Allison Transmission Service Interval

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by Foster15

I noted a number of you mentioned rear diff leaks. Mine had a leak as well. $1500 of labor and $10 of parts. Seems number of failures on diff with so few miles should be an issues Freightliner owns up to.

I agree. I got off very lucky with mine, 1/3 your cost but still, it should have lasted much longer!

Any Seneca owner should definitely check theirs for leaks and hopefully still be in warranty.

[javamon]

Originally Posted by Mark S

I finally found the Allison manual and found the maintenance schedule.

"Severe duty" is defined as stopping more than once in a mile. So it is safe to assume our RVs are "General" use and call for the fluid and filters to be changed at 50,000 miles OR 24 MONTHS with "TES 389 fluid", which is what I assume we have from the factory. With TES 295 or 468 fluid the interval is 150,000 miles or 48 months.

So the age old question: my Seneca has only 16,000 miles BUT the chassis is coming up on 2 years since it was built in January of 2017. Do I wait on the 50,000 miles (which will be like four or 5 years) or follow the time and service at 24 months?

Does oil / fluid really go bad in 1 or 2 years? I guess the other option is to get the fluid tested.

Hi Mark,

My transmission dip stick tube has a white plastic tag attached that indicates it was filled with 295 at the factory. RV duty is not considered "heavy" or "standard". It is considered "light duty". I have attached a pdf I retrieved from the Allison site a while ago. Go to page 4, there is a picture of a RV. In short it states that the motorhome series have an extended 5 year 200k mile warranty for which we are automatically registered( the text is below). Also, when I took mine in for the trans reprogram, the tech said the 48 month/50k is fine. He's the one that told me RV is considered light duty.

Comprehensive coverage > Allison
Motorhome Series models offer 5-year comprehensive
coverage with 100% parts and labor. Contact your Allison
representative for details.†
†Standard Warranty provides coverage of 2 years/80,000 miles and 100% parts and labor.
If the transmission is OEM factory filled with Allison Approved TES 295 transmission fluid,
then end-user is automatically registered, at no additional cost, for Extended Transmission
Coverage, which provides coverage of 5 years/200,000 miles and 100% parts and labor.
Use of Allison Approved TES 295 transmission fluid and Genuine Allison Filters is required
to maintain Extended Transmission Coverage. Failure to meet these guidelines will result in
only Standard Warranty coverage as described above.

[Marmot]

Shops frequently recommend services that aren’t necessary, in order to make more money from each customer. Go by your owners manual. It was written by the actual experts. Also, I doubt if your current use qualifies as “extreme.” If you were operating in the Rockies, probably.

[Crossingover]

Originally Posted by javamon

Use of Allison Approved TES 295 transmission fluid and Genuine Allison Filters is required to maintain Extended Transmission Coverage. Failure to meet these guidelines will result in only Standard Warranty coverage as described above.

Hmm, not your standard warranty restriction. Not that I would use anything other than Genuine Allison Filters in the first place (any non-Allison filters out there??), but be mindful of this restriction and the proofs you would need to retain.

Thanks for sharing this valuable info!

[Mark S]

Thanks for all the input. I ordered the Allison spin on filter from Amazon for $20 and will follow the recommended maint schedule now that I know we have the TES 295 fluid.

I am disappointed, but not surprised, that my local Freightliner service department would attempt to sell me a service that costs several hundred dollars years before I need it.

[McGintys924]

I am not a chemical engineer I have heard from many mechanics and chemical engineers that you should change oils at certain time intervals for the reasons of condensation moisture in the oil over time, acids building up, and oxidation of certain chemicals components (especially the components that create the variable viscousity). I think asking the oils we have to last 4+ years is not truly a reasonable expectation, but two years sounds reasonable. Freightliner (Cummins) recommends engine oil once a year or 7500 Miles.

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by McGintys924

I am not a chemical engineer I have heard from many mechanics and chemical engineers that you should change oils at certain time intervals for the reasons of condensation moisture in the oil over time, acids building up, and oxidation of certain chemicals components (especially the components that create the variable viscousity). I think asking the oils we have to last 4+ years is not truly a reasonable expectation, but two years sounds reasonable. Freightliner (Cummins) recommends engine oil once a year or 7500 Miles.

