Transmission Fluid Change
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Transmission Fluid Change
I have a 2001 F-150 with a 4R70W transmission.
After reading several posts on the subject (about a hundred), I still have a question.
I'm the type of guy that likes to go by the book - but the books I have (Ford Owners Manual, Ford Scheduled Maintenance Guide and Haynes Repair Manual) are pretty vague on this subject.
The Ford Scheduled Maintenance Guide for my truck simply says to "change automatic transmission fluid". And it lists that at 30,000 mile intervals.
It doesn't mention flushing, or changing the filter or pan gasket or cleaning the pan or the magnet or draining the torque converter or cooler or lines.
Does anybody know what the guide means when it says "change automatic transmission fluid"?
After reading several posts on the subject (about a hundred), I still have a question.
I'm the type of guy that likes to go by the book - but the books I have (Ford Owners Manual, Ford Scheduled Maintenance Guide and Haynes Repair Manual) are pretty vague on this subject.
The Ford Scheduled Maintenance Guide for my truck simply says to "change automatic transmission fluid". And it lists that at 30,000 mile intervals.
It doesn't mention flushing, or changing the filter or pan gasket or cleaning the pan or the magnet or draining the torque converter or cooler or lines.
Does anybody know what the guide means when it says "change automatic transmission fluid"?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
There are 2 different ways of changing the transmission fluid. You can flush it out using a machine that quick lube places have. All that does is remove the old fluid and replace it with new fluid. They do not change the filter when they do this.
The other way, and better one in my opinion is to drain the transmission pan, torque converter if possible and replace the filter and then refill. There will be some fluid that you can not get out, but the couple of quarts out of 16-18 is small change. This way changes out the filter so that you have a fresh element as well as adding new fluid.
One thing you can do is add an external filter by plumbing it inline with the tranny cooler lines. This makes the other filter not as important to change as you could simply drain and refill the fluid and change the external filter. I am not sure if the 4R70W has a drain plug in the pan, but I know that the 4R100 does. I had to add one to my Explorer with the A4LD. Well worth the $7 for the drain plug kit.
The other way, and better one in my opinion is to drain the transmission pan, torque converter if possible and replace the filter and then refill. There will be some fluid that you can not get out, but the couple of quarts out of 16-18 is small change. This way changes out the filter so that you have a fresh element as well as adding new fluid.
One thing you can do is add an external filter by plumbing it inline with the tranny cooler lines. This makes the other filter not as important to change as you could simply drain and refill the fluid and change the external filter. I am not sure if the 4R70W has a drain plug in the pan, but I know that the 4R100 does. I had to add one to my Explorer with the A4LD. Well worth the $7 for the drain plug kit.
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Thanks Chris and Dan,
Since I would like to do the work myself - I guess the first thing I need to do is see if there are drains for the transmission pan and converter on my truck now. Then decide if I want to change (or add) a filter.
I am still curious why the Ford Owners Manual doesn't mind if the filter doesn't get replaced - at all. They otherwise seem to be pretty good at recommending preventative maintenance that will lengthen the lifespan of the vehicle.
Lenny
Since I would like to do the work myself - I guess the first thing I need to do is see if there are drains for the transmission pan and converter on my truck now. Then decide if I want to change (or add) a filter.
I am still curious why the Ford Owners Manual doesn't mind if the filter doesn't get replaced - at all. They otherwise seem to be pretty good at recommending preventative maintenance that will lengthen the lifespan of the vehicle.
Lenny
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 11,496
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From: Kansas
Usually there isn't much on the filter (no chunky pieces). Your magnet on the bottom will have a lot of filings on it and there will be a film on the bottom of the pan, all normal. You could bypass the filter but now that you have dropped the pan and cleaned everything up you have a better idea of what is happening in your tranny.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,931
Likes: 180
the 2001 has a small drain on the torque converter. you need to look up the 3 inche diameter hole in teh bottom below the fhywheel. turn it with a big screw driver till you see the plug. it is metric, but looks like a 1/8 inch pipe plug.--- the transmission has no drain, you pull the pan and dump it. clean up the magnet and pan like the guys said and change the filter. the fliter is a fine mesh felt type material and does very good job of picking out the sludge. it is not a course mesh screen.--- 30,000 is very often, you can do what the book says, but if you do it ever 50,000 you are doing it more often than 90% of the people who own trucks.--- there is 5 quarts in the pan and 8 in the converter. use MERCON V. the V is synthetic blend.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 794
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I got 178k miles and 9 years out of my 4R70W before I had any problems, w/ no preventative maintenance. It started having very minor slippage at 178k ish. The only reason I did anything about was because I had a "friend" that worked for ford and could get me a new 4R70W for under 2 grand, at the time it was chump change so I went ahead and had the new one put in. Hopefully it'll make it another 178k miles then I'll be ready for a crate motor and a C6.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: DC
I dropped the pan and drained the converter on mine around 50k. Since then, I just drain the converter every 25k or so. Dropping the pan is a bit of a PITA. Don't forget there will be a plastic "thingy" in the pan. It's an assembly plug for the dipstick tube, just toss it.
