Should I have a shop do a flush, or should I drop the pan and change the fluid? I figure that I should drop the pan so that the filter will get changed, but then again, the flush will change out more fluid. Any thaughts?

How did the water get into the tranny fluid? Is it actually water, or coolant? Have you fixed the source of the water/coolant getting into the tranny oil?

Water and especially coolant can be quite corrosive to the machined surfaces in the transmission. You will definitely want to get the fluid flushed and the filter changed (which involves dropping the pan). I'd also suggest if it is coolant that you flush the fluid and replace the filter again in a week or two to minimize the amount of contaminated fluid and hopefully reduce your risk of needing a near-term tranny rebuild.

Good luck!

-Rod

It is deffinetly water. The water got in through an improperly capped axle seal before the trany was installed. This is hopefully the end to a long trany saga on this car. The cooler lines went and the driver didin't notice. I replaced first the fittings then the lines (turned out not to be the easiest part to find). about a week later the trany was slipping, so the same driver decided to add some trany fluid. next thing I know, they call me and its dead. I had it towed and a junk yard trany with 80K miles put in it (sunday is a week). My wife told me that it is slipping just a little bit, so I checked the fluid and it is loose. Knowing how much fulid the dumped in (a little short of 12 quarts) and that it was overfilled, I can assume there was a max of about 2 quarts of fluid in it. Judging by color, some of that was water and some was old trany fluid. None is coolent (no flecks of color, white or otherwise). Can I flush a trany myself or do I need the machine to do it? I think I'm going to flush it, wait a week, than drop the plan. Does that sound good?

I looked it up in my manual and found this:

1. Place the transaxle range selector lever in PARK and set the parking brake.

2. Note: The amount of fluid (fluid level) in the transaxle will affect the time it takes to drain the transaxle. Make sure to check the transaxle fluid level before proceeding.

Start engine and check transaxle fluid level. Refer to «Check Fluid Level and Condition» as described.

3. Turn engine off.

4. Note: If the vehicle is equipped with an air suspension system, the switch must be placed in the off position before raising the vehicle.

Raise and suitably support vehicle. Refer to «Section 00-02».

5. Remove the retainer clip from the lower transaxle fluid cooler tube and fitting.

6. Note: On vehicles equipped with 5/16 inch cooler lines, use Disconnect Tool T82L-9500-AH to disconnect the transaxle cooler tube. Place the tool on the cooler tube and push the tool into the cooler tube fitting. This action releases the plastic retaining tabs which holds the cooler in place. Then, pull the cooler tube from the transaxle cooler line fitting at the transaxle fluid cooler. On vehicle with 3/8 inch cooler tubes, pinch the plastic retaining tabs of the push connect fitting and pull the cooler tube to separate it from the cooler tube fitting.

Disconnect the lower transaxle cooler tube from the transaxle cooler tube fitting at the transaxle.

7. Attach a flexible hose approximately 0.9 meters (3.0 feet) in length to the end of the transaxle cooler tube and gently fasten the hose with a hose clamp.

8. Place the opposite end of the flexible hose into a suitable 14.2 liter (15 quart) container.

9. Note: When plugging the transaxle cooler tube fitting, make sure the plug is made of soft material to prevent damage to the internal seal of the cooler tube fitting.

Insert a plug into the transaxle cooler tube fitting at the transaxle to prevent any residual fluid leakage.

10. Lower vehicle.

11. Note: When the steady stream of transaxle fluid stops flowing the engine should be turned off to prevent damage to the transaxle. Engine rpm should not exceed curb idle speed while draining transaxle fluid.

Place the transaxle range selector lever in PARK and start the engine. Run the engine at idle while observing the flexible hose attached to the transaxle cooler tube. Run the engine at idle speed for approximately 40-60 seconds until the steady stream of transaxle fluid stops flowing. This step will drain approximately 1.9-2.8 liters (2-3 quarts).

