How often should you change the tranny fluid
 

Hey guys sorry if I'm in the wrong area I just bought a ranger yesterday it has 87000km on it should I be thinking of flushing my tranny fluid or do wait? Any ideas?

I don't know how much that is in MILES lol but it's always a good idea to change all fluids on a car when you buy it. Don't flush it, just change it.

The thing about just changing it is that you won't get it all, so I'd change it, drive it, and change it again. Some fluid will be in the torque converter which you won't get out by dropping the pan.

The thing about a flush, especially if it's not been done before, is that it can break loose any crud that may have built up, which can then move around in there and either clog something up, or start leaking.

Soaybe I should call the guy I bought it off and see if he has ever had it done before?

It would be nice to know.

I read every 30,000 miles. I just did mine at 50,000 and the mechanic said it looked like it had been changed once before, so I'm good.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WMR-W1145/?rtype=10

30000 sounds right, if you want to do it yourself I would get a pump like above, and pump fluid out the tranny dipstick tube. That way you don't have to drop the pan. And just put in new the amount you take out, then check the level while running to make sure it's where it should be.

Hey thanks man I think that's what I'm gonna do! I don't think I should change the filter with 87000 km would probably do more harm then anything

I thought I'd just let everyone no I called ford and they told me the rwd modle should be flushed every 50000 km

That's 31068 miles, so seems about what we thought.

Well now we have cleared up any confusion for the Canadians !

Pumping out the fluid. What about the filter change? Dropping the pan allows you to change the filter but you don't get the old fluid out of the torque converterf. Flushing gets the fluid out of the torque converter but you cannot change the filter. Both options have their disadvantages. Pumping out the fluid through the dipstick tube does not get the fluid out of the torque converter and does not allow you to change the filter unles you pump it out and then drop the pan anyway. Save the cost of the pump drop the pan and change the filter.

Or have it flushed then drop the pan and change the filter yourself. Costs two rounds of tranny fluid though.

Can you tell us more about your truck? According to chiltons 06 up trannys are sealed for life. Which would mean no need for a new filter.

Also don't get a flush, they charge too much and all they do is use a fancy mechanical pump like I posted above for ten bucks. And it injects it a lot harder which is what stirs up the particles lying around in there.

Since you cant get it out of the torque converter,mthats why I recommended doing it more than once.

according to all data-if its automatic, you just inspect it every 30000miles. not replace. on the manual you replace.

Sorry when u say inspect you mean the filter?

check fluid color and level with engine running.

it states that for normal operating conditions-its good for the life of the vehicle (however id change it when a vehichle hits 100k.) only on special operating conditions should it be changed every 30000 miles. special conditions are towing, alot of stop and go traffic, alot of idling, alot of off roading, cold climate, and short trips at cold engine temps.

Ya what your saying makes sence thanks for the info

ya i did mine when i bought it. think it was at 105k. the guy showed me the color of the fluid when i got its first oil change and it was fairly dark colored. when you check it. it should be red.

Ya I will make sure to look at the color an make sure it don't smell burnt. The truck wa drove by an old man who sold it to me because he was to old and they took his drivers license away I got it for 4800$ I haven't seen it yet because I'm living away by I get to see it in two weeks my dad took it for a drive he said it drive smoothe.

Now we need to link the "how to change your transmission fluid/filter" thread.

Does anybody have any clarification on the "sealed for life"? My Haynes manual also says for 2006 & up "sealed for life", but owner's manual says change every 30K mi. Did Ford do something to the 2006 & up (5R55E / 5R44E), so you don't have to drop the pan and change the filter? If I drop the pan and change filter, am I going to bungle something up because the filter is not replaceable, etc.? Just can't get my head around this.

If you have a 2wd with the 5R55E / 5R44E you can swap in the filter and pan from a 4wd and gain a little bit of capacity with a better design.

I changed mine at 50k mi and it was nasty brown, now at 100k I'm going to change it again and add a drain plug.

Does the manual say t change the filter every 30k or does it just specify the fluid? Because it could mean just fluid, in which case you use the dipstick to replace fluid, and the tranny would remain sealed. I'd really like to know myself because I'd like to be
I've I don't need to change the filter but I also tow.

And I don't want someone just saying they "wouldn't trust it" I'd like so e reasoning.

I had mine done at AAMCO Transmission. The tech there said not to flush it just drain it, because flushing for some reason causes lots of problems. I just had mine drained on his advice and haven't had any problems since. He said people come to him a lot for service work right after they had theirs flushed out by somebody else. He said don't flush it.

so to clear things up, most of us are saying drop the pan drain the fluid then add the new stuff? maybe change the gasket? someone should really try an find out weather we should change our filters or not i looked at my owners book i didn't see anything about that,