Actually, the Cummins manual recommends 15,000 miles for RVs. That seems like a lot of miles. I put on about 6-8,000 mile a per year so I am good with the oil change interval.

[McGintys924]

Originally Posted by Mark S

Actually, the Cummins manual recommends 15,000 miles for RVs. That seems like a lot of miles. I put on about 6-8,000 mile a per year so I am good with the oil change interval.

Good catch Mark, must have read that section after the second beer. So is the transmission filter change recommended at the 10,000 point?

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by McGintys924

Good catch Mark, must have read that section after the second beer. So is the transmission filter change recommended at the 10,000 point?

Spin on filter change at 24 months or 25,000 miles, BUT initial spin on filter change is at 10,000, as I believe Rob mentioned above. I missed the fine print Fluid change at 48 months or, now get this, 150,000 miles. Pretty sure most of us will be at 48 months.

[rgolding]

This creates a curious thought for me. At 10,000 mile intervals on changing a transmission filter, that means an over the road truck could/should/would be changing a transmission filter once a month? Anybody really thinks that happens?

I had an Allison Transmission in a 2009 Chevy 3/4 ton diesel truck and at 130,000 miles probably had the filter on the transmission changed twice because I ran a marina and had to run it through flood waters once in awhile. And to me that was exceptional conditions.

I can see the 50,000 mile thing, but other than that seems overkill. I've gone 59,000 miles so far and have done nothing in 3 years. Probably will here shortly However, I am one of those guys that tears the labels off mattresses in violation of Federal Law. Yep, still on the lamb from the mattress police.

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by rgolding

This creates a curious thought for me. At 10,000 mile intervals on changing a transmission filter, that means an over the road truck could/should/would be changing a transmission filter once a month? Anybody really thinks that happens?

I had an Allison Transmission in a 2009 Chevy 3/4 ton diesel truck and at 130,000 miles probably had the filter on the transmission changed twice because I ran a marina and had to run it through flood waters once in awhile. And to me that was exceptional conditions.

I can see the 50,000 mile thing, but other than that seems overkill. I've gone 59,000 miles so far and have done nothing in 3 years. Probably will here shortly However, I am one of those guys that tears the labels off mattresses in violation of Federal Law. Yep, still on the lamb from the mattress police.

The 10,000 mile filter change is for the initial change only. After that it’s 25,000 or 24 months.

I just changed my filter. The hardest part was getting under the RV. I spun the filter off, installed new one and added about 8 ounces of TES295 ATF. I did find a small amount of sludge on the magnet. Total time now that I’ve done it is about 15 minutes.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by rgolding

This creates a curious thought for me. At 10,000 mile intervals on changing a transmission filter, that means an over the road truck could/should/would be changing a transmission filter once a month? Anybody really thinks that happens?
...snip

I can't speak for anyone else, but if it was my vehicle it would.

Driving my '06 Ford diesel commercially, I had the first engine oil and filter change at ~1,000mi and changed at Ford's mileage recommendation, every 5,000mi (for me, about twice a month) after that. I had the transmission and differential fluids changed at the end of the first month (~10,000mi) and at Ford's mileage recommendation after that. Was it necessary to have it changed that often? I'll never know, but truck is running great at ~360,000mi.

And, yes, I pull the tags off mattresses, too.

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

And, yes, I pull the tags off mattresses, too.

I would be careful of admitting to pulling the tags off mattresses on a public forum. You never know who is here and it is, after all, punishable by law.😆

[McGintys924]

Originally Posted by Mark S

I would be careful of admitting to pulling the tags off mattresses on a public forum. You never know who is here and it is, after all, punishable by law.😆

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ErbKAWueD3g

I didn’t get the fall service done, but will need to add this to my list. Mark, do you have place you ordered filter/fluids from. Was it easy to do?

