transmission flush
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 71
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From: SW MN
transmission flush
I am about due for new transmission fluid. Does anyone recomend bringing my pickup in for a flush at a ford dealership verses doing it myself because at the dealership they hook it up to a pump and they pump all the fluid out of the torque converter, transmission cooler, and transmission lines going to the cooler up front. If I do it myself, then I only get what's in the transmission pan.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,517
Likes: 3
From: SE Wyoming
Depending on what year and tranny you have if you have the drainplug in the TC I'd do it myself. You can pull one of the lines to the tranny and have the transmission do all the pumping for you, plus you can pull the pan and replace the filter, which a shop will not do unless you ask and pay more.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,931
Likes: 180
your 2003 does not have a converter plug. you will get 20 different opinions on what to do. some will do nothing and run the fluid forever. what i did was drop the pan, change the filer, clean out the crud, reinstall pan, and add 5 quarts of oil. there are still 7 more quarts in the converter. I plan to do this every 30,000 miles. it is never completely new, but gets a refresh and new addatives boost every couple years. my opinion is the main thing is to clean the crud out of the pan and change the filter. also some believe a "flush" breakes up all the crud in the pan and pumps it all over your valves and spools and can lead to future problems. i am one that believes that.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 11,496
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From: Kansas
I personally know people that had the tranny flush only to have their tranny fail a few thousand miles later. Granted these where high mileage units with over 100K on them.
I have never heard of a tranny failing after the pan was dropped and serviced as Steve says above.
I have never heard of a tranny failing after the pan was dropped and serviced as Steve says above.
New User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3
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I don't recommend doing a flush anymore. A friend of mine has a transmission shop and stopped doing flushes because as was said earlier that the flushing seems to break up the sludge in the pan and sends it into the valve body and many times it ends up with a trans rebuild. He says he has enough work just to keep up with trans rebuilds without having to make more and he knows honesty is the best policy. Just drop the pan and remove the sediment and change the filter is still the best and change it every 30,000 miles or so.
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 116
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From: Naperville, IL
Originally Posted by LxMan1
I had my dealer power flush mine.
I thought '03s didn't have a trans filter? Just the screen in the pan?
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Green Bay WI. / Wawa Ont.
Originally Posted by steve(ill)
your 2003 does not have a converter plug. you will get 20 different opinions on what to do. some will do nothing and run the fluid forever. what i did was drop the pan, change the filer, clean out the crud, reinstall pan, and add 5 quarts of oil. there are still 7 more quarts in the converter. I plan to do this every 30,000 miles. it is never completely new, but gets a refresh and new addatives boost every couple years. my opinion is the main thing is to clean the crud out of the pan and change the filter. also some believe a "flush" breakes up all the crud in the pan and pumps it all over your valves and spools and can lead to future problems. i am one that believes that.
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 295
Likes: 2
From: Ringgold GA.
I vote on the flush, they back flush it so any sediment goes out and your filter/ screen is left clean. close to 70k on my truck and no problems at all. Also the mechanics in the shop at work all believe in flushes on our fleet vehicles. The way I see it they might be on to something. Keeping a vehicle running means less work they have to do, vs. a transmission guy who makes money on stuff being broke. ***not puttin your friend down JDV just makeing a comparison***
Last truck I had I bought into the old phlosiphy that you should leave the fluid in it...Changeing it will cause problems. It started slipping and chattering in O.D. also started shifting a little funny. Had 140k on it when traded in on my '02. Again I vote for the flush, just my opinion.
Last truck I had I bought into the old phlosiphy that you should leave the fluid in it...Changeing it will cause problems. It started slipping and chattering in O.D. also started shifting a little funny. Had 140k on it when traded in on my '02. Again I vote for the flush, just my opinion.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 64
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If there is no converter plug I just change the filter and fluid in the pan. 220,000 miles on my wife's truck and a converter with a plug, all the old fluid out and a new filter. 120,000 miles on my truck. I do this about once a year, about every 15,000 miles.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 26
There is little logic to a transmission flush. If you drop the pan instead you can inspect the filter, magnet, etc and get a good idea of you transmission condition.
The concept of a flush, implying all the old fluid is somehow going to poison the rest of the system, is a bit strange. If you change the fluid conventionally long before it deteriorates flushing is pointless. If the fluid upstream of the filter is "bad", and it's a full-flow filter, what was the filter doing for a living?
We don't flush jet fighters unless the fluid is proven contaminated with fuel (due to a failed heat exchanger) or similar, and the only thing we use is fresh fluid. We have plenty of components that cost more than a new Ford, and plenty of engineers who would recommend flushing if it were of benefit. We have clutch packs, overrunning clutches, etc too.
What flushes are is a dandy way for a service department to make money. Consider the cost of a flush vs a filter and fluid swap, and contemplate where the extra money is going.
The concept of a flush, implying all the old fluid is somehow going to poison the rest of the system, is a bit strange. If you change the fluid conventionally long before it deteriorates flushing is pointless. If the fluid upstream of the filter is "bad", and it's a full-flow filter, what was the filter doing for a living?
We don't flush jet fighters unless the fluid is proven contaminated with fuel (due to a failed heat exchanger) or similar, and the only thing we use is fresh fluid. We have plenty of components that cost more than a new Ford, and plenty of engineers who would recommend flushing if it were of benefit. We have clutch packs, overrunning clutches, etc too.
What flushes are is a dandy way for a service department to make money. Consider the cost of a flush vs a filter and fluid swap, and contemplate where the extra money is going.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Likes: 45
From: Central NY
Originally Posted by monckywrench
There is little logic to a transmission flush. If you drop the pan instead you can inspect the filter, magnet, etc and get a good idea of you transmission condition. .
unless of course you are under warranty and you do it because FMC says so!
i'd go to the dealer so they can use the appropriate heated flushing unit.
they have service recommendations for a reason....
i've had mine flushed 3 times and will do the pan drop/filter change on the next one.
New User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Ford does not recommend a flush, it's money for the dealerships.
In my opinion if it has never been flushed or changed for that matter on a high mileage vehicle just leave it alone. Dropped the pan on my sons 97 Ram and replaced filter and 5 quarts of oil. He had 116,000 miles on it and never changed the fluids. He will make some mechanics rich due to his poor maintenance habits. 300 miles later the trans has failed. No problems prior to changing the filter.
I was lucky to get him to check his engine oil which was usually a quart low whenever I checked it,
In my opinion if it has never been flushed or changed for that matter on a high mileage vehicle just leave it alone. Dropped the pan on my sons 97 Ram and replaced filter and 5 quarts of oil. He had 116,000 miles on it and never changed the fluids. He will make some mechanics rich due to his poor maintenance habits. 300 miles later the trans has failed. No problems prior to changing the filter.
I was lucky to get him to check his engine oil which was usually a quart low whenever I checked it,
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Likes: 45
From: Central NY
Originally Posted by socalrat
Ford does not recommend a flush, it's money for the dealerships.
oh wait, it recommends you change the fluid....flushing is faster and they actually make less at the dealership on a flush compared to dropping the pan and replacing half the fluid.