Changing Transmission Filter

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Nov 7, 2005 | 11:11 AM

mldmkr1960

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From: New Hampshire

Changing Transmission Filter

Saturday I changed the transmission filter on my 03 F350 5.4 automatic. Ive good this type of work may times before but had two things happen. One after putting in three quarts of the Motorcraft fluid I tried to back the truck up and it stalled. This happened three times, I let it run and it idled fine, but when I shifted it in gear it stalled. It did go away but Ive never had that happen before. I thought I drained out about five quarts. I put in four and after reading the dipstick it looks overfilled. I dont understand why there is only a little fluid on both sides my the little loop on the end, yet up the stick it only shows on the printed side and looks dry on the back side, any idea?

Nov 7, 2005 | 11:36 AM

DavidB

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Sounds like your dipstick is getting "wet" from the sides of the filler tube. Let it sit long enough for the tube to drain into the trans., pull the dipstick, wipe it clean and put it back into the filler tube. Make sure that it is fully seated. When you pull it back out, you should get an accurate reading.

Nov 7, 2005 | 11:56 AM

Casey

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If the trans fluid is low the torque converter clutch can apply at idle. It sounds like your fluid is low. DavidB is right about letting the fluid drain out of the dipstick tube.

Nov 7, 2005 | 12:45 PM

jim henderson

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From: So Cal

Whenever I changed the filter on any vehicle I owned, I had to drop the pan which means I lost a lot of fluid.

3 Quarts sounds like just a tiny bit. Is your filter external? Or, is the tranny one with a very small fluid capacity?

If your tranny is normal and has an internal filter, I would expect to need to add something like 7 to 10 quarts, and this assumes you didn't drain the converter.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

Nov 7, 2005 | 01:01 PM

skinner00

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i just did my trans filter (4r100) i had to add 7 quarts

Nov 7, 2005 | 01:09 PM

mldmkr1960

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From: New Hampshire

fluid

There is no way I drained that much it has the plastic filter that snaps in place in the valve body.

Nov 7, 2005 | 02:01 PM

skinner00

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ummmm, didnt you have to remove the drain plug from the pan?

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Nov 7, 2005 | 09:37 PM

skinner00

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your trans is definitly low then

Nov 8, 2005 | 04:56 AM

#10

dmp437

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From the service manual: (after a filter change)

"Add 6.2 liters (6.5 qts) of clean automatic transmission fluid to the transmission through the fluid filler tube. Start the engine. Move gear selector through all the gear ranges checking for engagements. With the engine running and transmission at normal operating temperature (150-170 degrees F) check and adjust the transmission fluid level. If fluid is needed add fluid in increments of 0.5 pint until the correct level is achieved."