Rgolding, I think the issue here is probably more of a break in type of thing so that this filter absorbs most of the contaminants that would be created from the gears as they wear together. Seems that the intervals get spread out further after this. Probably similar to how we had to change initial gen oil at 50 hours then every 150.

Additionally, when we think of large trucks, they have massive oil reservoirs so that each drop of oil is getting utilized in a wear environment less than one might think, thereby allowing for greater service intervals. Seneca’s, as much as I like to think I am driving a tractor trailer, are not OTR trucks and are expected to put on fewer miles with more restrictive service intervals.

Apparently, oil oxidation and condensation are issues that all lubricants experience as time progresses. This is likely why they have time intervals on these things.

[Mark S]

"I didn’t get the fall service done, but will need to add this to my list. Mark, do you have place you ordered filter/fluids from. Was it easy to do?"

Ordered filter from amazon for $20. I bought the one with the new magnet, not knowing what the old one would be like. Magnet was easily cleaned and reusable:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The only quarts of TES 295 approved ATF I found was Royal Purple for $16 at local auto parts store. I used about 8 ounces. I called Alison as was told as long as the ATF was TES 295 the brand didn't matter.

It was very easy to change. Put a drip pan under the filter and remove with a filter wrench. The filter is pretty much dead center of the underside so a bit of a pain crawling under with the fuel tanks in the path.

[Sam]

Thanks Mark for the information . I got my filter from Amazon last week , I'm gonna change the filter in the next few days. Rob had said he spilled quite a bit of oil when he changed his filter , I was pleased to read your post indicating only about 8 ounces . I just need to get the TES 295 oil before I do the change . Thanks again, Sam

[Robbbyr]

Originally Posted by Sam

Thanks Mark for the information . I got my filter from Amazon last week , I'm gonna change the filter in the next few days. Rob had said he spilled quite a bit of oil when he changed his filter , I was pleased to read your post indicating only about 8 ounces . I just need to get the TES 295 oil before I do the change . Thanks again, Sam

My driveway here at home slopes considerably, my unit was pointed nose-first downhill. That may have aggravated how much I lost. Next time I will pull in!

[Sam]

Thanks for the quick reply Robby. After reading your first post I thought I would sneak over to my neighbors driveway after midnight and do the change . Just kidding . I so much appreciate all the information you have posted over the last few years you've been a tremendous help . As you can tell our Senecas are identical . I got just over 32,000 miles on mine and I didn't know about the transmission filter . I did learn from the link you provided from an earlier post about service intervals on the transmission . Please excuse any mistakes in this post , my desktop computer went down this morning and I'm using my Kindle . Thanks, Sam

[javamon]

Originally Posted by rgolding

This creates a curious thought for me. At 10,000 mile intervals on changing a transmission filter, that means an over the road truck could/should/would be changing a transmission filter once a month? Anybody really thinks that happens?

I had an Allison Transmission in a 2009 Chevy 3/4 ton diesel truck and at 130,000 miles probably had the filter on the transmission changed twice because I ran a marina and had to run it through flood waters once in awhile. And to me that was exceptional conditions.

I can see the 50,000 mile thing, but other than that seems overkill. I've gone 59,000 miles so far and have done nothing in 3 years. Probably will here shortly However, I am one of those guys that tears the labels off mattresses in violation of Federal Law. Yep, still on the lamb from the mattress police.

I've attached another doc I found on the Allison site a couple of months ago. It's title is "Service Tip #1099" and is dated March 2017 so it supercedes our Allison manuals we got with our rigs. Go to Appendix A, pg 8 (the page numbers are at the top of each page) and it details filter/fluid changes for the various Allison series. Ours is a 2500 so page 8 covers the 2000 series. Appendix B covers the 3000 series which I believe is on the 2018.5 and forward Senecas. I can't find any mention of a 10k initial filter change in this document. As far as I can determine, the fluid change intervals have not changed.

[Robbbyr]

Now if we could determine if the Prognostics were turned on in our transmission control modules and displayed in our dash it would make life easier.........maybe!

I suspect most of us will hit the time limit for fluid changes way before the mileage mark.