2016 3.8 Sedan AWD Transmission Fluid Change

[jimbo1mcm]

I decided to do a fluid change with 40,000 miles on my 2016 with the Hyundai 8 speed transmission. Had lots of issues. I've been doing engine oil changes for years and years and do them on this car also. So I decided to tackle the tranny fluid. I purchased fluid from E-PartsPros off Amazon. I ordered 10 quarts of OEM Hyundai Fluid 00232-19052-SP-IV-RR Automatic. Total cost was $17.80 per quart plus tax. Total was $189.30. I also ordered a Motive Pro pump fluid device to add the fluid to the tranny. Also got some washers. Then the fun began. I have a set of ramps that lift the front end up about 9 inches. I was able to get under the car and get the transmission cover off. Another blogger wrote, on a different Genesis forum, that the fluid change was 10X easier with a lift. I disagree. It is approximately 37.4 times easier. So I got the cover off and found the drain plug and the fill hole on the left side facing forward. I had purchased an Allen socket set that included an 8 mm socket. So I was ready to go.( first mistake). Being a wily veteran, I knew that I had to make sure that I could fill it after draining it, so I first got ready to open the fill hole. I found that the shift lever cable was in the way. 2 10mm bolts removed and I pushed the cable up and out of the way. Then I found that my 8mm Allen socket was blocked and I did not have enough room for it to work, even with a coupling joint. I looked around my workbench and found a set of bike allen wrenches that had an 8mm short. It fit in the hole perfectly but I could not get enough leverage to move the plug since it had not been removed since installation at the factory. I was looking at my tool set and spotted a 5/16 allen. I googled it to find the mm dimension. It said 7.93 mm. Good enough for me. It fit perfectly but since it was only about 5 inches long I still couldn't exert enough force on it to move the plug. I cut a piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe about 14 inches long to give me some leverage and it finally released. I then moved to the drain plug and drained about 4 quarts and 1 1/2 ounces out. I reinstalled the same drain plug which has an o ring on it and tightened it to about 24 nm. I then took the fill hole plug out and used my Motive Pro fluid dispenser to add back the meticulously measured 4 quarts and 1 1/2 ounces plus about another ounce for good luck. Thats when my problems began. At about 3 .5 quarts back in, the fill hole would not allow me to add more fluid. Monday morning quarterbacking, it was obvious that with my 9 inch ramps in front and with the fill hole towards the rear of the tranny housing, the fluid had pooled there. I then had to jerk around lifting the car with my floor jack on the differential to get the car even. I then added in just about the remainder, minus a little. Put a new washer on the fill hole and tightened it. Since I couldn't get a torque wrench in there I just Gutentighted it. Put the tranny cover back on and lowered the car. I started it and cycled it through drive and reverse for a couple of seconds about 3 times. What took me about a day and a half could be done in about 30-45 minutes with a walk under lift. I'm going to bring the rest of the fluid to my dealer, who I have a good relationship with, and have him add the other 4 quarts after I drive for a week or so. He should be able to just charge me for not more than an hour of labor. Should have done it the first time. I understand the tranny fluid doesn't have to be changed until many more miles, according to Hyundai, but I plan on keeping this car for a long time and I have always changed the fluid at this mileage interval in all my other cars, which I usually keep for 10 years, and have never had a problem.

 

[carguy75]

What was blocking your fill hole that prevented a torque wrench to be used? I looked at mine during my last oil change and it seem easy to get to on my 2015 5.0 V8 model with plenty of room for a wrench. On my V8 the shift leakage was the only obstacle to the fill hole plug.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

It was an exhaust pipe as I remember. Different config from your cars. MIne has a V6.

 

[carguy75]

It was an exhaust pipe as I remember. Different config from your cars. MIne has a V6.

Make sense.