wrong tranny fluid
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,748
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From: Connecticut
wrong tranny fluid
Yep. I posted this in the Oil & Lube Forum a few months ago:
Originally posted by Rockledge in a thread entitled "Mercon V or Mercon/Dextron Trans. fluid"
I am not an oil and lube expert, but I thought I would share my own thoughts and experience regarding this subject. About 3-4 months ago I had my tranny (5R55E) flushed at the local Valvoline lube shop. They replaced the old fluid with their "Durablend ATF" which is advertised as meeting Dextron III, Mercon, AND Mercon V specs. I drove around for a while and while yes there was some improvement, I noticed that the shifting was a bit harsher than I had hoped and my expectations were not exactly realized in terms of a smoother operating box. While I have always trusted Valvoline products, I decided that I was going to try another brand of fluid and to go strictly with a Mercon V-only rated product, which is what Ford recommends. Along with this I also decided to drop the pan myself and change the tranny filter and gasket (which is something that the Valvoline shop does NOT do as part of their tranny service). Then I flushed the system again and filled it with Castrol Mercon V. I must say, the improvement is more than just noticeable. The tranny shifts much smoother and shift points are much better. I am so glad I made the switch. I also have peace of mind knowing that there is clean and correct fluid flowing through a nice new filter in my transmission.
This is no knock on any particular company or fluid. But the bottom line is that the "hybrid" ATF fluid just did not work out for me. Moral of the story, I guess, is that I will be sticking with precisely what Ford recommends for my tranny - Mercon V.
I am not an oil and lube expert, but I thought I would share my own thoughts and experience regarding this subject. About 3-4 months ago I had my tranny (5R55E) flushed at the local Valvoline lube shop. They replaced the old fluid with their "Durablend ATF" which is advertised as meeting Dextron III, Mercon, AND Mercon V specs. I drove around for a while and while yes there was some improvement, I noticed that the shifting was a bit harsher than I had hoped and my expectations were not exactly realized in terms of a smoother operating box. While I have always trusted Valvoline products, I decided that I was going to try another brand of fluid and to go strictly with a Mercon V-only rated product, which is what Ford recommends. Along with this I also decided to drop the pan myself and change the tranny filter and gasket (which is something that the Valvoline shop does NOT do as part of their tranny service). Then I flushed the system again and filled it with Castrol Mercon V. I must say, the improvement is more than just noticeable. The tranny shifts much smoother and shift points are much better. I am so glad I made the switch. I also have peace of mind knowing that there is clean and correct fluid flowing through a nice new filter in my transmission.
This is no knock on any particular company or fluid. But the bottom line is that the "hybrid" ATF fluid just did not work out for me. Moral of the story, I guess, is that I will be sticking with precisely what Ford recommends for my tranny - Mercon V.
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