This is the general consensus in the automotive community and amongst techs. If it hasn’t been done on a high mileage vehicle, leave it alone. If it has been changed regularly during the life of the transmission a fluid change or flush should not cause any issues.
Diluting the dirty fluid with clean fluid does improve the performance and cleanliness of the fluid overall, so it doesn't defeat the purpose. "The solution to the pollution is in the dilution", as they say. You can do multiple, successive, drain & fills to improve it more if you'd like. Three in a row with short operation in-between would clean it up very well and would still be cheaper than a "flush" performed by a shop at $41/5qt bottle for Mercon ULV.
This is what I am doing. A drain and fill is a pretty easy process. I did it once about two months ago and I am doing it again next week before it gets too cold and I get my hip replacement surgery (I am scared shitless of the recovery and when I will be able to work on my vehicles again).
Good luck with the surgery. People I know have had good results.
I had a hip replacement 18 months ago and I’ve had complications, especially riding my bicycles. I’m scared shitless of riding rocky terrain and falling down. But it won’t affect your mechanical prowess, except for getting up and down from the floor. My biggest issue is I have to wear 2.5 readers to see anything, and it’s a pain when you switch from looking up vs looking down and vica-versa.
I hope it gets better for you. Sounds like we are similar. My eyes are changing too now for close up stuff... fucking sucks.
I recently had my hip replaced. I went with the newer front procedure that doesn’t cut any muscle like the side and worst the back. I was an out patient for 4 hours and walked out of the surgery center. I had been bone to bone for two years and had got to where I couldn’t walk or drive. I just am at almost the 4 month mark and I just spent 48 days in a row working on remodeling my son’s mountain house in Colorado. I used a walker for a week after surgery a cane for the next week and started walking unassisted at the start of the third week. Having the front surgery done is amazing. I would wholeheartedly suggest this option. My sister in law had the rear surgery done and it was almost a two year recovery.
