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I am considering having the automatic transmission serviced on my NZ new 1999 Mitsubishi Galant.

There are no issues with it that I am aware of and are unsure of what is involved or how often the transmission should be serviced.

Are there any wear signs?

Dean

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 2 December, 2010

You need to be a little careful as it is often best not to tamper too much with something that is not actually broken.

Preventative maintenance is in general very worthwhile. However, you need to make sure it is being done for the right reasons and the end result is going to be beneficial to you as the owner and bill payer.

Automatic transmissions need to be handled carefully as the wrong oil type can induce a problem while some garages want to spend lots of your hard earned money on litres and litres of new oil to flush the transmission.

Change intervals can vary depending on time and mileage. For this vehicle I would say around 60KM would be fine provided you are not towing or working the transmission hard on a regular basis.

One of the best ways to check the condition of the oil is to simply look at the colour of the fluid (from the dipstick). A burnt smell or very dark colour would indicate the oil is past its used by date.

If you are close to an automatic specialist, I would suggest you ask them to drive the car and give an opinion on the transmission performance. They could then give an estimate of what is required in terms of a general service in keeping with the car's age and mileage.

I have a 2005 Holden Vectra CDX 3.2l with CVT
I have recently purchased this second had and along with a Lumley Mechanical Breakdown Insurance Policy.
Part of the conditions in the small print is that the transmission needs to be serviced, this you are not told about when you purchase the policy or is it on their promotional material only contained in the policy at the back!
I had booked the car into two garages and they have advised they can’t service the transmission. I took the car to the AA service centre and they later confirmed that they are unable to service the transmission as the appropriate connections are not available for my vechile. I disused with them that it was my understanding that the transmission is a non-serviceable.
I spoke to Lumley who have underwritten the insurance and advised that i could get a letter to this affect that it can’t be serviced.
I then spoke to the Holden dealer who advised that the transmission is not a recommended for scheduled servicing while it is not a sealed unit as such, they could change the oil but there would be a quantity of old oil remaining and this would be quite costly. As it is not recommended by the manufacturer for servicing.
I have since spoken to a transmission specialist who advised that they can service the transmission and that they would pump out the old oil and replace with new.
So I am at bit of a loss as it if I go down this avenue for the sake of the insurance?
There seems to be an argument as to why would you not change the oil in the transmission it contains moving parts and with heat and time the oil eventually breaks down.
Should the transmission be serviced when the manufacture doesn’t recommend servicing?
My concern is that if I don’t service the transmission then Lumley could decline any future claims, do I go ahead take the car to a transmission specialist who will pump out and replace the oil? Or do I leave it alone as per manufacture recommendations?

Warranty Insurance policies are written to cover all makes and models. What the terms and conditions on your policy is really saying is that the vehicle needs to be serviced in accordance with manufacturer's recommendation.
If the manufacturer does not recommend a trans service, and the Warranty provider is happy to accept a letter from the manufacturer to that effect, then this is the best course of action for you. Obtain the letter from Holden and provide Lumleys with a copy for their file.