'99 Ranger 2x4, 3.0, 79,000 mi. Is it advised to replace trans fluid at this mileage? Never had it done. Dealer convinced wife to have it done on her Windstar when it was inspected at about 65,000. How do I drain the old fluid?

 

I assume it's automatic? Check the color and smell of the fluid. If it's a red and doesn't smell burnt you will be okay. on the other hand if it smells burnt or you tow a trailer regularly, have it replaced with the filter.

 

If it's never been changed, it's long overdue. I do a simple drain and refill every 10kmis. $15 is cheap insurance.

 

Sometimes when you change the fluid and filter on a high mileage engine it could do harm if it's never been done before. This info is coming from a transmission shop.

 

Thanks for comments. Just noticed article in technical section on how to drain ATF fluid by detaching line and pumping into bucket through a clear plastic line etc. How do I determine which trans I have before I purchase fluid - E40D. 4R100 or 4R70w? My '99 is 3.0, automatic with overdrive button on the shift. I assume my manual will specify type of fluid. Still mulling this over.

 

Your truck has the 4R44E tranny. A full flush is a good idea, even dropping the pan and changing the filter would be a good thing to do. Here's something that should help:

Ranger Automatic Tranny Fluid/Filter Change

 

Thanks, Rock. I'll use those diagrams if I tackle this job. My back is still sore and my hands nicked up from the ball joint replacement of yesterday. (On my Ranger, not my hips.) Further research shows a 4R55E in my 3.0. Apparently the 44E was in four cylinder trucks. The 3.0 has a v-six that just feels like a four.

 

I do my own tranny fluid flush & filter change out, about every 25k miles. The Ranger just hit 50K, so i'll be doing it very soon too.

I drop the pan, clean it & the magnet, with spray brake or throttle body cleaner. Don't use towells or any other linty wipe, after the final spray rinse.

Then I change the filter & replace the pan gasket, even though the gasket is supposed to be reuseable.

Then refill the pan, with exactally the same amount I removed. (which by the way is only about 1/3 of the systems total)
so when we drop the pan & replace the filter & pan fluid, 2/3 of the old fluid is still in the tranny, valve body, torque converter, cooler & lines, hardy a fluid change, imo!!!!!

Then pull the tranny fluids return line at the cooler, pug it & route a spare piece of hose from the cooler into a measured catch bucket, so I can keep a tally on how much fluid is about to be removed.

Then start the engine & let it idle for 15 seconds, while shifting into all gears to help flush the valve body, then shut it down & add one qt of new fluid & verify via my measured catch bucket, that one qt of old fluid has been removed.
It should be, because the tranny pump is rated at 1 qt/15seconds at idle & it must be so, because thats what my measured catch bucket indicated was pumped out in that time frame.

Anyway I continued this start/stop/pour in another qt. routine, until I had pumped out & replaced the systems specified capacity + one extra qt, just to make sure I got as much of the old fluid out as possible.

Starting & stopping every 15 seconds is a pain, when your doing this by yourself, but it prevents the tranny pump from going dry, which isn't good practice.

If you have a helper to operate the engine & you have all your tranny fluid ready to use, you may be abe to pour it in as fast as the tranny pumps it out & save some time.

Your tranny will thank you for taking the time to do a full fluid change out. I can always feel a smoother more positive shift after a full fluid change.

Let us know how it goes.