Best place to go for a transmission service?

[pottsitive]

I have a 99 Astro (RWD) with 135,000 miles on it. I'm not entirely positive the last time it got new transmission fluid and a filter change, and figured it would be a good idea to just get it done. Would taking it to a Chevy dealer be the best bet for this service?

[MechBob]

Depends,lol.Generally independent shops are cheaper,lots are better than a dealership.I would recommend getting a flush with a machine. Lets talk about that.The proper procedure is to flush the tranny with the machine,then remove pan and replace the filter.This is the recommended way, few do it,as it is more expensive.However, if fluid is relatively clean,I would not be afraid to just flush it with the machine,as GM filters are large for what they do.Also, high quality fluid I recommend.

[augidog]

not wanting to deal with fluids (and disposal) at home, I had a shop do all of mine in one visit. my Carfax said the tranny was flushed not long ago, but like you I wanted to be sure. the pan and fluid was so clean we opted to not flush. I'm lucky that two miles away there's a place that specializes in standard & custom 4-wheeling, so I figured they'd know a thing or two about an AWD Astro. I was right, they treat me and my van with respect.

[Wiley]

at 135K, you don't really need to flush, you can simply replace the fluid. You will get mixed opinions on if a flush is needed or can cause more harm than good, so I say skip it.