Hi Scotty,
I have a 2011 Mazda 3 sport 2.5L automatic sedan with 60,000 original miles. I am the original owner and intend to hold on to it for while as it is a great car and I don’t need to drive much. I’ve heard you mention that is is wise to change a car’s transmission fluid every ~30,000 miles, but then you have also warned not to change the tranny fluid on a car with a lot of miles if it has never been changed because it can cause issues.
I have never changed the tranny fluid and it isn’t even mentioned in the manual’s service schedule. I would like to make sure this car lasts. Should I or should I not change the tranny fluid? If so, is it smart to go to a dealer for that work? And, besides changing the oil regularly, is there anything else that stands out from a preventative maintenance perspective that I should do?
Thanks, Chris
You should be OK changing trans fluid and filter (if so equipped) at 60K miles. See the FAQ for details.
Change the fluid (and filter, if applicable). For a torque converter automatic transmission which you have, every 40,000 miles fluid change (drain and fill) is fine. Be sure to use the OEM fluid.
