Lost $400 on a "lifetime" transmission flush machine

Last year I bought a used transmission flush machine from a guy who said it was "barely used" and "lifetime warranty." Paid $400 cash. First job I used it on, a 2014 Honda Accord, the pump seized up halfway through the flush. Took me 3 hours to clean up the ATF mess and I still had to pay for a tow to the dealer. Called the manufacturer about that "lifetime warranty" and they said it only covers the original owner. So now I'm out $400 plus lost labor. Anyone else get burned by these secondhand fluid machines?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix_adams6026d ago

Yeah I actually read a thread about this on a mechanic forum a few months back. Someone was saying those cheaper flush machines are basically built to fail after a few uses, and the "lifetime warranty" is just marketing fluff. The manufacturers count on people reselling them, so they never have to honor the warranty. That Honda Accord thing is rough though, those transmissions are finicky even with the right equipment. I remember the thread mentioned a guy who used one of those machines on a BMW and it blew the transmission cooler lines because the pump pressure was way off. A lot of those machines don't have proper pressure gauges or bypass valves.

joseph52926d ago

Four out of five transmission shops I've talked to actually prefer those simpler flush machines over the fancy electronic ones. They say the basic ones are easier to control manually and less likely to screw something up because there's less that can go wrong. The guy with the BMW probably just hooked it up backwards or didn't check the fluid level first - that happens with any machine if you rush the job. I've been using a cheap Amazon flush machine on my own cars for about six years now and it's still working fine. The lifetime warranty thing is more about knowing who you buy from, some of those small tool companies actually stand behind their products if you take the time to call them.