After I drained my fluid and dropped my pan, I took a digital picture of the filter with its attached magnet. Some filtrate is to be expected, but I would like some second opinions. For those of you who are familiar with what a normal transmission change should be like, give me your opinion about what you see on this filter magnet. Is it a reasonable amount for what should accumulate after 12,600 original miles? The photo is at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/files/transmissionfilter.jpg Thanks, Walt Tampa, FL -----Original Message----- From: jtrealty@xxxx <jtrealty@xxxx> <snip> >Your magnets will only capture steel and cast iron particles. The >filter is meant to keep out the big chunks and any friction materiel >which is a natural by product of the aging of the automatic >transmission, not metal. You should not expect to catch much metal, >especially magnetic, although you will see flecks of brass and bronze >from the thrust washers as they wear normally. If you find large >amounts of friction materiel or any significant amount of magnetic >particles the transmission is nearing the time for a rebuild. <snip> and Yikes! and -----Original Message----- From: srubano@xxxx <srubano@xxxx> >It's not a good thing to find metal flakes on that magnet especially >for an automatic transmission! Those flakes are from the gears which >mean they are grinding and wearing out. <snip> and Yikes again! So how bad does mine look?