Ford SUV trans questions

JDEM · Jul 5, 2019

Yes, I know this is primarily a tractor forum. Just figured I might get lucky here. I just took a big leap and went from driving 70s-90s autos to a pair made in the 2000s.

Question #1 I got a 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4WD and 281 cubic inch V8. I love it. That said - I wanted to check the transmission fluid and found out there is NO dipstick. I do not have any owner's manual yet - but from I see on line - Ford kind of considers the 6 speed trans as "sealed unit" not to be messed with until it goes bad. 130,000 miles, runs perfect, but I guess the oil has never been checked or changed?

Question #2 I also got a 2009 4WD Escape with 50K miles. When cold - 2nd to 3rd gear shift slips pretty bad. Once warmed up it drives flawlessly. 4WD with the 2.5 four-banger engine. I see shift improver kits for sale that make a point of addressing a 2nd to 3rd slip problem. Anybody ever had this and fixed it?

My diesel HD truck is a 1994 Ford with a 7.3 turbo (not a Powerstroke). I had a horrible time trying to ID a problem with the ED40 trans for over a year. Torque converter would lock and stay locked when cold. Trans was a factory rebuild. Once driven a few miles it would break loose and drive fine. Ended up after a year of trial and error - I found out it was a bad solenoid. Good thing I did not let the local trans shop put in a different torque converter.

onefarmer · Jul 5, 2019

I have a 2007 Explorer. Took it to a trans shop when it started having shifting issues. They said it was low on fluid and did a complete service while they was at it. I asked how do you check it. They said can't!! Said what they do is start pumping fluid into it and wait for it to flow back out. I commented to them "So it's a way to get more money at dealers and trans shops!" He said yep.

timcasbolt · Jul 5, 2019

(quoted from post at 14:15:10 07/05/19) Yes, I know this is primarily a tractor forum. Just figured I might get lucky here. I just took a big leap and went from driving 70s-90s autos to a pair made in the 2000s.

Question #1 I got a 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4WD and 281 cubic inch V8. I love it. That said - I wanted to check the transmission fluid and found out there is NO dipstick. I do not have any owner's manual yet - but from I see on line - Ford kind of considers the 6 speed trans as "sealed unit" not to be messed with until it goes bad. 130,000 miles, runs perfect, but I guess the oil has never been checked or changed?

Question #2 I also got a 2009 4WD Escape with 50K miles. When cold - 2nd to 3rd gear shift slips pretty bad. Once warmed up it drives flawlessly. 4WD with the 2.5 four-banger engine. I see shift improver kits for sale that make a point of addressing a 2nd to 3rd slip problem. Anybody ever had this and fixed it?

My diesel HD truck is a 1994 Ford with a 7.3 turbo (not a Powerstroke). I had a horrible time trying to ID a problem with the ED40 trans for over a year. Torque converter would lock and stay locked when cold. Trans was a factory rebuild. Once driven a few miles it would break loose and drive fine. Ended up after a year of trial and error - I found out it was a bad solenoid. Good thing I did not let the local trans shop put in a different torque converter.

There are a lot on newer automatics that don't have a dipstick. They still require maintenance, but you have to hook them up to a computer to refill. The dealer gets serious money to work on them, but sometimes you can call around and find a competent mechanic in a smaller shop that can do it. ymmv

JDEM · Jul 5, 2019

This is sort of funny because I used to joke about new cars someday having "sealed" transmissions and engines. Now it seems at least the trans sort of is "sealed." I found an owner's manual on-line. In it, Ford states that "transmissions do not consume oil and never need to be checked." That and "if the trans starts slipping, take it to a dealer."

Oh well. This is what I get for my giant leap into the 2000s.

onefarmer · Jul 5, 2019

Madening ain't it! grr

onefarmer · Jul 5, 2019

The trans shop did the service and repaired a leaky line for like ~$150. Not bad when we was worrying about the cost of a rebuild. It has >200k on it

Northvale PA · Jul 5, 2019

I have a 2010 Ford Escape with 280k miles. I change the trans fluid every 50k miles. Has a drain plug just like oil pan. Simple.

john in la · Jul 5, 2019

There is a drain plug in the 5R55W that works on the same principal as a standard trans.
You take out the center bolt of the drain plug and as long as fluid is trickling out you are good.
Many fill the trans threw this hole also but there is a dedicated fill hole.

The 5R55N 2 wheel drive is very similar but the fill plug is in a different location.

David G · Jul 5, 2019

Looks like this is the same as checking oil on Farmall H, worked then.

Mike M · Jul 5, 2019

The Cadillac Catera had that set up. They were made before 2000 I forget exactly when ? 1996 or 1997 ? You had to have them up on a lift and running and fill up to the level of the check plug. My wife's 2016 Honda HRV is like that too. So far I have just paid the dealer to change the oil in it. Too much of a pain to try and jack a car up anymore let alone do both ends to keep it level without a lift.

showcrop · Jul 5, 2019

The shop that was servicing my Explorer around eight years ago wanted nothing to do with a service on the transmission. They said that there was rust around the plug. So I got a screen and dropped the pan and replaced the screen even though there was nothing in the old one. Then I replaced the pan and pumped oil into it until it overflowed.

Russ from MN · Jul 5, 2019

As long as there isn't any oil drops on the garage floor it's OK, and trade it in before 100,000 miles! But your past that already!

dhermesc · Jul 5, 2019

I would change the transmission oil in the Escape. It's actually very easy to do. Drain it - refill and drain it again a day or two later and refill- you've change about 3/4 of the oil in the transmission if you do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMoTqPBIyGw

As the guy in the video says - change the fluid in it every 30K miles.

r.w.b. · Jul 5, 2019

I had yes i said had a ford exploder,tranny exploded and my daughter named it exploder.when you buy newer vehicles that have sealed trannys (not brucie KAITLYN JENNER) get on the world wide spider web n see whats the good the bad and the ugly.if it says sealed tranny run away fastly

4play · Jul 6, 2019

The Sport Trac has a 6R60 trans so it does have a dipstick, but you will need to get underneath to access it. It is above the RF corner of the trans pan, you remove a cap/nut ( I think 21 or 22mm. ) Under the cap is a small stick to check the fluid, you can also pump fluid in there. I think the published interval for fluid change is 150K miles, and it takes Mercon SP .

On the Escape, almost all of them in these years had the trans cooler leak, it is integral with the a/c condenser. Anyway it's possible someone ran it low on fluid causing damage to the trans. Other than that it's possible the 2/4 band or the band servo is failing.

Bret4207 · Jul 6, 2019

My Escape responded nicely to some Lucas Trans additive.

Gambles · Jul 6, 2019

During the era that your Ford was built, I was a Ford tech and all (or most, maybe) the new Fords trucks had to have an additive installed. It involved pulling the bottom plug and putting this additive in that had all kinds of warnings on the bottle. Maybe the additive was meant to calm the California crowd, I'm not sure.

Ford SUV trans questions

JDEM

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onefarmer

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timcasbolt

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JDEM

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onefarmer

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onefarmer

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Northvale PA

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john in la

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David G

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Mike M

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showcrop

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Russ from MN

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dhermesc

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r.w.b.

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4play

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Bret4207

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Gambles

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