12. Fill the transaxle with 9.5 liters (10 quarts of Motorcraft MERCON® (ATF) Transmission Fluid XT-2-QDX or equivalent meeting MERCON® specification.

13. Note: When the steady stream of fluid stops flowing the engine should be turned off to prevent damage to the transaxle. Engine rpm should not exceed curb idle speed while draining fluid.

Place the transaxle range selector lever in PARK and start the engine. Run the engine at idle while observing the flexible hose attached to the fluid cooler tube. Run the engine at idle speed for approximately 2-3 minutes until the steady stream of transmission fluid stops flowing. This step will drain approximately 9.5 liters (10 quarts).

14. Raise and suitably support vehicle. Refer to «Section 00-02».

15. Remove the plug from the transaxle cooler tube fitting at the transaxle.

Remove the flexible hose from the cooler tube.

16. Note: Carefully clean the cooler tube before installing it to ensure a good connection and to prevent fluid leaks.

Install the cooler line into the transaxle cooler fitting by pushing straight into the cooler tube fitting until a click is heard. Then, gently pull on the cooler tube to make sure the line is locked in place in the cooler tube fitting.

17. Install the retaining clip over the cooler tube and fitting.

18. Lower vehicle.

19. Add 1.9 liters (2 quarts) of Motorcraft MERCON® (ATF) Transmission Fluid XT-2-QDX or equivalent meeting MERCON® specification.

20. Place the transaxle range selector lever in park, apply the parking brake and start the engine. Move the transaxle range selector lever through all ranges allowing the transaxle to engage in each position and return transaxle range selector lever to PARK.

21. Check the transaxle fluid level. The fluid level at normal operating temperature should read within the crosshatched area of the fluid level indicator (7A020). If the fluid level reads below the crosshatched area of the fluid level indicator, adjust the fluid level by adding fluid in 0.2 liter (1/2 pint) increments until the correct fluid level is obtained.

22. Place the air suspension switch to the on position (if equipped).


I'm a little confused in the mechanics. When I run the engine the first time (step 11) why doesn't it drain the entire transmition? In step 12, why is there enough space in a 14 quart system for 21 quarts of fluid? and lastly, when I'm done, why do I only need two more quarts? I would have thaught that step 11 would drain the system with the exclusion of the fluid that dropped into the pan. Not sure I want to try this if I don't understand what happens when I do it.

You generally don't flush water out of a transmission.

Transmission Fluid has a petrol based binding agent used to trap metal shavings and such but when mixed with water clumps together and forms a near glue like grease.

Your best bet is to get a chemical additive that is transmission safe and that also displaces water and run with it for a bit then carry it and have it flushed.

Would you have a suggestion as to what additave I should pick up? Also, why wouldn't I first flush the transmition ( or at least drop the pan and change the filter) to get rid of as much of the water as possible before putting in the additave?

If you go have it flushed without something that will seperate the water you will end up pushing that water into the valves or something.

I guess you could drop the pan now but it seems like a waste of money since you would have to re-add transfluid which will be just end up being contiminated further (the additivie will need to circulated for a little bit (20 mins or so)

Mobile Synthetic ATF and Marvel Mystery Oil both displace water, you best bet would be to goto an autoparts store (not autozone) and ask them what is a transmission safe fluid that will displace water.

They will probably recommend MMO.

So, if I understand correctly, add in MMO, run it for 20 minuites, than flush it?

yeah

Would you use the procedure I posted above to change out the fluid? My reasoning is, the fluid flushes allow for some mixing of the fluids. If I bring it to a shop its gona cost me about $100 buscks a flush, so I would probobly do it once. If I do it myself I would change the fluid multimple times to try to get as much of the water out as possible. A transmition shop just told me that they would flush it three times. That is starting to get expensive.

Would I use that method? No, I would remove the tranny and clean it by hand but if I wasn't able to do that then I would flush it, but if you can't afford a flush than multiple drains would work.