i have a 09 f150 5.4 6speed .almost 60k on the miles. need to get the tranny flushed,with no dip stick how do i know the work was ever done,what should i whatch for and is it worth savin the extra 40/50 $$$$ not goin to a dealer since some shops offer the same service

 

I would crawl under the truck and use a paint marker to mark the drain plug that way you would know if they removed it or not. I got free oil changes and tire rotations when i bought my truck so i mark my filter with a sharpie after every change so i know if they changed the filter or not.

 

Why are you changing it so early?

 

that good reassurense, will do

 

manual recommands 60k and since i just got it plan on havin it awhile

 

Special operating conditions?

Towing
Extensive idling and/or driving at low speeds
Operating in Dusty Conditions
Off-Road Operations

If so, is this your second change?

 

I think the OP bought it used. And to be honest, if I bought a used truck with over 50K on the clock, I'd have the flush done as well. You never know how it was treated.

The 2011's have a 150K service interval for normal use. I was positive the 09's did as well.

 

My question is why have it flushed? Why not just do a regular fluid and filter change? That's what I do to mine every 50,000 miles and the tranny has a 195,000 on it now. I've read where 50% of the mechanics out there recommend a flush, and 50% are against a flush with those against stating that a flush can mess up a transmission.

I have to add to my information, that my trans is actually being rebuilt as I type this, I was basically losing 2nd gear. It wasn't dead in the water or anything like that, I could still drive it, but one day back in July when leaving from a stop at a light, the truck didn't want to move all of a sudden (I remember that it was hot as hell that day too) and I eventually got it going, limping it about 40 miles all the way home, during which the trans fault light came on and the OD light started flashing. When I took it to the trans shop the mech. there took it for a test drive and told me that forward clutch plate was worn, then he read the code the truck was throwing and told me I was losing 2nd gear and that the trans had to be rebuilt, to the tune of about $2,000 which I couldn't afford. I just now was able to scrape the $600 together for the rebuild kit, which is what my mechanic buddy is doing it for me for, I buy the kit and he's rebuilding it for nothing (he kinda owes me one). When he got the trans apart he said that it looked real clean and everything looked good inside, except for the worn plate, a broken retaining ring and the shell was notched on the teeth of it, and those are parts that don't come with a rebuild kit, so I have to put out an extra $216 for those. I was at his shop when he took it apart and saw how everything looked. I asked him about flushing it periodically, and he told me that not having it done is not what caused the transmission to mess up like this and I believe him when he tells me this. The reason it looked good and clean on the inside and not all gunked up was because of the regular fluid/filter changes.

I actually do understand the reason for a fluid flush being that these transmissions hold like 15 quarts of fluid and you only end up changing around 5 qts. with every fluid/filter change, but I think I will keep steering clear of that anyway

Edit: And btw, no I did not drive the truck for the past 5 months, I borrowed a vehicle in the meantime which sucks, because not only do I miss driving my truck, I now realize how much more fun it is to drive my truck compared to other vehicles!

 

I have to agree with you on that. Though 50 to 60,000 miles isn't really a lot of miles for a transmission, like you said you never know how it was treated.

Edit: I missed that last part about the 150k mile service interval. Wow, I'm sorry but I just don't trust numbers like that, maybe because I was raised with the old school thinking of service. They also tell you that you don't have to change your plugs for 100k miles either, and that's a crock of ****, I change mine around 60 to 70k and have been able to avoid the dreaded broken plug syndrome (I have an '05 with the 2 piece plugs). I also didn't realize that there is no dipstick for the trans on the 2011s, man that sucks

 

'09 power train warrenty is onlt 5yr 60 k i think i'll let the dealer do it and hope if something isnt right i wont have to reach into my pocket because theres only 500 miles left on the od0meter.oh and i think they are pushing tran flushes like oil changes !!! oil change at 3k is a waste of money.

 

That warranty is better than what they were giving on the power trains in the '05s, 3 year/36,000 miles when I bought my truck.

What are they charging for trans flushes at the stealerships these days? I'm just curious cause I'm sure as heck not letting a dealer touch my truck if I can at all prevent it.

 

$$$ 200 clams , keep the truck for half a day

 

Ouch!! Though that's probably about right, they're not over charging you for some thing like that because when they flush the trans, as I understand it or at least how it was explained to me, they're flushing it with Merc V, and of course they have to keep around 15 quarts in there when they are done, and that fluid isn't exactly cheap.

 

6R80 in a 4.6 takes ~12 qts and the 5.4 takes 13. Motorcraft LV is all that should be used, SP was for the previous gen of trannies. I'm sure there is a little waste so say 14 qts of LV at $5+/ qt is around $90 just for the fluid. On my old 6.0 diesel I did the drop-n-swap a few times, drained pan and then refilled. It doesn't empty all of it, some stays in the TC but its better than not doing it at all.

 

Not to sound stupid, though I probably already do, Motorcraft LV? Please educate me. Everyone I have ever talked to, plus my manual says Merc V for a trans like mine. Is the LV the same thing?

Oh, and thanks for the exact amount. I've never completely emptied out my trans so I've never really known how much is in there or ever been in danger of putting too little or too much in it. 15 qrts or around that much is what I've been told, wait a minute, I think I actually saw that in the Haynes manual, I have to dig it up now and check