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How-To flush ATX fluid and change filter

101K views 142 replies 68 participants last post by  amc49 
#1 ·
[welcome] to YOU-n00b-ersity! Greetings everyone!! I was able to change my tranny fluid with a lot of coaching from Dezurtrat and Whynotthinkwhynot (I'll call him Alex from now on, too long to type). THANKS GUYS!

Okay, I hope I am able to post the photos properly since I'm using the photobucket thingy. Here we go. This is for anyone and everyone who needs them thar info. But since I'm a n00b myself, please expect some n00b things. [:p]

Items needed:

Ramps, jack/jackstand or lift

ATX trans fluid. I used... 13-14 quarts.. OVERKILL!![gunfire] [nutkick]

5ft/lbs capable torque wrench

Trans filter with gasket

Catch pan (whatever you wanna use) and a bucket.

screwdriver and a putty knife.

Safety glasses!! and some disposable gloves.

I might have forgotten something else but

Pre-requisite: The car must have been driven for enough time that the tranny is up to operating temperature. I drove it for at least 25 mins. That means the fluid will be hot!! Be careful.

1) Lift car via jacks/jack stand or ramps or lift. Please chock the wheels and have the emergency brakes on. No pics. If you can't do all of these... seriously consider NOT doing any work on your Focus![histerical]

2) Locate the cooler lines. This should be on in front of the driver side wheel behind the bumper and place a catch pan underneath it co'z when you pull it out, there will be some trans fluid that will come out.



Here's the return "port".



Okay, you guys might have a push clip thing hold the cooler lines.. Please refer to this post for the instruction to unclip as per Dezurtrat and Alex..

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147602

3) Then I connected some tubings. Use any tubings that will fit. I didn't know where the fluid was going to come out so I had the tubings connected on both of them.



4) Place them tubings in a bucket.



5) Start the engine and watch them baby flow!!



6) You'll see it trickle down. It smelled like dead fish. It stank! [ohcrap]





Okay to be honest, this might have been a n00b thing to do. As in might be a bad thing to do, but I stopped the engine and restarted it several times and it pump out a few squirts more of the sticky old fluid.[???:)]

Now for the tranny pan.

7) Unscrew all them bolts.



8) EXCEPT FOR THE two in front so allow it to drain. Place a vessel beneath the pan to catch the remaining fluid.

9) Now, break the rtv seal using a putty knife and or a screw driver. I used the screw driver first




10) Then open the rest of the seal with a putty knife. Please use a clean one instead of a drity one like I used (n00B moment [boxface] ). Alex suggest to use a plastic one too. Don't over jab that thing in the pan. You might damage the electrical wire.



11) Then thar she drops !!![headbang] [woot]



12) Here is what it looks like inside. Lots of wire thingies.



13) Disconnect that sensor thingy clip. And just pull down the filter.



14) The filter just hangs by this



15) Yuck and smelly[xx(]



16) Get ready to clean the tranny pan. It was filty with fine metal shavings. Don't forget the magnet too! I just did a wash down with DAWN and scrapped off the old rtv gasket. The circle thing is the magnet.



17) I washed it down and dried it first before scraping of the old rtv. It was easier.



Okay, it wasn't a perfect. some rtv was left.[shhh]

18) Prepare to install the new filter



19) I didn't take a picture but be sure to aim a small place holder thing on the other side of the filter to make it fit perfectly. You'll know what I meant when you have a new filter with you. Okay then install the filter and re-connect the sensor clip thing.



20) Then set the gasket that came with filter you bought. I made sure it came with a gasket instead of using them rtv liquid gasket thing.



Oh crap...[bigcry] [?|] ... Now that I'm looking at that gasket pic... Was I suppose to peel off that protective layer of the gasket. Does the gasket have a protective sticky that needs to be removed so the gasket get to be stuck on like a sticker... Crap can someone verify? I used the FRAM filter kit.. AAAARRRGGH!!

21) Then just bolt it on via a star cross pattern. Use a torque wrench that can do about 5 pounds per foot... ? (okay, n00b moment. I didn't use a torque wrench since the one i had was too big. So I.. hand tightened it to the by 5lbs/ft[idea] ). I don't have a pic of this.

Flushing...

Okay, heres what happened. I reconnected the cooler line hose and added 3 quarts of tranny fluid. And drove it around for a few days. Then decided to flush the whole thing.. as in remove as much of the old fluid since I didn't like the thought of having stinky fluid in the tranny. SO I removed the return cooler line and repeated the draining process again.

