automatic transmission fluid level check and adding/changing

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

In AD 7-616 Marko Mataija commented on automatic transmission fluid level 
checking and topping-up, after checking the factory's technical bulletins. 
However the question Bruce had asked was not about checking and adding, but 
about draining and refilling. Simon Favre's analysis is, in my opinion, 
absolutely correct. Bruce, who raised the question in the first place, was 
correct both in his quotation of the Owner's Manual and in questioning it, 
and Alan Lambert was quite properly skeptical. The problem is that this 
section of the Owner's Manual is perfunctory and apparently dubious, and 
differs materially from the Shop Manual as well as within itself. I would 
mistrust the Owner's Manual on this; on p.109, automatic transmission fluid 
change, it states "The amount of fluid normally required for periodic changes 
is 3.5 liters (1 gal.)." while on p.159, service station information, it says 
that the scheduled change quantity for the automatic transmission is 5 liters 
(1.35 gal.). The Owner's Manual and the shop manual agree on the total 
capacity (9 liters, 2.43 gallons) but the shop manual says nothing about the 
amount of fluid normally required for periodic changes. The two differ on 
temperature conditions; the shop manual says change with warm gearbox, the 
Owner's Manual says at ambient temperature (23C, 74F) 

I would add that I have read (I believe about the Alfetta Sport Sedan 
automatic) that it is important not to overfill the automatics. 

A prudent interpretation of the different sources might be:

(1) drain thoroughly at running temperature with the engine off:
(2) refill initially with one gallon;
(3) check level as indicated in Owner's Manual with the engine and gearbox at 
normal operating temperature, and add as required.

Change interval is another question entirely. Neither my Owner's Manual nor 
my shop manual differentiate between manual and automatic on the maintenance 
schedule, the shop manual saying to check the level at 30,000 and 50,000 
miles and to change at 40,000 and 60,000 while the Owner's Manual puts the 
first check and first change 10,000 miles earlier, but elsewhere says to 
check periodically, for example with every engine oil level check, and to 
change every 12,500 miles if used in severe driving conditions, such as 
driving in a hot environment or mainly in town. I would interpolate that in 
mild climates and normal use 20,000 or 30,000 miles between changes would not 
be unreasonable, but the cost of changing a tad early would be negligible.
- -------------------------------
On the amiable disagreement between Howard Warren ("take the car for what it 
is: a large, luxury sedan.  It's not meant to autocross, it's not a racecar") 
and Bernie Bennett ("look forward to trying the 164LS sport mode automatic on 
the auto-x course. The extra 29 horsepower and better gearing (that's a seat 
of the pants judegement) should make should make it come off the line faster 
than the 164L") I would side with Howard. I assume that with normal 
maintenance and normally spirited road use the automatic should be 
long-lived, but I also assume that (as with past Alfas) automatics are 
"not-field-serviceable" exchange units at a hefty price if something ever 
does go wrong. The very first USA road test of a 164, on which the car left 
on a flat-bed after Road & Track blew its differential, left an impression 
with me that this was not your grandfather's Alfa. Drive-train reliability 
has not proven to be a huge problem, but the Warren solution- a 164 for the 
things it does best, and a relatively inexpensive RWD Alfa on the side for 
entertainment- makes a lot of sense to me.

John H. 
Raleigh, N.C. 

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