006 models; that may be why they jumped from using 3 to using a 6, like guns, a year thing.

 

What you guys are missing here is the details of the two specifications.
Of course I do not have access to the actual specifications and I couldn't understand it any way.

But here for example is a layman's overview of 3 H.

Investigation of Failure Modes in the DEXRON® III-H GM Cycling and Oxidation Tests

To develop an automatic transmission fluid (ATF) that meets DEXRON® III-H specifications, the ATF must pass two critical tests, the General Motors oxidation test (GMOT) and the General Motors cycling test (GMCT), in addition to many other performance tests. The specification on the GMOT is that del

www.sae.org

It does not specify synthetic as the formulation.
If a manufacturer can meet the specs with a non-synthetic they will be licensed.

And of course, it's like engine oil, if the manufacturer wishes to over spec with a synthetic they will still be licensed.

And then we go to Dexron 6. Again, synthetic is not a term used in the actual spec.
However, the requirements are higher than the requirements in 3 H. Synthetic is perhaps the only way manufacturers can meet the spec.
Again, just like engine oils. The new oil spec for 2014 and newer trucks will not state must be synthetic; however, using synthetic is the only way to meet the specs

GM will no longer license Dexron 3, that does not mean you can not use it in your older vehicles, if a company sells an ATF that meets GM 3 H specs (not licensed, just meets), and you wish to use this ATF, by all means use it. If you feel more comfortable using a synthetic that meets 3 H specs, go for it
GM has said the higher spec requirement of the 6 makes it ok to use in the older transmissions and I say if you wish to use it, go for it.

End of story

 

so what's the difference between the 2 part numbers? my hunch was right! iv tried to figure this out in the passed and determined they are more or less identical. AND GUESS WHAT! there are 2 different manufacturers of DeX VI and this is for quality control more or less. apparently on the 5 gallon jug sales it says this.... I took a screen shot!

 

Jees Us, even Gawd replied on this thread.

But yeah, I've seen that "Declaimer" before, I think it was on Amazon .

 

"what will blow up your transmission is abuse and lack of maintenance"
Right On!
Like the Age Old Question...Aaand Answer....
Q:"What's the Best Engine Oil?"
A:"Clean Engine Oil!"

 

AHAHAHAHA LMAO!

 

I use this.
www.searchforparts.com/oil-change/chevrolet-trucks-2004-silverado-1500-pickup-4.3l-x

Used to use Mobil 1. Both are great transmission fluids.

 

I changed my transmission fluid 1996 Impala in 1999.. 23K miles on it .. that tranny fluid looked like sh*t .. nasty....I changed it to Mobil synthetic dex/merc tranny fluid and 45K miles I did it again that fluid looked great ..then I changed it in 75K miles and it looked like new .. perfect ! the pan has no slop on the bottom in the pan ..fliter looks like new ..

 

Well, the day has come boys....

Yeah, I got (2) filters, hopefully One's a Match! I'll return one if Everything goes as planned!

F*n mosquitoes...and I know, I know, Safety First/Safety Always!

 

have 2 mosquito bug zappers ... has a blue UV lamp in it .. the voltage is 5500 volts dc. my area has many rain days july/august and I have to blow off a load of moths and mosquito's a couple of days... I put these under my OAK trees..

yes I had your torches over 15yrs ago .... bugs do repel those .. but I kill a load of the bugs with the high volts bug killers ...............black flag bug zapper...

 

Ok, ok, it's buttoned up!
One thing I learned and recommend is to Remove the transmission Linkage Bracket. All the vids and how to's all said to remove the cable from the bracket, heck, 1 or 2 vids said to Bend the bracket out of the way. Looking straight up at the bracket while taking off the 16 bolts it's a B*tch to get to the (2) torx head bolts But if you reposition yourself to the back of the pan near the truck's frame cross member you can see the torx heads head's. Maybe I'll get a pic.

And Furious, I didn't see your post till everything was said and done but I haven't dumped the old fluid out yet. Maybe before I take it to O'Reilly's I'll put some into a glass and take a pic. It wasn't Real dirty but for sure you could tell it had miles on it.

Now, just rambling on about this Service:
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I never even did a drain and fill on this truck it still had service paint/caulk markings on the pan, Whether from the Factory or a Service Center I don't know. But I do know I would have knocked that off because I always use Brake Cleaner on Everything.
The filter was made in China, no GM Delco markings. The metal press in filter collar was in good shape so I didn't replace it, but whoever put it in whether the Factory or Service Did markup the aluminum casing around it a little. Also didn't put in a new pan gasket. The new ones I had were fiber and the old one that was on there was rubber and still in real good shape.
Now the refill was pretty close 4.75+ quarts, right on the money on the dipstick and I checked that dipstick off and on for an Hour.

No leaks, Not that big a mess on the garage floor (my trans pan does have a drain plug), it was super hot in the garage, 2 or 3 mosquito bites, didn't strip or break anything.
Fluid $11 each
Filter $35
(2)Brake Cleaner $4 each
We'll Call It $125 OTD

~Job time 4hours (I Clean and loctite Everything)

Oh! and this was all done by hand, No power tools......
And I need to get a Good low scale torque wrench, $20 Harbor Freight ones sux!

Good Night!

 

Ok, ok, it's buttoned up!
One thing I learned and recommend is to Remove the transmission Linkage Bracket. All the vids and how to's all said to remove the cable from the bracket, heck, 1 or 2 vids said to Bend the bracket out of the way. Looking straight up at the bracket while taking off the 16 bolts it's a B*tch to get to the (2) torx head bolts But if you reposition yourself to the back of the pan near the truck's frame cross member you can see the torx heads head's. Maybe I'll get a pic.

And Furious, I didn't see your post till everything was said and done but I haven't dumped the old fluid out yet. Maybe before I take it to O'Reilly's I'll put some into a glass and take a pic. It wasn't Real dirty but for sure you could tell it had miles on it.

Now, just rambling on about this Service:
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I never even did a drain and fill on this truck it still had service paint/caulk markings on the pan, Whether from the Factory or a Service Center I don't know. But I do know I would have knocked that off because I always use Brake Cleaner on Everything.
The filter was made in China, no GM Delco markings. The metal press in filter collar was in good shape so I didn't replace it, but whoever put it in whether the Factory or Service Did markup the aluminum casing around it a little. Also didn't put in a new pan gasket. The new ones I had were fiber and the old one that was on there was rubber and still in real good shape.
Now the refill was pretty close 4.75+ quarts, right on the money on the dipstick and I checked that dipstick off and on for an Hour.

No leaks, Not that big a mess on the garage floor (my trans pan does have a drain plug), it was super hot in the garage, 2 or 3 mosquito bites, didn't strip or break anything.
Fluid $11 each
Filter $35
(2)Brake Cleaner $4 each
We'll Call It $125 OTD

~Job time 4hours (I Clean and loctite Everything)

Oh! and this was all done by hand, No power tools......
And I need to get a Good low scale torque wrench, $20 Harbor Freight ones sux!

Good Night!

The gasket material is called farpak, it is a fiber gasket that has a heat activated sealant. It is better than rubber that is why I recommend the OEM AC Delco to begin with otherwise a cheap Duralast filter would have done perfectly fine.

But as long as it isn't leaking at this point it doesn't matter. Most transmission filters for these trucks are made in China.