Transmission fluid change

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Zero4199

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Anybody do it on there own?
I watched the video.
Move sway bar
Move cooler
Remove heat shields
Jack up back of transmission.

Is it doable for a weekend mechanic?
 

LazSlate

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I would check the color of the fluid before wasting time and money changing it.
 
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Zero4199

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Its brown, but I also just read the service manual and it said color is not an indicator. metal is.

It is shifting funny 1/2 and another up shift, maybe 5/6. was going to attempt myself but may have service guy do it. 400$ for service
 

LazSlate

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Its brown, but I also just read the service manual and it said color is not an indicator. metal is.

It is shifting funny 1/2 and another up shift, maybe 5/6. was going to attempt myself but may have service guy do it. 400$ for service

Color does play into it somewhat as excessive heat with discolor it. Its not the final determination but its the best starting point.
Metal particles wont really show up that much in the fluid as the filters and magnet will collect them.

If its shifting funny changing the fluid will not fix this. In fact changing the fluid will not fix anything, its only preventative patience.

There are lots of videos on how to change the fluid. Its not hard at all. The most important things are to make sure the filters snap in correctly AND you fill it to the correct height which is not trivial. Many people mess this up.

Once changed I would reset the Learning Curve of the transmission so it can learn new shift points based on your driving habits.
 

Kreis

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Its brown, but I also just read the service manual and it said color is not an indicator. metal is.

It is shifting funny 1/2 and another up shift, maybe 5/6. was going to attempt myself but may have service guy do it. 400$ for service
I changed mine cost 500.00 did not help transmission went out at 72,000 ford wanted 10,000 for new one . I told them it was shifting odd at 40,000 and again at 50,000 It would shutter between 30mph and 40 kept getting worse ford would not help me . Traded it in .
 
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Zero4199

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Fluid change and learn reset did nothing.
Slow to engage reverse.
Poor shift into second gear.
Sometimes 2nd acts like neutral.
When foot on break in manual mode, shifting from 1st to second and back there is a violent lurch.

What's the typical cost of a rebuild?
 

BMW2FORD

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Check Parts.Ford.Com. Best bet might be to get a new unit from Ford and trade in the old one this way it also comes with all the updates. There not as expensive as everyone thinks. Most shops quoted around $5k for a rebuild before I bought my own truck to see what I was getting into while a new unit from Ford was around $3 - 4K depending on the dealer. I'd rather a new unit built right from the factory unless I was building a modded out truck but not.. Labor really shouldn't be more than 5 - 10 hours for the replacement.
 

ExpyNole

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I was going to say. Shifting funny is not necessarily an indication of bad fluid. It's often related to the factory trans programming. Make sure you have the most up to date PCM calibration. Other than that, I highly recommend an aftermarket trans retune. Especially if you're 2018-2020, try 5 star tuning.
 
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Zero4199

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Thinking about giving them a call.
Although, 2nd turning into neutral every so often seems like something that won't be fixed by software
 
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