Problems finfing Mercon V

[kevink1955]

Went to 4 chain auto stores and K Mart tonight looking for Valvolne Mercon V transmission fluid. Found Castrol Mercon V in 2 stores the others had Valvoline DEX/MERC fluid. In all stores I was told the DEX/MERC was the Mercon V replacment.

In 1 store they had a Valvoline fluid selector guide chained to the shelve and noware in it did I see the DEX/MERC recomended for 1996 thru 2005 ford vehicles, the clerk told me the guide was old. It did not look old to me.

The last store (Auto Barn) had no Mercon V of any brand on the shelf, as a turned to leave I looked down and found 4 cases of Valvoline Mercon V on the floor with the motor oil. Grabed a case $65.05 with tax.

When I got home I took a quick look at the Valvoline web site and it apears the DEX/MERC is a replacment for the old non synthetic Mercon, it is not Mercon V.

Since the TSB changing the recomendation from Mercon to Mercon V the Mercon V is all I will use.

Hope the drop the pan/filter change/14 quart flush cures my hanging in 2 gears on a coasting downshift I posted about last week. It only did it 3 times but it scares me how much drag it put on the front wheels (locked them on wet pavement) that I am afraid it will break something internal if it does it to many more times.

Wish me luck and be carefull when you purchase fluid, the store clerks have no idea what fluid goes in what vehicles or why. It's all red so it must be the same.

[wiswind]

You will find the same ignorance at stores when it comes to Antifreeze.......I got completely wrong information at Checker, Auto Zone, and Napa.
Best to do your research.....THEN go shopping.
If it does NOT say Mercon V on the label.......it is NOT.
Mercon V is the replacement for Mercon.......not the other way around.
Same with power steering fluid......you will find bottles of power steering fluid that say something like "many FORD vehicles"......yet most require ATF.....NOT power steering fluid.

This is why I am very understanding when people post about having put the wrong fluid in various places.......

[kevink1955]

Even the oil companys are into the misinformation, check this link for ValvolineDex/Merc

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/produ...asp?product=64

Says it is the replacment for Mercon, at least the fluid selector card I found in 1 store says Mercon V for the Windstar while the clerk said Dex/Merc.

I did get my pan drop/filter change/flush done today. Ran 14 quarts thru it.

I did find 1 piece of metal in the pan that concerns me, it is about 3/4" long and if it was a C-4 Transmission I would think it was a tooth off the parking gear.

I do not remember if I ever had the pan off this one but it had so little clutch debris that I must have done it at some time, I purchased it used about 6 years ago and have been servicing it by the pump out flush method. I know I had the pan down on the other one I owned, just not sure on this one. It now has 105000 miles on it and still runs good.

I am trying to resolve the problem I had 2 weeks ago with a large drag (almost wheel locking) on a coasting down shift. It feels like it is engaging second before it releases third. It did not do it at all last week but I do not want it do ever do it again, it feels like it could break something.

[wiswind]

Tooth from parking gear....and the problem that you have been having?.......
I am not up on this....and have seen TSBs about the parking NOT engaging.....but this would be the first time that I have seen anything about it engaging......although I have not seen the problem that you mentioned before either.

[kevink1955]

I do not think the problem I am having is related to the parking gear, it's more like clutches for 2 gears are engaged at the same time. When it happens it locks up fairly softly and unlocks about the same. It feels like it happens on a coasting down shift form 3rd to second. It drags for about 2 seconds then releases. The drag feels like you applyed the brakes hard, almost to the point of a skid (it did skid once on wet pavement)

The part I found in the pan could have been there for a long time, I am not sure I ever droped the pan on this one.

It did it 3 times about 2 weeks ago, was fine all last week and I have put about 100 miles on it since the fluid change and it has been fine.

Going to wait and see what happens, keep your fingers crossed for me.

I am going to look at the shop manual later if I get the chance and see if I can find anything that looks like what I found in the pan. It does hold in park but 1 missing tooth would only let it roll till the park paul caught the next tooth.

I have ruled out the caliper slides they are free and the problem happens when I have coasted a long way with out touching the brakes. I have been coasting a lot between red lights for fuel economy while every one else in NY seems to be almost burning rubber accelrating away from a light when you can see a red less than 1000 feet ahead. They continue at speed till 100 feet from the red then stand on the brakes, the slow poke in the Windstar just coasts up to the light as it turns green.

[tripletdaddy]

I don't know if the bands and the gear valves are connected in some sort of way, but if they are, then maybe the valve for the gear you are in sticks when you slow down and tries to downshift, winding up with both bands/valves engaged. Maybe the Auto-Rx will clean up the valves, if not, sometimes new trans fluid will clean things out. Too bad Tarter Sauce doesn't seem to be posting, because I think he said the valve body can be replaced without removing the trans. I don't know much about this and if bands can be replaced in vehicle or not.

[kevink1955]

Originally Posted by tripletdaddy

I don't know if the bands and the gear valves are connected in some sort of way, but if they are, then maybe the valve for the gear you are in sticks when you slow down and tries to downshift, winding up with both bands/valves engaged.

That's what I am thinking, hope the new fluid and a clean filter clears it up. At this point I am going to drive it for a while and see what happens. Still do not know where the metal piece I found in the pan came from but by the looks of it it did nod just drop in there, it sheared off something.

[kevink1955]

Just for a laugh I thought I would update this almost 10 year old post. Since the fluid change using Valvoline Mercon V I have had no other problems with this transmission. I am now at 177800 miles and except for a cold (below 20 degrees) piston knock the windstar is still going strong.

The body is starting to rust at the front of the rear wheel wells but thats it. My walker replacment engine/cat pipe is starting to rattle just like the old one did but this one is only 3 years old

The wife wants me to find something new but it still serves me well so who knows!!