DexronII/Mercon Cost Gone Thru the Roof

[tonyford]

I just paid $17 and change for a 4 quart jug of DexronII/Mercon which is used in my '03 Escape with the CD4E transmission. The guy at the auto store told me something I already knew, that Ford stopped licensing the old Mercon formula in favor of Mercon V. I for one do not trust Ford when they say Mercon V is backward compatible. I know of many CD4E transmissions that bit the dust when Mercon V was used in them, it just is not the same as straight Mercon. I used to pay about $1.25 a quart for DexronII/Mercon, can't figure why the price has jumped so much. Plus it is not that easy to find anymore, get mine at AutoZone, they sell Castrol's DexronII/Mercon. Since the CD4E transmission is the weak link in the Escape, I been replacing 4 quarts of tranny fluid every other oil change (every 8M miles). Don't know if it will help or is overkill, but it might keep the trans running longer without problems, clean fluid can't hurt.

[Nitramjr]

Originally Posted by tonyford

I used to pay about $1.25 a quart for DexronII/Mercon, can't figure why the price has jumped so much. Plus it is not that easy to find anymore

I have a couple cases in the garage....there are probably many thousands of cases being hoarded for the same reason you want it. This is probably behind the price increase unless other varieties of tranny fluid have gone up similarly.

Have you thought of a posting on craigslist or somewhere to see if anyone has any they'd be willing to part with cheap? You never know.

[ericsmith32]

Glad I made the switch to Merc V.. one less thing to worry about.

[drb1956]

If you're going to change it so often, why don't you buy the stores brand-they SHOULD be as good, and can save you a few $$$.. Got a Wal-Mart near you??Super Tech oilis just fine ,as I would imagine the trans fluid should be good too..with oil prices up(but a barrel around $40+), I won't pay for name brand oil or fluids anymore, as the store brands have to meet the same standards if they want to get the A.P.I. seal-at least oil gets the seal, and other fluids tell you on the label they meet performance requirements for that fluid...

[tonyford]

Castrol now calls it Domestic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid for use in older Ford and General Motors vehicles. Meets all requirments of DexronIII and Mercon fluids. My original post stated Dexron II, I stand corrected, it is Dexron III.
I wish I could my faith in the store brand products such this tranny fluid and motor oil. I was, and still am. always under the impression you get what you pay for. I am probably wrong here, but my opinion is, if the store brands are cheaper, they must be inferior somehow for the price to be lower. Don't know really. I just feel safer using name brand products.
I am just wondering if other major oil companies and manufacturers of tranny fluid are marketing the same product as Castrol is. There are many Ford vehicles out there that still use plain Mercon.

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/secti...tentId=7027043

[Maddog521]

What should I use in my 07--6 cyl---Escape? I was not aware of this.

[oracle]

Originally Posted by ericsmith32

Glad I made the switch to Merc V.. one less thing to worry about.

Yep, I'm glad I switched. The tranny is shifting better than before. I'm really happy.

[drb1956]

Originally Posted by Maddog521

What should I use in my 07--6 cyl---Escape? I was not aware of this.

Do you have an owners manual?? Open to the section that tells what you can use..

[sfcwoodret]

I just had a complete flush done on mine at the dealer and it used approx. 10 quarts. It shifts smoother now than when it was new.