For what it's worth, when I searched fordparts.com using my vehicle description, this is the only transmission fluid that came up:

2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty Auto Trans Fluid | FordParts.com

 

All wallets eventually cry whenever their owners start posting here!

Yes, according to Mark K's previous posts.

Again, I'll quote Mark K, "Ford and GM no longer license Dexron III/MERCON. Nobody is watching what's in them. MERCON V is licensed by Ford so there is some monitoring the fluid.

I'm not suggesting you drain and refill, I'm just saying I won't be using Dex III/Merc in my rigs, since Merc V is ok and licensed by Ford.

Because it was still available at the time.

The purpose of the TSB wasn't to tell tech's to stop using Merc, it was to let them know Merc V was now compatible for the 4R100 and to use that fluid, since Merc was gonna stop being made.

Actually, it is.

The TSB by Ford states Merc was no longer going to be made and will no longer be available once the inventory was used up.

My guess is Ford had no idea manufacturers would start making it again.

Because Merc V was reformulated, it was now ok to use it in 4R100's. Previously, it was a no-no.

Since it was reformulated, and since both Merc and Merc V were available at the same time back when this TSB was issued (June of '06) of course it's gonna say both fluids are ok to use.

But once the inventory of Merc was used up, the ONLY fluid available Ford would recommend would be the Merc V.

Ford had no way of knowing the manufacturers would start making Dex III/Merc fluid again and put it on the shelves, causing confusion for some Ford owners.

I hope the above paragraphs clear up your confusion.

The TSB states it's ok to use both because both LICENSED fluids were still available at the time of the TSB issuance.

Now, there is only one licensed fluid recommended by Ford, Mercon V.

Go to the effort to change it? Eh, my guess would be no.

But then again, if they could make it cheaper by altering it a smidge, or doing something slightly different.....

Again, I go back to Mark K's words...."Ford and GM no longer license Dexron III/MERCON. Nobody is watching what's in them. MERCON V is licensed by Ford so there is some monitoring the fluid."

Not true.

Synthetic Merc V is good stuff.

Stewart

 

Thanks Stewart!

Thanks Kel! FYI, when you click on the "Supersession" link on the webpage you cited it comes up with:



Motorcraft Supersession info:

• 19582 Replaced By <LABEL class=strong>XT-2-QSM </LABEL>
• XT-2-QSM Replaced By <LABEL class=strong>5</LABEL>

<LABEL class=strong>Personally, since I now own a half case of unused Napa brand Mercon and since I just totally flushed my transmission two months ago, and since the transmission performed flawlessly after the flush during our July trip from Sacto. to Idaho and back, I will personally probably just keep using it, speculating (i.e., being too lazy to flush it again right now) that the current Mercon and the previous Mercon fluids will be the same or nearly the same assuming that the current product meets the previous product's SAE std.</LABEL>
<LABEL class=strong></LABEL>
<LABEL class=strong>(P.S. I am really happy I didn't kill this thread.)</LABEL>

 

You can use MERCON, MERCON V, or a mixture of the two.

Ford used to license MERCON. They tested each manufacturer's product. I know the people at Ford that did the testing. When they stopped licensing MERCON they stopped testing it. Will companies change the formula? They will they can tweak the fluid so that one fluid can cover several specs. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. MERCON V is still licensed, so I have to assume Ford is still testing it.

Would a current MERCON fluid still be compatible with the materials in your 4R100? You'll have to Do the testing yourself. Let us know if your trans fails.

As for meeting the SAE spec, what spec do you mean? I don't know of a MERCON SAE spec.

I like synthetic ATF. I use to run Mobil 1 synthetic ATF when I had a 4R100.

 

Thanks Mark! Dude, I know that you know a lot more about this than I ever will. I ask questions to learn. I rarely speak authoritatively on any subject on this forum.

I clearly stated that I speculated/assumed and speculated and assumed again that those little numbers on the label were an SAE spec. But if you say there are not SAE stds for the production of AFT fluids, I believe you. But I am pretty sure that it says something like "meets or exceeds so and so's specs," but I will check tonight when I get home.

Regardless of whether or not Ford is currently licensing the product, if a manufacturer says on its label that the contents meets or exceeds a particular specification, then it is fraud if the product doesn't.

But I agree with Regan, "trust but verify." And if Ford is no longer verifying the product's contents by testing under a licensing program currently in effect, then we are left with just trusting the truth of Napa's manufacturer's statements on the label.

And since I really don't trust anybody selling me anything given the current state of the economy, I think all of you guys have a good point.