I used about 13-14 quarts to flush it out. Yeah, pretty expensive since I was using the mobil 1 thing. But I though whatever, this is fun!!

Here's what I did as per Dezurtrat's recommendation/experience. I started the engine and drain was in there. once it trickled out. I stop engine, added about 2.5 quarts and start engine.. Repeat. Until the fluid started to come out clean..er cleaner.. and no more stinky smell!! Here's the comparison on the last flush. I set aside 3.5 full quarts that was not to be used for the flush but for the final fill.



As per Dezurtrat's recomm.. I re-connected cooler line (finally) and only filled it with 2.5 quarts. Currently, I'm in the process of driving it around [driving] to and slowly bringing up the fluid level to full, since I was told it's better to NOT overfill!!! And it's easier to add than remove tranny fluid.

Oh yeah, be sure to check for leaks too.

I hope you guys find this info useful.

Thanks again to DEZURTRAT and Alex!!
 
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#58 ·
I gave up on that connector also. Tried all kinds of tricks, but it got to the point where something bad was gonna happen... So I put a drain plug in the pan and will drain it now and then... should have a complete flush in like hmmm 10 months Doh!

I suppose those things save time and ease QA on the assembly line, but for long term maintenance they are the pits!
 
#59 ·
Nice job! Glad to know there's hope for me to do just about anything to my Hocus Focus :)

Side note/warning to other Focus owners: just a heads up for anyone out there who wants a tranny flush done by the pros-- Aamco and other transmission specialist companies will try to charge you upwards of $300 for a flush and claim we can only use Mercon V, since it's supposedly Ford-specific fluid. Just got mine done by Sears for $100, all parts and labor included.
 
#60 ·
Just a heads up - Sears will only do a transmission pan fluid exchange and only on cars with less than 100k miles. It's Sears policy not to do pan fluid changes on cars with over 100k miles as "they need a full service and a full fluid exchange/ flush with a transmission filter".

So you are probably seeing the difference in price because they change 2, maybe three quarts of fluid instead of a couple of gallons and the filter.
 
#64 ·
The easiest way to flush:

1) pull the pan by tapping the front corner with a flat screwdriver...bolts loose...clean the pan well...install new filter....clean the magnet and put it in place...reinstall the pan making sure there is no lint or RTV in the pan or around the flange....do not overtighten the small bolts.

* I used filter kit with a rubber gasket that can be reused...AdvanceAP.

2) Add approx 3 qts ATF to the trans...remove the BOTTOM hose at the radiator*...put the end of it in a bucket...run the car at idle for just long enough that the flow almost stops. During this time you can shift thru the gears.

* earlier Focus had regular hose clamps?...later ones various types of special couplers...good luck with these. [burnout]

3) Add another 3 qts ATF slowly and THEN do the SAME AS ABOVE.

4) Replace the hose at the radiator....securely.

5) Add another 3 qts ATF slowly to avoid hiccups....ATF coming back out of the tube.

6) Start the car up and look around under there for any leaks...clean drips off with a rag to check for sure.

7) Take the car out for a drive...10-15 miles...find a level spot of ground and check the fluid level when HOT....level should be between the top and bottom lines.

note....trans might act a little strange till it adjusts to the new fluid...make sure you end up with the correct level. Recheck for leaks.

For the most effective flush...you would use regular Mercon V fluid (6 qts) the first time...drive it for 2-3-4K miles...then flush again...this time leaving the pan and filter alone...just running 3 qts out through the line...adding 3 qts synth ATF...run 3 more qts out...add another 3 qts synth...replace the line. Check the level and add right amount of
Lubegard ATF additve.
 
#65 ·
Anyone ever have any issues doing this with older cars/trucks? Thinking about doing this to a:

2001 Ford Focus (SPI)---108,000 miles
1999 Mercury Mountaineer 5.0 V8 (170,000 miles)


Both cars have original filters and tranny fluid...and I'm wondering if doing a change now will possibly screw up the transmissions?? Thanks for any advice!!
 
#69 ·
If ur trans fluid or filter has never been changed then you may want to just leave it alone a friend of my dad owns a shop in detroit mi and he has told many people if you change out the old oil that has all the grit in it with new oil your trans may stop shifting due to the wear between the clutchs and friction plates. Id be careful on ny car with over 150k and never had a change
 
#70 ·
You gotta be kidding..............if that logic worked then there is no need to ever change oil in motor or transmission again.

Repair shops just love people that think like that. You do realize right that new fluid cannot help hopelessly worn out parts because someone can't think enough to figure out that old oil caused the wear.

