99 Taurus Wagon DOHC transmission fluid question

Hi,

Time has come (120 k) for a transmission fluid and filter change.

Now this transmission has its problems:
1. A grinding at a certain point in cold starts, addressed here http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=757453. It's a lot better after refilling the tranny (stupid me).
2. A weird thing I noticed recently. Sometimes, after slowing down (5 mph), when I accelerate a bit harder it downshifts abruptly through all the gears, with a bit of a kick (like it forgot to downshift when slowing down). But it only happens sometimes, and I never noticed it until a couple of days ago (when I drove 1000 miles in 3-4 days, with plenty of stops). Since then, it happened once in city driving.

But let's leave those behind, the matter is I have to change the oil and filter. I'd love to do the 100% oil change via hose removal technique, but I don't have the space for that, and I don't know anyone able / willing to do that or help me. So I'll have to settle for the plain pan drop and filter change at a local shop, where I get to watch the process and hopefully clean the magnet (if I find it).

The questions:
1. Should I use 6 quarts of Mercon V (Castrol is the only one I've seen)?
2. Or can I use 6 quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic ATF? I don't know what will come out from the mixture of Mobil 1 synthetic atf and Mercon V. But I'd like to gradually switch to synthetic, if my transmission gets to see 150 k.
3. While the shop drops the pan, what could I look for to estimate the condition of the tranny?

Thank you for posting (and please post today, as I plan to do the change tomorrow)!

Mobil 1 is Mercon V rated.

It doesn't take any more space to do a complete change out.

I have done the complete swapout myself several times.

Jack the car up
Remove the lower plastic valance.
Pull the hose off the factory cooler
put your spare piece of hose on it and put it in a 5 gallon bucket.

Run the car until it quits pumping fluid
Drop pan and change filter put the pan back on
Add six quarts SLOWLY so it doesn't bubble and belch.
start the car and add fluid until it is running clean fluid.
put the hose back on.
Drive the car and check the fluid level.



Now with all that being said if the fluid have never been changed I don't know if I would change it or not.

There is always horror stories of one that was never changed going out soon after new fluid was added.
Never had it happen to me because I always changed mine.

Mike
:smokin:

All you really need is a 5 gallon bucket and a couple of feet of transmission hose.

Thank you very much mwt47! I'll use Mobil1 then.
I'll save these indications for when I'll have a garage :)
By space, I meant an actual space where to work on. I rent my living space, and I don't want to be thrown out for breaking the rules (which forbid messy car work on the property) :)
Thank you!

Also, I've read that the transmission filter is a wire mesh somewhere. But this one
http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,92804/initialAction,partProductDetail/initialpartType,00543/initialR,APP728730/initialvehicleId,2538003/shopping/selectZip.htm
I've bought from autozone has a spongy/fibery part. Is it the right one?

Thank you very much mwt47! I'll use Mobil1 then.
I'll save these indications for when I'll have a garage :)
By space, I meant an actual space where to work on. I rent my living space, and I don't want to be thrown out for breaking the rules (which forbid messy car work on the property) :)
Thank you!

Also, I've read that the transmission filter is a wire mesh somewhere. But this one
http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,92804/initialAction,partProductDetail/initialpartType,00543/initialR,APP728730/initialvehicleId,2538003/shopping/selectZip.htm
I've bought from autozone has a spongy/fibery part. Is it the right one?

The material is fine.

There is a filter that has an orange oring and one that has a green oring.
Just make sure the one you put back in is the same color.

Mike
:smokin:

Ok, it's done. It's running on a 50% mixture of Mobil1 and milky pinkish tranny fluid. So far, nothing changed in the way it shifts, it's neither better or worse.
The pan drop seemed pretty straight forward, maybe I'll have the chance to do it myself next time. The magnet had normal metal shavings on it, acording to the mechanic. But it still has the "forget to downshift" thing. I wish there was an easy way to put a manual transmission in there ... after the auto dies :(.
I'm thinking of decoupling the battery to reset the transmission memory, do you think that would help?