So, just had my transmission serviced at Ford today and it cost $220 which seemed pretty steep to me. When the service guy asked how many miles I had and I told him 330k, he asked when the last time I had the transmission serviced. I told him 290k (40k miles ago) and he said good, if you hadn't had the transmission serviced in the last 100k miles, at that high of mileage I would have advised you to just leave it because you could leave here with no transmission (what??) I didnt understand what he was saying..

so my questions are
What exactly is the procedure for a transmission service? I understand they "flush" the fluid and don't actually change it, but how? And do they change the transmission filter? I believe there are two?

What do yall do as far as servicing your transmission? do it your self or take it to the dealer

 

$220 isn't a bad price at all. Not the cheapest I've heard, but a long, long way from the highest I've heard.

There is an old myth that if you've never changed the trans fluid that the trans will be destroyed by changing the fluid. I don't believe that can happen, but many people do believe it.

The right way to change all of the fluid in your trans, and it often is called flushing the trans, is to connect a heated fluid exchange machine in the cooler lines. The engine is started and as the transmission pumps out the old fluid the machine replaces it with new fluid. This will change about 95% of the fluid in the trans.

There are two filters on trucks built from the start of 6.0L production until mid year 2008. The trucks that have two filters only need the external filter changed. The internal filter is a lifetime filter, mainly because it isn't fine enough to catch enough stuff that it will ever fill up, unless the trans totally fails.

The newer trucks only have a much improved filter in the pan, the external was eliminated because the new internal filter does the same job, just many times better. This filter needs to be changed on a regular basis.

 

I've heard several different explanations of why transmissions fail after a fluid change, one from a Jeep forum where they claim this:

I assume by worn he really means "viscosity". I've honestly never considered it even though we talk a lot about how engine oil shears down because of how the injectors run. Does viscosity impact how the solenoids work?

 

Ok, that makes me feel a little better. Since my truck is a 2005 that means it has the external and internal filter. Do you know if Ford changes the external filter with a trans service? I did not see a charge for a filter on the receipt. If they do not I would think it would be smart for me to change it

 

I take mine to a shop to flush cost me $250

 

I just had mine serviced along with the trans case and the install of a larger oil pan. yes there are 2 filters and the guy told me to change the external if driven a lot every couple of oil changes or it sounded like when you change the fuel filters. I had changed the external before and he said that was a good move. Mine sits more than it is driven so said really dont worry unless I start running it hard and long then change frequency he stated.

 

Its been kind of "an Old Wives tale" that if its never been done, never do it...because what supposedly happens is the new fluid will go and stir up all the old deposits and sediments in the transmission and cause hell within the valve body and shift mech, ect.
What I really think happens is "dude #1" starts to feel a slip or a hiccup in his transmission, says "ya know its been awhile, I outta get dat fluid changed", has it serviced, and then 2K later his trans is shot for the original reason it was acting up in the first place, having nothing to do with the health of the fluid

 

[Ok, that makes me feel a little better. Since my truck is a 2005 that means it has the external and internal filter. Do you know if Ford changes the external filter with a trans service? I did not see a charge for a filter on the receipt. If they do not I would think it would be smart for me to change it[/QUOTE] When i did mine at a ford dealer the tec only did the flush and when i asked him to change is he said a mechanic would have to do it

 

I have no experience with how Jeeps operate. I know how Ford "learning" software works, as I used it for about 7 years. A Ford does NOT need the batteries disconnected to relearn when the fluid is changed. It will relearn without disconnecting power.

Not to a great degree, but maybe a small amount. It does make a very large difference on how the clutches engage and disengage.

It wouldn't help if I answered this since you didn't have Ford do the work. Ford does not work on customer's vehicles such as yours. Dealers do that, and they are all independent businesses. They do what they want. Ford can tell them they have to change the filter (and Ford does tell them this) but the independent dealer decides what they are going to do and what they are not going to do.

Then you can bet your last dollar they didn't change the filter. No dealer is going to do that free. You should change it yourself.

EXACTLY RIGHT!
And that's the level of tech they have changing fluids. Can't even change a simple filter. SMH.