If you change fluid and car quits shortly after, then it was not changing the fluid earlier that caused the damage, not the new fluid. One is either smart enough to figure that out, or he isn't. The trans shops are ready and waiting for people like that.
 
#72 ·
Nope buddy def not kidding.... and if you read what I said I stated that if a trans hasn't had any "upkeep" but its still shifting id leave it alone untill u have time to rebuild it or do proper upkeep just changing the fluid will possibly remove the only reason it may still be working, also u state old oil caused wear that's incorrect the peices of friction material along with metal from the friction plates being left in the trans is what causes wear old oil just lacks the detregent power of new oil... and u state shops are all out to rip people off I'm intersted in how you'd ever have any machine shop work done when rebuilding a engine or trans or since u don't trust them you prolly buy the 20,000 dollar machines and do it ur self. The trans shop my family friend owns wouldn't rip people off and def wouldn't give me advise that is incorrect he's a master certed mech, also its just common sense if left without upkeep things fail, but to remove old oil and do nothing else ur just going to cause more problems, if ur at 150k and have never upkept a trans or engine just changing the oil won't help you do a complete rebuild or overhaul.
 
#71 ·
Malim, these dipsticks suck. Check fluid on a bright sunny day, the light is necessary at least for a blind old fart like me. Pull stick out and wipe it off WELL on both sides, when you put it back in let the stick twist like it wants to while going in, don't restrain that from happening. When you restrain it the stick then wipes on both sides with oil. As the stick goes in, one side will always clutter up at the mark with oil, it is the scraper side that rubs tube while twisting and going in. The other side will often be much cleaner. Check it more than once, I do 4-5 times to get a firm idea of where I am at. Almost impossible to see the level with new clean fluid in there, even out in the sun. Look for the dry area above the oil level, why it's so important to clean the stick BONE DRY before checking.

You must still have the plastic end on stick, I've wondered what happens when the plastic gets old and cracks to fall off.

As an FYI to others..................only someone without a clue will seal the pan back up with RTV rather than use the gasket that is beginning to be commonly available on these. Ford can seal pan up with RTV because pan still bone dry at that time and on trans stand so it can be upside down. They save money by not using a seal but it is stupid to try to repeat that under car with trans fluid leaking all over the place. USE THE GASKET.................
 
#73 ·
'just changing the fluid will possibly remove the only reason it may still be working'

Explain how that is even possible so that a logically thinking man can say OK, I understand that.

And yes, I could most likely do that machine work myself, having done quite a bit of it. I certainly can inspect it for quality having done that too.
 
#74 · (Edited)
Well most of us will trust a professional machine shop to resurface a head instead of dropping 20grand on a machine to do it our self so with your comment in mind "And yes, I could most likely do that machine work myself, having done quite a bit of it. I certainly can inspect it for quality having done that too" , who's the lodgical thinking man I'm explaining this to its not lodgical to pay 20grand vs 40 dollars to resurface a head for example.

As I've explained before and I'm saying this for transmissions with no upkeep for very extended periods of time that the old oil will contain small fragments of friction material in it and thus causing the larger gaps "caused from lack of upkeep" to be a little bit of a tighter tolerance as well as creating more friction on the friction plates thus cauing the old worn trans to still work in a somewhat normal manner. I'm not saying this is good but ur trying to tell so~and~so that if he or she has 170k on a trans that on Sunday night they shouldjust change there fluid and Monday morning they will be able to drive to work with out issue, what I'm telling or rather trying to warn people of is if you have a lot of miles on a worn underkept trans they should have a pro overhaul or atleast inspect I before just trying to change fluid, because just changing the fluid on a old underkept trans may stop its function all together. I learned this the hard way with a old truck I purchase of a guy whom never maintained the trans he had the idea if it ain't broke don't fix er, I changed the fluid after drivin it for a few mths and the next day it stoped shifting.

I'm just making sure people know what there getting into that's all...
 
