On the Explorer?? There is no way to add fluid to the transmission that I can see. I don't even have a way to tell what condition the current fluid in it is in. Craziest thing I have ever seen.

 

If the explorer trans is like the pos that was in my lincoln LS the "drain" plug is the fill plug....


There is a tube that runs up into the trans from the "drain plug" which sets the fill level of the trans. You would have to drop the pan to drain the fluid in the trans. Then reinstall the pan and fill threw the "drain plug" hole, up threw the tube.

Stupidest **** I ever saw!

 

I was part of the design/development team on the pos in your Lincoln LS. There was a reason it was built without a dipstick - there wasn't enough room to install one. The original transmission design had a dipstick. It had to be deleted because it didn't fit. I know you'll say that there is plenty of room, and it does look that way. It doesn't fit per Ford standards. Those standards are they to prevent things from hitting the body,which causes knocks, thumps, and other things customers hate.

The drain plug in the pan is in the center of a standpipe. Remove the plug and pump fluid up the standpipe. With the trans warm and the engine idling in park the level is right when the fluid stops running out. Early 5R55N transmissions had a fill plug on the extension housing. You could fill there with the plug removed. Once it stopped running out it was at the right level. The fill plug was deleted when we found dealers were filling the trans to the level of the fill plug. This caused the trans to be overfilled by more than a gallon. What a mess that caused!

You can remove the standpipe and plug together to drain the pan before removing it.

 

Wow, how quickly the room quieted down....

 

And having said that. You can't tell me there is no room on the Explorer. Anyone can make anything fit anywhere! Look at the supercharged motor they stuffed into the mustangs! Cant tell me there was no room for a 1/2 inch (or 13mm for the manuf.) tube next to the engine. Maybe on the LS, but there is always a way!!!

 

I dunno how many times over the years, while wrenching on one of my vehicles or a friends vehicle, I didn't cuss out the engineer and his family tree wondering what the hell he was smoking when trying to wrench on a certain part, or get to a certain part.

Heh, thanks for reminding me of the other point of view, and the unbeknownst to me limitations, standards, and restrictions engineers had to work with.

Stewart

 

I haven't looked at the Explorer. It might fit.

A half inch tube needs over an inch of room to allow for engine movement.

 

Sorry. Wasnt attacking you. Just the idea of no dipstick in general. I reread my post and it sounded like i was attacking you, which i wasnt. It just came out that way.

 

I haven't looked either. I don't do much of my own service anymore. But let's assume the dipstick would fit for a second.... do you suppose Ford just wanted to insure that people would be forced to bring the vehicles back to them for service?

I have 60,000+ miles on my 2004 Explorer now. I would like to change the fluid the old conventional manner, drop the pan, let what will drain fall out, and put pan back on. But I have no idea where to put fluid back into the transmission. If I take it into the dealer will they do it in the old conventional manner for me? As per our previous discussions, I am just not a big fan of a total flush, seen too many problems with it.

 

No, because any auto shop can do it. The thought process was to save the cost of the dipstick and tube.

I don't know what your dealer will do. Dealers are independent businesses and do what they want. Ford can suggest what to do, but they can't control it.

Here's how you would fill the trans in your 2004 Explorer.

 

But it gets 90% which is good enough without going to more trouble.....right? (I plan to do mine soon). Also, I am seeing different amounts of ATF needed and it looks like I will need 16 quarts if I just drain the converter and pan, right? I don't plan to drop the pan and change the filter since it is supposed to be a lifetime filter.

 

Well if you dont have a drain plug in the Tconverter, then you would only get about a 35% percent change if you only drained the tranny pan. Major fluid holders are the two coolers and the Tconverter
Anyway no where near 90%. If you read this thread they discontinued the Tconverter plug by mid of 2002

 

Is there a type of ATF fluid that is preferred for the X. I just installed the 6.0L tranny cooler and went back with Motorcraft for what I put back in but I am getting ready to do a fluid change on the tranny and not looking forward to paying the dealership price for 20 quarts of Motorcraft MerconV.

 

Use any MERCON V fluid. If you want to go to synthetic I recommend Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF.

 

M
Mine is 2000 and it should get about 90% of the oil which is fine with me. The oil cooler doesn't hold much and I doubt if it stays full all the time. There is just some thin channels in there and the converter is the big player not the cooler.

Mark; how much oil is in the v10 cooler and when is it all in there?