Dealer says 5 years/75k miles for 8 speed fluid swap?

[QwikKota]

My friend just paid $400 for a fluid swap on his 2015. The dealer stated there was a service interval for the 8 speed but I see no mention of it in the UG or maintenance manual. Does anyone have a definitive number? We both have the lifetime warranty and I think the dealer pressured him to get it swapped due to that. Fluid alone was $200. $85 for a filter which I am guessing is the whole plastic pan.

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[chrisbh17]

$400 actually seems low, I think Id pay a dealer $400 to do mine if I could be sure they did it correctly (its not a simple drain and refill)

As far as WHEN it should be done...its "lifetime". And your question about MaxCare is a valid one, its one that I and others have asked, since I also have MaxCare Lifetime.

Two paths to choose from:

1. Never change the fluid and put 100% faith that, in the very far future, if the trans dies they will replace it.

2. Change the fluid at the trans manufacturer (ZF) recommended mileage, which is about 60K. If you do elect to have it changed, your best bet would be the dealer so if there was ever a question of coverage down the road, you could at least point at an FCA dealer. But, if its done right, I cant see it being "only" $400. It takes quite a bit of labor, the fluid is expensive, and the pan/filter are usually much more than $85.

 

[Jbp19classic]

Like stated above, there is no service interval for the 8 speed as per Ram. The owners manual says it is lifetime fluid. That said, I don’t fully trust that.... Regarding the maxcare I think it’s good he had it done at the dealer because technically it’s a service that is outside of manufacturers recommendations so I’d hate to see the transmission die and them deny a warranty claim saying it was caused by performing non recommended service.

 

[indept]

$400 actually seems low, I think Id pay a dealer $400 to do mine if I could be sure they did it correctly (its not a simple drain and refill)

As far as WHEN it should be done...its "lifetime". And your question about MaxCare is a valid one, its one that I and others have asked, since I also have MaxCare Lifetime.

Two paths to choose from:

1. Never change the fluid and put 100% faith that, in the very far future, if the trans dies they will replace it.

2. Change the fluid at the trans manufacturer (ZF) recommended mileage, which is about 60K. If you do elect to have it changed, your best bet would be the dealer so if there was ever a question of coverage down the road, you could at least point at an FCA dealer. But, if its done right, I cant see it being "only" $400. It takes quite a bit of labor, the fluid is expensive, and the pan/filter are usually much more than $85.

Option #2 is probably best since the lifetime warranty is based on the cost of the repair vs the value of the truck so all our luck if we do nothing & rely on the warranty it will fail 1 day after the truck is worth less than the trans repair.

 

[John Jensen]

I read on one of the forums that FCA considered "lifetime" as it applies to the transmission as 100,000 miles.
A call to FCA would confirm what they mean by "lifetime". The dealer IMO was wrong.

 

[chrisbh17]

I havent asked yet, but my question would be what they expect MaxCare Lifetime users to do. I still prefer to follow the recommendations of the company that knows and made the transmission over whatever FCA thinks.

And honestly I wouldnt mind paying the dealer to do it, but Im not sure I would trust any dealer to do it "the right way" because "the right way" involves actual work.

 

[grizzstang]

$400.00 seems very low.

The filter is part or one with the plastic transmission pan and is about $240.00 on its own.

The ATF for the 8 speed is about $45.00 per quart with 9 quarts or more needed to do the job, so about $405.00 in ATF alone.

$645 before labor.

Sounds like a scam to me. I bet they charged him $400 and did nothing.

 

[corneileous]

It’s been along time since I’ve discussed this matter about this transmission the first time in another thread but if I remember right, I think I did call RAM cares and ask them what they thought about it, and since I too am a max care MVP lifetime warranty customer, I even called Max care about it and I believe they did tell me that you pretty much follow what’s your manual says and if the manual says to leave it alone, you leave it alone.

But I tell you one thing though, if you’re not a lifetime warranty customer, I would definitely take Chris’s advice and follow the manufacturer of that transmission and change that oil out of it I believe he said around 65,000 miles. And, I find it hard to believe that without the saving grace of lifetime warranty,
that if you go in there well over 100k miles with the transmission acting up in a typical way of never having it’s oil changed, that you’re not gonna be able to claim, “well the manual said it was lifetime fill!” They’re probably just gonna laugh at ya.


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[chrisbh17]

Seeing as how the transmission isnt an engine (dealing with combustion byproducts, etc), I honestly feel like one fluid change, around 50-60K miles, will be all that is really necessary to keep it alive for a long time. Get rid of the crap from initial wear, use the recommended fluid (can get the ZF branded stuff if you like), replace the pan/filter combo and thats it.

Unless something really goes wrong in it, the fluid shouldnt ever really get "bad". And if something does go really wrong with it, chances are the fluid is not the reason anyway, unless it was not filled correctly after a fluid change.

