I have a 1996 F250 4x4 351 and apparently it has an E4OD tranny. I'm at work right now and need to run out at lunch to pick up some tranny fluid. What kind does this thing take? Unforutnately I do not have the time to research right now this nor did I write it doesn before I left the house this AM. I do not trust the parts store people to tell me the correct information...

Thanks!

 

Red will work pretty good.

 

Red? Right on, elder user. I'll be sure to send you the bill from the tranny shop then.

Anyone else?

 

It takes Mercon 5.


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Bill K to the rescue again. If I'm ever in Kansas, I'll buy the beer. Much obliged.

 

It is common wisdom that M-V in an E4OD will cause failure.

'red' fluid, aka generic, aka dexron-whatever and mercon up to III, sold everywhere is what you are to use. Your manual even said so.

dual rated fluids are NOT those called Dexron/Mercon but rather refer to M-III/M-V formulations

one off fluids like ATF3, 4, type F, M-V are only engineered for vehicles whose manual SPECIFICALLY calls for them. (although Ford has homogenized all trannys NOW, just not in 1996) The reason being is that the base stocks for these particular synthetic or very synthetic oils (type F not incl) tend to turn the older seals into gummy bears and the clutch materials into slime in the bottom of the pan. Both actions are thought to be undesirable.

Please note that while the 4R100 and the e4OD are versions of each other, the inside materials are FAR different. If your E4OD was rebuilt using modern parts, Id say look at M-V. If this was a new 4R70W Id say the same.

Do not limit yourself to just FTE for this info (which reads in its entirety by a poster:

)

, f150online, powerstroke.com, dieselstop.com etc etc all cover this extensively.

Do not be lulled into false sense of security by fluids now pushed because of licensing issues. the 87-96 trucks are almost a decade out of warranty and considered by ford to be out of servicability (meaning ford will no longer even stock the parts to fix them but rather farm them) As callous as that seems, if you put in a fluid in a 12 year old transmission and it goes, the common wisdom will be 'it was 12 years old, 'bout time it blew'.

at any rate, your manual said mercon III and my post is a long winded follow up to my short winded reply that said to use red fluid. Walmart brand. DexIIa+ and MIII are considered the same thing cuz, well, they are.

PS- if you experience the converter shudder, dont get the converter rebuilt, use a tube of Dr Tranny Shudder Fix from NAPA.

 

quaddriver:
It does not sound like you are up to date and all the information you posted is now very wrong.
Mercon 5 has been reformulated and Ford says now use it in most all of the its transmission. There are only a few special transmission that require a special fluid and the special fluid is not the fluid that you posted about.
This is all covered in the latest TSB from Ford.

 

Yes, I know it says that, but as I said, M-V in any incarnation was not invented when his truck was. Ford may be good, but they aint clairvoyant.

and as I also said, the seals and clutch material/binding material are ALSO updated. From all evidence we have, this tranny has not been updated. many many people on the web have reported very bad things happening when it was used. Pre and post 2007. Including THIS website. Many Many people on the web report the correct fluid to use in the E4OD. Including THIS website (as I quoted, you may recognize the author)

Prudence?

there are 3 types of advice, good, bad and exact. I told him to use the EXACT fluid that tranny will require until the day it dies. no ifs, no ands, no buts, no questions, no wondering, no mystery. Not to mention way cheaper.

reread what I wrote:

(the bolded is important)

I assure you that FoMoCo is not concerned about whatever clutch material may still exist in a body style 2 generations (3 if pedantic) outdated.

If he changes the fluid today, and next week the tranny goes becasue a seal vanished, will anyone blame the fluid? No, the old wives tale is: "never change fluid because as soon as you do the particles in the fluid kept it going and now they are gone" (or some variation thereof). the reality is, seals and stuff are only good for the same oil formulation originally made with/for, while in only some cases you cannot change say a motor oil to a newer type, hydraulic items, like, um trannys, pumps, cylinders etc are very specific. this is one of those times. Now look how much time was wasted when all anyone had to do was get some red fluid off the shelf at walmart and dump it in. At times I wonder if people want to maintain/work on trucks, or debate maintaining/working on trucks

 

This is at least the fifth time in the last month that QD has spouted off about something that he pretends to know everything about but in reality has his facts all wrong.

The quote in my signature shows what a pompous, arrogant jerk he is.

I don't know for certain what type of fluid the tranny takes, but I do know that I would take subford's word over QD's every single time and not think twice about it.

 

you are NOT supposed to use type F in E4OD.

 

i am stating to not do that to other forum members.

from your post it seems to me you are set in your ways and do not care what fluid is in your vehicles transmission.

 

Did you look at the chart above by FORD.
All of those take Mercon 5.
This is covered in TSB 06-14-4. (06 means it was put out in 2006)
Figure 1 in the text below refers to the chart I posted above.
Here is the text.


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a friend of mine had a 78 F250 with a C6, it took Type F. I think that tech bulletin is saying if you can't find Type F for older trannies or Mercon, you should use Mercon V. Motorcraft does not sell mercon anymore but the aftermarket does. just my interpretation of that document....

 

I've always found that if I looked on the dipstick it would tell the correct
ATF to put in the trans
this will not automatically update when ford changes its formulations and specs

 

The Ford Motor Co. owns the name Mercon and its formula and they are not licensing anybody to use it or make it anymore.
Some after market companies are trying to come up with a smaller product and a name for it as they no longer can use the name Mercon..
Type F may still be out there and licensed as it is the only thing that Ford says to use in the Power Steering system through the 1990’s.

Owners Manuals, Shop Manuals and Dipsticks that were printed and made in the year the truck was made can not reflect any up grades and changes made by Ford. Ford does send out update and change stickers to put in the pages of shop manuals but I guess only Dealers get those.
You can only go by TSBs.