OK, i just bought a 2001 LS V8. All I can say is WOW what a car. I am posting because I cannot find in the owners service guide a service interval for the auto trans. I have always serviced the trans on all the cars I have owned at 30000 miles and hav never replaced a tranny. Does anyone know the service interval? Hey thanks for having me! :L

Did you notice how there is not a dipstick to check the tranny fluid? I've heard somewhere that it is a sealed unit and is supposed to last the life of the car.

Did you notice how there is not a dipstick to check the tranny fluid? I've heard somewhere that it is a sealed unit and is supposed to last the life of the car.

The reason for no trans dipstick is that there wasn't room to put one.

There is a special check plug on the side of the trans where the level can be checked, can't remember off the top of my head exactly how it's done, but I think you remove an inner plug and if anything drips out the level is OK, but if its dry, remove the outer plug and add fluid. Not too different than how you'd check a diff.

I had my trans fluid changed at the dealer at ~25Kmi, which IIRC is pretty close to the recomended service interval.

The reason for no trans dipstick is that there wasn't room to put one.

There is a special check plug on the side of the trans where the level can be checked, can't remember off the top of my head exactly how it's done, but I think you remove an inner plug and if anything drips out the level is OK, but if its dry, remove the outer plug and add fluid. Not too different than how you'd check a diff.

I had my trans fluid changed at the dealer at ~25Kmi, which IIRC is pretty close to the recomended service interval.

Thanks for getting back to me. I guess it is time to get a service done!
:L

I have been having problems with my 2004 LS tranny and several people suggested that I check the fluid level. I couldn't get the dealer to do it, and frankly I didn't have the time to argue, so I took it to a mechanic I know and we tried the method described above and fluid poured out; it didn't drip, it ran out. The guy definitely removed just the center plug. I watched him do it from underneath the car.

All I can say is, be sure that the shop who is changing the fluid knows how to do it and that they have the right equipment. Although I found a 4-line description of the procedure on the internet, the mechanic had at least two pages of info just about how to check the fluid level, and he did not have the tools that were called for. It seems to me that it shouldn't be this hard!

But, the good news it, I think the problem I've been having may be due to too much fluid, all though I can't be sure; you just don't expect to have fluid pour out of the thing when the instructions say that it should just drip out. However, the car seems to be shifting MUCH better now. It was stuttering for a second or more at times, and it was shifting VERY hard at other times; now I've barely felt it stutter at all in the last couple of days.

I'm grateful that people on the list were able to give me some good info...