#75 · (Edited)
I've fixed enough transmissions to know that you can add up those particles and not get .002" out of them, the clutch packs will not work with that small an amount of thickness increase. Get a micrometer and measure the fluid if you will (pretty funny), or the trash in pan. The clutches have to wear relatively GREAT amounts to begin to slip, say .003" to '005" clearance each disc when loose on maybe 8 discs (steels and frictions together) that's .024" to .040"(close to or over one sixteenth inch) thick of wear there at slip time. That's after YEARS of wear. You would have to lose particles that big (small gravel size) to start slipping, at that point the clutch stack is too thin for the designed in clutch engagement distance. Even with only 6 discs there and thinner stack it's impossible. The TOTAL height of the clutch stack is what gets small enough to slip. 90% of the wear has to be there before the slip actually begins, there is NO WAY the fluid is going to carry that amount of thickness in particles, it would not be fluid but more like particle paste. Also draining the oil will still leave much of those steel particles stuck in discs to work like you say, BUT, they are too thin. They embed in the soft material to lose effective thickness too. Your 'little bit' of tolerance decrease won't do it, or if it did, the car only has another twenty minutes or so of movement left in trans.

Build a trans and measure some clutch packs going back together, they have to be anywhere from around .030" to .100"+ loose depending on model to be right and not seize while slipping with clutch not energized. You're saying .002" or so is going to make that trans jump up and live again? I don't think so. Like I said if so then trans was going to break in the next 5 minutes anyway.

I said I could do the work not that I would, you misconstrued the english there. I also never said one should change the fluid, just that doing so wouldn't and couldn't cause trans to fail by and of itself. I would be more in the line of 'get a new trans, no sense hoping your lack of competence is not going to hurt you now'. People who treat vehicles like that deserve to walk for a while to teach themselves a lesson.

I have heard all this many times before yet I still see no reason why the trans can fail with new oil in it unless it was due for failure shortly. Incompetence fostered that old wives tale, the incompetence that got the vehicle that way to begin with. So please don't go telling your friend with the shop that I said he was incompetent, because that is not so.

You'll love this one. Today brother in law calls crying about his Dodge 3500 Cummins ATX quit. Help he says. I have never worked on one or seen trans (48RE) before today. He says a ' reputable' (we'll not say who) transmission shop wants big bucks, $4000 quote) to R&R, trans is worn out according to them. They looked at it early in the day. I spent 2 hours on the web researching it, even found a factory service manual, Two parts bought later and trans is fixed, working perfectly. Cost around $135. I told him jokingly that he owned me close to $4k for 2 hours work.................

I own a Tempo that started slipping in mid '90s, on a whim and just for fun I took it to AAMCO, 'new transmission time' they told me, 'they all do that, it's dead man'. I looked up factory service manual at the public library and figured out how to fix the slip with a thirty cent washer, the car still runs fine with no slip today.

And people wonder why I am the way I am.
 
#76 ·
I didn't twist ur english if u read back to the orig post I said most people will trust shops instead of dropping 20k on a machine then ur next response you say u would be capible of doing the work which wasn't part of the convo anywho...

I'm not saying ur wrong but every trans has drasticly different tolerances, also you say flushing the trans won't reove sludge if you look at most trans "quick fixes" they are just thicker oil with most of its sole purpose of taking up space, I've rebuilt3only 4 transmissions in my life so I'm no proclaimed pro but I do know what I'm talking about, I'm not saying you don't however...

Good discussion...
 
#77 ·
Yes, no insult intended or meant at all there, sorry I'm so opinionated, a major fault I have.

I obviously don't know everything but sometimes I think I do..........however, I'm right WAAAY more than I'm wrong. It makes one develop a very fat head and I am the worst.

Just amazing to me how much misinformation is out there to befuddle those who apparently have trouble figuring that out (not referring to you of course). If one trusts what he sees and can repeat over and over he will very often be at odds with many others and brother I pretty much stay that way, and not from wanting to I assure you. They pretty much grew to hate me at the parts store because I would not oversell unnecessary parts, all they wanted was throughput and did not care how much of people's money they steal, all the time telling you (more like brainwashing you) how much they save you money. I don't buy that bullsh-t.

I don't believe in physical hard flushing, it can stir up particles that were stuck in the pan mud to fail an old trans very quickly. Probably different methods there, some think just pumping all old oil out the cooler line is a flush, thinking that not so. I'm not familiar with all the flush procedures out there but doesn't impact me anyway as I change mine the 3X drain way and it works fine, I even use the drained fluid as chainsaw bar lube so no loss there. I don't recycle to cost myself money but if I can recoup costs yeah, I'll go there. I put a pan drain plug in every car I have, so not commonly yanking pans any more. I don't necessarily change ATX filters anymore either, unless something has faulted they actually never stop up. Maybe one gets changed per car in its' life...............I cut the old one apart and look inside it for damage evidence.

Obviously I'm way off post like usual, I'd better stop now.
 
#79 ·
So, now you are applying chaosian theory to your question? How are we to know that, YOU are the one most likely to know since you know the history of the vehicle............

