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Should I change the trans fluid?

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    Should I change the trans fluid?

    All,

    Ok, I've heard sometimes it's a good idea, and sometimes it's a BAD idea.

    My car's got 88K on it. I've noticed something odd within the past few days - if I'm slowing down from speed when the trans is already in 4th gear, foot completely off the gas, if I happen to start to give it a little throttle at the exact moment the trans is trying to downshift on its own from 4th to 3rd (around 31MPH), the engine will rev for a brief moment before catching 3rd gear.

    I wasn't TRYING to give it gas at that exact moment, mind you, it just sort of happened.

    It's only happened 3 times - like I said, I'm not trying to time it that way, and I really don't want to tempt fate.

    Another incident a few days ago, I was going up a mild grade, and the engine was holding 4th gear around 42MPH, and I figured that rather than just giving it more throttle, I'd pull it out of OD and into D - likewise, had that weird slip before it engaged 3rd gear. As you might imagine, I've not done that since! Why ask for trouble, after all...


    Other than that, the car shifts perfectly upshifts, downshifts, etc. Just that 4-to-3 if I catch it at that particular moment.


    I was considering doing a fluid and filter change - though, again, nagging at me are the warnings that changing the fluid sometimes just pisses the trans off and gets it to commit suicide. My logical side says that's nonsense, fresh fluid and a clean filter can't hurt it - but my logical side's been brought up short by reality every once in a while.

    That said, according to the paperwork I got from the previous owner, there was a work item "Service Automatic Transmission" for $89.95 done in May of 2008, when the car had 69K miles on it. (I assume it was actually done, but I HAVE owned a car where receipts showed a shop did a tune-up including ignition wires, but the car still had the Ford wires on it!)

    So, should I do the filter and fluid, should I do that and ALSO drain the torque converter, or should I just leave well enough alone, making sure the fluid level is ok? (which as I write this I realize I didn't check! D'oh!)
    1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2-door Coupe - perpetually "sort of" for sale...
    Black with Red cloth (velour?) interior.
    Purchased on 10/10/2008, with only 70,386 original miles, and only ONE previous owner.
    Reader's Ride post, First pic with "new" rims, Other pics with "new" rims

    #2
    Have you checked the fluid? What's it look/smell like?
    Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

    Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

    Comment


      #3
      Checked it . . but . . not sure. If I were to go by the highest fluid point on the stick, I have WAY too much . . but if I go by where it covers the stick completely rather than being on the edge, then it might be a touch low.

      Color's fairly good, and no particularly noticeable smell - at least nothing unusual about the smell, anyway.

      I'm figuring I *might* do just the filter and pan gasket - if the "fishing bob" thingy isn't in there, then I'll do the TC as well. If it is, I'll assume it's never been changed and just pray that the 3-qts of changed fluid won't foul things up.
      1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2-door Coupe - perpetually "sort of" for sale...
      Black with Red cloth (velour?) interior.
      Purchased on 10/10/2008, with only 70,386 original miles, and only ONE previous owner.
      Reader's Ride post, First pic with "new" rims, Other pics with "new" rims

      Comment


        #4
        The fluid is supposed to be checked hot while running in park. The level is supposed to be in the crosshatched area of the stick.

        I've seen people just put the plug back in-even after the pan has been removed. Might not be a good indicator....If the fluid isn't too dirty just do both and you should be fine.
        Builder/Owner of Badass Panther Wagons

        Busy maintaining a fleet of Fords

        Comment


          #5
          Yep, checked it hot/running/park. Didn't get a clear reading though.... I might also try the "room temperature" level check the manual describes as well, probably won't have upward-splash on the dipstick.

          Reading trans fluid on the dipstick has always thrown me for a loop, though...
          1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2-door Coupe - perpetually "sort of" for sale...
          Black with Red cloth (velour?) interior.
          Purchased on 10/10/2008, with only 70,386 original miles, and only ONE previous owner.
          Reader's Ride post, First pic with "new" rims, Other pics with "new" rims

          Comment


            #6
            Remove stick. Wipe with cloth. Reinsert stick then remove to take your measurement.
            ~David~

            My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
            My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

            Originally posted by ootdega
            My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

            Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
            But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

            Originally posted by gadget73
            my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




            Comment


              #7
              LOL, yeah, I know the procedure, I just always seem to get fluid halfway up the stick even when I do that... and I KNOW the fluid's not THAT high!
              1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2-door Coupe - perpetually "sort of" for sale...
              Black with Red cloth (velour?) interior.
              Purchased on 10/10/2008, with only 70,386 original miles, and only ONE previous owner.
              Reader's Ride post, First pic with "new" rims, Other pics with "new" rims

              Comment


                #8
                yeah,i've got probly 135K on my trans. it will slip when its get really hot,or low on fluid. I have heard of them failing because of a trans flush. apparently the "varnish" that is on the gears is holding everything together. Im waiting for mine to blow out so i can get competition trans to build me one.
                [URL="http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3358314"]

                Comment


                  #9
                  you want the lowest reading on the stick.....check both sides of the stick