 

[huntergreen]

$400 actually seems low, I think Id pay a dealer $400 to do mine if I could be sure they did it correctly (its not a simple drain and refill)

As far as WHEN it should be done...its "lifetime". And your question about MaxCare is a valid one, its one that I and others have asked, since I also have MaxCare Lifetime.

Two paths to choose from:

1. Never change the fluid and put 100% faith that, in the very far future, if the trans dies they will replace it.

2. Change the fluid at the trans manufacturer (ZF) recommended mileage, which is about 60K. If you do elect to have it changed, your best bet would be the dealer so if there was ever a question of coverage down the road, you could at least point at an FCA dealer. But, if its done right, I cant see it being "only" $400. It takes quite a bit of labor, the fluid is expensive, and the pan/filter are usually much more than $85.

I am going with option 1.

 

[crash68]

Just putting the information out there, VernDiesel has over 500K miles on his '14 EcoDiesel (it too uses the same 8HP70 transmission) most of which has been towing. He's changed the fluid every 100K miles using Valvoline Maxlife transmission fluid(if I remember correctly).
I believe ZF does recommend changing the fluid every 60K. They probably factor in city driving which could introduce more moisture content as the fluid will have more hot/cold cycles.

 

[indept]

Bottom line, FCA recommends lifetime and if it fails it will most likely do so after the 3/36 and powertrain warranties are over so they have little to loose while boasting a great selling feature of " the trans is cost free and lasts forever".

 

[kurek]

Unless something really goes wrong in it, the fluid shouldnt ever really get "bad". e.

The manufacturer of the transmission seems to think that the fluid degrades with time.

 

[Dpressed1]

My input as a FCA tech.... i have never done or seen trans services/fluid and pan change on 8 speed rams for maintenance. Transmission techs dont even up sell them as maintenance items. I have replaced pans due to leaks and it is no fun task. Once the new pan is installed, trans gets filled from plug right above the pan. Once it starts to overflow, cap it and start engine. While its running fluid gets topped off from plug. Then have to do a quicklearn procedure so it wont shift funny. Its very time consuming to get the fluid pumped in the transmission and making sure it has the correct level. As a 8 speed ram owner, i think at around 50-60k miles ill start considering fluid/pan replacement for my truck depending how its performing. The other ram i had was a 6 speed and that one i replaced atf and filters every 15k miles. In our service library it even states that they are sealed for the life of the transmission, unless it is leaking or getting repaired. So should you replace the fluid and how often......? well its hard to say, especially if transmission techs i know wont even recommend 8 speed trans maintenance. Thats just my 2 cents.

 

[James OBrien]

Thanks Dpressed1, great to get your feedback from that perspective. I will probably change mine at 100k due to my 90 percent highway driving.

 

[Wild one]

My input as a FCA tech.... i have never done or seen trans services/fluid and pan change on 8 speed rams for maintenance. Transmission techs dont even up sell them as maintenance items. I have replaced pans due to leaks and it is no fun task. Once the new pan is installed, trans gets filled from plug right above the pan. Once it starts to overflow, cap it and start engine. While its running fluid gets topped off from plug. Then have to do a quicklearn procedure so it wont shift funny. Its very time consuming to get the fluid pumped in the transmission and making sure it has the correct level. As a 8 speed ram owner, i think at around 50-60k miles ill start considering fluid/pan replacement for my truck depending how its performing. The other ram i had was a 6 speed and that one i replaced atf and filters every 15k miles. In our service library it even states that they are sealed for the life of the transmission, unless it is leaking or getting repaired. So should you replace the fluid and how often......? well its hard to say, especially if transmission techs i know wont even recommend 8 speed trans maintenance. Thats just my 2 cents.

Ever see these instructions,they are the factory instructions that came with my "brand new" 8HP70 when I bought one from the dealer.pay attention to the first paragraph.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/2017-8-speed-transmission.143008/page-3#post-2029422

 

[Dpressed1]

Thats exactly the fill procedure on service library. Takes longer to fill it and check the level than to replace the oil pan.

 

[Wild one]

Thats exactly the fill procedure on service library. Takes longer to fill it and check the level than to replace the oil pan.

I find jacking up the ass end of the truck the hardest,lol.I had to raise the rear tires about a foot and half or more in the air to get the pan rail level.

 

[James OBrien]

I find jacking up the ass end of the truck the hardest,lol.I had to raise the rear tires about a foot and half or more in the air to get the pan rail level.

Yep. I have a big floor jack, used a chunk of 4x4 under the rear receiver/hitch and lifted the rear of the truck and threw some jackstands under the rear axles, was definitely interesting. I cracked my trans pan removing the stock exhaust/y-pipe when I was putting on my LT's and drained my trans cooling lines when I did my cam swap, re-added almost 9 quarts of new fluid and it took forever with that little screw on pump.

 

[22hemi13]

$400. Dealer charged me $325 to do mine on my 2500 and it’s a lot faster and easier than the 8spd. That’s filter and refill fluid that’s lost. For $400 I’d sit and watch them do it. I watched them work on mine