I change at 60-75K or when fluid changes from red to orange, brownish is too late. Don't care what service manual says either. If you tow then number will be lower.

Pretty sure your arms are not tied behind you to stop you from doing it..........maybe your head is though, what a question..............especially after the long winded post I did further up.

Change it......change it......change it......change it......of course if the motor blows up then don't blame the trans fluid, they'll be doing that next.
 
#80 ·
I honestly think the old wives tale about fresh fluid killing an old trans that was neglected, goes something like this:

1-Do no service to trans ever
2-Transmission starts acting up
3-Change fluid
4-Transmission dies

Since #3 was the most recent event prior to trans death, people blame that.
Really, #1 killed the trans, #2 was it's dying breath, and #4 is inevitable at that point.
 
#81 ·
Absolutely and totally, they generally don't change it until errors show and then too late. Quite funny actually. Then they have to come up with a really stupid theory for why the breakage since, heavens to mercy, they cannot possibly blame their own actions. Even funnier..........some of the ideas I heard while at the auto store were beyond belief and worse than that. It must really hurt to have to think and have it make some sense.

The ONLY way I could ever see new fluid hurting a trans would be if someone overfilled it, the new fluid then cavitates clutch packs since air whipped into it and then old clutch piston seal blows out from the repeat hits of air/fluid since air compresses. But once again, that is a cockpit problem and not the fluid. Or maybe someone FORCIBLY flushing to stir up settled trash, again, not a fluid problem in and of itself.
 
#82 ·
well this will be my first post here... i have just bought a 00 ZX3 everything seems well but oil light flashes sometimes? i check fluid and seems normal maybe im getting something from the filter of loss of pressure? also this is a great guide 120k on motor and tranny and deff replacing tranny fluid a little slip going into 3rd (auto = hate it but have to deal with it) would you say any other products to put in like LUCUS? or just all tranny fluid?
 
#92 ·
I'd do a full trans flush or at least drop and clean the pan and put in a new Ford filter. Try to find the rubber gasket for the pan? I'd use a synth fluid...Mobile or Redline and the right bottle of Lubegard additive (used by the pros). The synth and Lubegard will cost a bit...but not nearly as much as a trans rebuild.

Ironically...I have the same year and mileage car. I flushed the trans 2-3 years ago in fear of the same shifting issue you have.

The oil light is engine oil pressure...keep the level up and check viscosity? If it uses some oil...up the viscosity?

Check under the hood for a sticker showing the t-belt has been changed?
 
#83 ·
Others will tell you different and some of the stories will be incredible, but I do not and have not ever put additives in a car for anything other than when I was young and dumb. 45+ years now and never the need. In my view if additives do anything it is short lived. I do what it takes to fix my troubles by working on parts or changing them out. I could see using one or two different products but always found a way around issues to not do so. Most of them are gimmicks to take your money, I watched hundreds of people use them to no effect except lighter wallets when I worked in auto parts. FAR more disappointment than happy faces there...............and most of the people who seemed happy were the ones who seemed very good at fooling themselves. At least the disappointed ones were honest with themselves. Adding one bottle of injector cleaner and then fervently claiming an increase of 10 miles a gallon, that sort of thing. The human mind is more frail than an automobile engine or transmission...............

Jason, it's not rocket science, change the filter if that your belief. However, don't be surprised if it does nothing. No Lucas in trans either, if it slips with known good fluid the trans is worn, all there is to it. If it slips going into 3rd only when cold then it may go a long while further yet.
 
#86 ·
Its the same AT as the 01 to '11, but in 03 it was beefed up for the more torquey Duratec engines, and earlier Zetec bolt patterns will not fit Duratec bolt patterns. The internals of the transmission cases are the same, but the case might be different. As long as you get a Duratec transmission- so 05+ are 100% Dtec- you should be ok.

If you are having issues that you feel might need to be addressed, then please start your own new thread describing your problem, and giving the pertinent information- like mileage, previous maintenance, etc.

Don't continue to ask questions in an old thread like this one. Most of our users will not answer old threads. The time stamp of all threads/posts is in the upper left hand corner of each post above the avatar.
 
#89 ·
Its the same AT as the 01 to '11, but in 03 it was beefed up for the more torquey Duratec engines, and earlier Zetec bolt patterns will not fit Duratec bolt patterns. The internals of the transmission cases are the same
Gear ratios are different for the '03-'04 2.3L engined cars. So one has to be careful when looking for a replacement - they are often advertised as coming from "PZEV VIN Z" cars.
 
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