                  1986 lincoln towncar signature series. 5.0 HO with thumper performance ported e7 heads, 1.7 roller rockers, warm air intake, 65mm throttle body, 1/2" intake spacer, ported intakes, 3.73 rear with trac lock, 98-02 front brake conversion, 92-97 rear disc conversion, 1" rear swaybar, 1 3/16" front swaybar, 16" wheels and tires, loud ass stereo system, badass cb, best time to date 15.94 at 87 mph. lots of mods in the works 221.8 rwhp 278 rwt
                  2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature. Stock for now
                  1989 Ford F-250 4x4 much much more to come, sefi converted so far.
                  1986 Toyota pickup with LSC wheels and 225/60/16 tires.
                  2008 Hyundai Elantra future Revcon toad
                  1987 TriBurner and 1986 Alaska stokers keeping me warm. (and some pesky oil heat)

                  please be patient, rebuilding an empire!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Well, changed the fluid. First dropped the pan and filter - the fluid actually looked reasonably good, seemed close to the proper color and all, and there was no "fishing bob" in the pan, so I changed the filter and gasket, closed it back up, then drained the torque converter as well.

                    Put the new fluid in (Dexron III). Maybe I added slightly more than I took out, but even hot, now, the fluid's somehow easier to take a good reading of on the dipstick. Hot in park, it's at the top of the crosshatch area.

                    Strangely, not that I think my AOD is sentient or has self-esteem issues, but it seems SLIGHTLY more sure of itself on upshifts. They may be happening about 1MPH later as well - at least, I notice that letting off at 40-41 doesn't shift into OD . . now it's got to be at 41-42.

                    I *think* I noticed that weird 4-3 issue, but it's only happened once since the fluid change, and was barely noticeable, which makes me wonder if I imagined it the one time after the fluid change.

                    In any case, just to be on the safe side (ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure and all that cliche that goes with it), is there any sort of additive (Lucas maybe?) that can be added to the fluid that will help extend the life of the trans? I have no problems with leaks or anything, so I don't want anything that'll muck around with the seals, but anything that'll help extend the life of the trans, reduce wear, improve shifts, whatever, that will NOT have any detrimental effect.

                    Or is that kind of stuff more or less snake-oil?


                    Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'd prefer to do something and NOT need it, rather than need it and not do it.
                    1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2-door Coupe - perpetually "sort of" for sale...
                    Black with Red cloth (velour?) interior.
                    Purchased on 10/10/2008, with only 70,386 original miles, and only ONE previous owner.
                    Reader's Ride post, First pic with "new" rims, Other pics with "new" rims

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Don't be so quick to dismiss self-esteem issues. The amount of ridicule that AODs have received ever since the first one left the factory has left many of them chronically depressed, often to the point of suicide. I had an AOD once that seemed a bit gloomy, but only to a normal degree. I came out one morning and found that it had been cutting itself, and there was a red pool on the ground underneath it from where it was bleeding. Err...fluiding...? I came so close to losing that one...scared the crap out of me. But the good news is, that AOD is in counseling now, and has gone on some anti-depressants. It knows that what it was doing before was wrong and self-destructive, and it's doing its best to turn its life around. It's a long road, but we'll get there.

                      One thing that would probably help your AOD's self-esteem, thereby preventing it from committing suicide or just leading an abnormally short lifespan would be a shift kit. The folks at Baumann are said to have an excellent kit for the AOD, and while it's a bit pricier than some of the others, people who have used it say it's worth every penny.

                      Please, shift kit your AOD today, because if you don't, who will?


                      2001 Ford Crown Victoria P71 - "The Fire Engine"
                      1985 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
                      But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I was going to say add a shift kit too, I did one to mine last weekend, also drained the convertor, and replaced the input seal and output seal. I also have the TV rod set at the max setting it could be. It has a nice firm and very quick shift now.
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Shift kit for sure. Mine just killed itself on the weekend, it had a plugged vent(1+inch of mud all over the trans) and 2/3 accumulator is shot.
                          1990 LTD Crown Vic w/ dead 5.0
                          1984 Pontiac 6000 cammed 2.5L Iron Duke
                          1986 F-150 300 6cyl 5spd.
                          1994 Crown Vic... Free, bad trans?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Nathan - that was some of the funniest shit I've read in a while! If I were drinking, I'd probably have wound up nose-jetting!!


                            Hrm, well, if I were to do one, I'd want to do a VERY mild shift kit - I sort of like how the thing feels in general, except for that one weird symptom... but I'd better describe that separately, since it's clearly not trans-fluid-replacement related.
                            Last edited by King_V; 09-12-2009, 01:17 AM.
                            1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2-door Coupe - perpetually "sort of" for sale...
                            Black with Red cloth (velour?) interior.
                            Purchased on 10/10/2008, with only 70,386 original miles, and only ONE previous owner.
                            Reader's Ride post, First pic with "new" rims, Other pics with "new" rims

                            Comment


                              #15
                              You don't have to go to neck-snapping calibration. I don';t like that feel either. I have a real mild shift kit in the Towncar. Its barely firmer than stock, but it doesn't slush through gears like stock either. It just feels comfortable is the best I can describe it.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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