Transmission fluid change interval

[5280tunage]

@SyndicateZ I know many of them do, the problem is that if "factory certified" and trained techs can't possibly do this service right, in a reasonable time, there's no way I could remotely trust the 3rd party quick lube shops. previous trannies I could easily do myself, this one seems absurd. Anyone know if the 10r80 on the GM's has the same issues or was it implemented a little differently?

 

[Hellwig]

@SyndicateZ I know many of them do, the problem is that if "factory certified" and trained techs can't possibly do this service right, in a reasonable time, there's no way I could remotely trust the 3rd party quick lube shops. previous trannies I could easily do myself, this one seems absurd. Anyone know if the 10r80 on the GM's has the same issues or was it implemented a little differently?

GM's vehicles with 10L80 have air coolers installed to cool down tranny oil. They don't have a lot of issues with their version of the 10-speed transmission.

 

[5280tunage]

I mean technically mine has the small air cooler right in front of the tranny as well, I was more thinking about the filling procedure, maybe location of the filling hole and exhaust vs. our design.

 

[Hellwig]

I mean technically mine has the small air cooler right in front of the tranny as well, I was more thinking about the filling procedure, maybe location of the filling hole and exhaust vs. our design.

I assume what you saw is the coolant-media heat exchanger.

 

[zak99b5]

Im pretty sure if you go to an express lube (Valvoline, Jiffy lube) they perform transmission services and can get u in and out in a jiffy. They advertise transmission service

Just who you want servicing your trans—a pimply teenager who’s watching TikToks while he does it.

 

[zak99b5]

@SyndicateZ I know many of them do, the problem is that if "factory certified" and trained techs can't possibly do this service right, in a reasonable time, there's no way I could remotely trust the 3rd party quick lube shops. previous trannies I could easily do myself, this one seems absurd. Anyone know if the 10r80 on the GM's has the same issues or was it implemented a little differently?

It didn’t seem too different from other trans fluid changes I’ve done on modern-ish autos (not too many as I daily and prefer cars with three pedals). Sure, I wish it had a drain plug and a long dipstick & tube you could fill from the engine bay, but it’s not a bad or terribly hard job overall. As I said, the final fill procedure was more finicky than I’d like, but it wasn’t really difficult.

 

[SyndicateZ]

Just who you want servicing your trans—a pimply teenager who’s watching TikToks while he does it.

Haha , unfortunately the dealers arent much better IMO. Dealers have maybe 1 or 2 legit experienced master techs with the rest being as you described

 

[JasonH]

So is it the consensus that we really should be doing sooner than the factory mileage, but it's either a huge pain in the rear or you risk techs not doing it right? Super frustrating also, as I can almost guarantee the dealer will require to leave your car for at least a day, rather than something that used be done in an express lube style service.

Ford's service intervals are designed for convenience, not for long-term durability of the components. Having said that, I changed the fluid in my six speed at 137K and it's still going strong at 153K. But the 10 speed transmissions seems to have more issues. It's a pain since you have to drop the pan and spill fluid everywhere, but it's not really difficult. The refill process isn't that hard, just get it up to temp after the initial fill to ensure the fluid expands properly, then recheck the fluid level. Yes, the area around the dipstick is hot but if you fill with the correct quantity it should be ok. If you're not comfortable with DIY, a trip to a reputable shop every 3 - 4 years seems like a reasonable interval.

 

[Dice Roll]

I’m not sure any of these are making it long enough to wear down the clutches from worn out fluid. The hard parts seem to die before that would come into play.

 

[zak99b5]

Haha , unfortunately the dealers arent much better IMO. Dealers have maybe 1 or 2 legit experienced master techs with the rest being as you described

With the dealer, at least there’s a chance they’ll use the correct fluid. Places like JiffyLube, not so much. I’d bet they have one “universal” tranny fluid for all makes & models.