What is the correct automatic transmission fluid for a 2005/2006 ? How many quarts are needed to do a drain and fill ?

 

The "correct" fluid is Mercon V.

Total capacity of the CD4E is 10 qts. A simple drain and fill usually replaces 3-5 quarts of the fluid.

 

Thanks,,,will be doing it this weekend.

 

Your dip stick should tell you which ATF to use. Mercon V is a good replacement for Dextron/Mercon but you should not mix them together. Mercon V is synthetic and the other is not.

 

There is no harm in mixing older Mercon with Mercon V. That was only an issue in certain transmissions with early formulations of Mercon V which, after 15 years, are presumably all gone.

In any event, the OP's vehicle left the factory with Mercon V so it's a moot point in this thread.

 

Synthetic and conventional fluids mix just fine.

MERCON V from the factory is a synthetic blend. You can buy MERCON V that is conventional, blend, or full synthetic.

 

I own an 05 Escape, 3.0 4x4 with an automatic transmission. It has no pan or owner serviceable filter. My dipstick says to use Mercon fluid, not Mercon V. My owners manual has a supplement included with it that very plainly warns against mixing the two fluids together. My torque converter failed, which cost me the price of a rebuilt transmission. The shop owner where I had the work done stopped short of telling me that mixing the two fluids together was what caused my problem. The new unit came with a case of Mobil 1 full synthetic AFT, which is what I am using in it now. That was 35K ago and it still shifts like a new one. I have been using the drain and fill method every 15K.

 

Read my previous comment (#5). Also, see TSB 07-1-7.

Back in 05 there may have still been compatibility concerns regarding Mercon and Mercon V which Mark might be able to shed some insight onto. IIRC, that's about the time (05 - 07) the CD4E was transitioned at the factory to Mercon V. I know our 07 had Mercon V from the factory. I really doubt that the Mercon V damaged your '05's transmission, but there's not enough information provided as to WHEN that happened to you to see if there might have been any correlation possible. If it was after 07 or 08, the problems wasn't the Mercon V, it was just the typical CD4E failure crap.

I have no idea whether Ford actually changed anything in the formulation of Mercon V during its early years or not or whether they just decided to go forward with Mercon V only when they stopped issued licenses for Mercon.

 

I bought the vehicle used, in 2007 with 43K on it. I learned too late that the previous owner did not service the transmission. I did the drain and fill about three times, once at 43K and every 25-30K after that using Mercon V, which is what the dealer sold to me. The problems (severe torque converter shudder and very harsh engagement into drive) surfaced at about 125K at which point I had a complete flush done and changed it back to Mercon. I did one more complete flush before having a rebuild transmission and torque converter installed. If I knew how, I would post a picture of the page in my owners manual warning about the use of Mercon V in my 2005 Escape. I'm not going to say that Mercon V caused my transmission problems but I am going to say that in 2005 Ford Motor Company printed it in my owners manual to not use it.

 

It's completely unnecessary to post the page of the manual, it's in every copy and it's easily seen by downloading the appropriate manual. I've read it and I accept that those were the instructions when the manual was printed. What you need to do is read the TSB I pointed you to (and my previous comments).

Think about it - Ford discontinued licensing of the production of the original Mercon fluid and EXPLICITLY stated to use Mercon V in its place. That supersedes the manuals printed in prior years. Do you think that would have been done while vehicles were still in factory warranty if Ford was still concerted about compatibility?

It is highly unlikely that the Mercon V caused your failure. I've been around the CD4e for a long time, it's a weak transmission that, if it lives a 125K miles, it's done pretty well.

 

MERCON went out of production in 2006. NOBODY has produced a licensed MERCON fluid since then.

That's because he knew that mixing the fluids did NOT cause your problem.

Since 2006 Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF is MERCON V, not MERCON.

There were compatiblity concerns. I've lost the specifics to time, but MERCON and the pre-2006 MERCON V did not mix. MERCON V was changed in 2006 to make it compatible with MERCON and the transmissions that used to require MERCON.

Where do you get MERCON? It hasn't been produced in over a decade.

Torque converter shudder is very common in the 3.0L CD4E. The converter clutch was undersized for a 3.0L engine. MERCON V will delay the onset, but it will happen no matter what ATF you use.

In 2005 when your manual was printed they didn't have the information about what was going to happen in 2006.

I agree. MERCON V may have delayed the problems, it certainly didn't cause them. 125k is all you can expect out of one of those. I had one that grenaded on the freeway at 98k. And that one was behind a 2.5L, not a 3.0L.

 

OK folks, I get it, I'm wrong on all counts. wnc05ford51K, you should follow the advice of the others as mine is outdated.

 

That's interesting. Is there a repository of TSB's for Escapes here on the Ford-Trucks forum???

 

Try Google...