That Tranny service I was going to do last weekend never happened. Today I took my SSEI TO Pepboys for a filter change & flush. The Tech said he noticed the old fluid had a burnt smell, and warned that the Tranny could act up once service. Something about the old fluid was so full of garage that the new fluid might have trouble building pressure. Anyone ever heard this?
I don't know if the last owner ever change the ATF.
I paid $133.00 out the door flush & filter change, and get $25.00 back on rebate. Reasonable?

yeah mine smelled REALLY burnt when i changed it, but it is fine to this day, that was last june....

Smell it yourself. Don't trust a shop that will make money from the flush. Trust YOURSELF.

I can't speak for the price but as Will just said take what your told with a grain of salt.

On another note if I can make a suggestion, start a thread here on the forums with what you plan to have done for service to your car before you have it done or do as much research and reading on other threads to help you make your decision, I never do anything to my car until I have read what other members have had done or did themselves or thier experiences over this or that.

This reminds me of a funny experience many years ago. I just had picked-up my Dakota V-8 truck from the dealer after having the transmission, converter and trans cooler replace with new components. The truck had only 12K on the speedometer, so they installed a new one because the case had a lenght wise hairline crack.
I stopped at a quick lube facility to have the engine oil changed and the guy comes back and tells me I need the trans ATF and filter replaced and also the gear lube. I just laughed, explained to him and showed him the bill for the new trans and components just installed on the truck and that I just had picked it up 10 minutes before. The guy proceeded to tell me how I knew the trans had been replaced!!! So, I asked him to show me. he comes back with a white Lexan plate, with a sample of the ATF and Gear lube to show me how dark they were and that it was a sign of burnt fluid. I noticed the sample were on top of a glob of epoxy so the samples would not run. I asked him told hold the plate and asked him to hand me the shop towel on his other hand. I wiped the samples with the towel, and the globs of epoxy that held the sample were very dark gray in the center, making the fluid look darker than they actually were.
I looked hom straight on the face and asked him how many customers were taken by their trick and he got mad and ask me to not return.
So, I picked up the cell phone, called the Attorney General'* Office and the local BBC. The AG sent a Sherrif to the location and they tried to refuse to show them the plates they used for sampling; after a threat, they did. Well, at the end, they got a hefty fine from the AG. Months later they place re-opened under a new name with new employees.
So...like Willwren said, check it yourself and find someone that knows...if your ATF was in so bad shape, you would have been experiencing other problems already...

You could avoid 90% of these problems by installing a simple cooler and change the fluid per recommended intervals.

Definately a good idea, but not everyone has owned their car since new, so the damage may have already been done.

What damage? Servicing the transmission fluid and filter is no different than changing oil or underwear. It should be done, needs to be done and if you don't.. you'll never know what embarassing mess is in there.

I know mine wasn't changed regularly before I bought the car. In my book...because someone else chose not to doesn't mean I can't get this back up to par.

For the record, I just bought this car less than two months ago. I would have change the tranny filter myself, but my two boys are playing basketball & baseball now. I have zero time for anything. My SSEI is surviving on drive in car washes, and now service centers until we get down to one sport each. Oh, by the way I had to replace my Wife'* Washer & Dryer this weekend, and the laundry room had to be painted. I'll start another thread on time management maybe some of you Gearheads can help can help me there.
Thanks for the tips!
Gator

The new jobs a hassel and the kids got the flu, but its been sure nice talking to you.

Gator...do what you need to... sounds pretty busy.

If it'* burnt and you recently bought the car. Who knows when it was changed. Take it in for a service.