Transmission Filter Change?

arl · #1 09-07-2002, 04:04 PM

Occasionally I see on the forum the business about changing transimission filters. My truck, F150, 2000, 4.6L, Auto 4R70, I have looked through my owners manual and schedule of maintanence many times to try to find anything about changing the transmission filter. It simply cannot be found in the books provided by Ford when I bought the truck in 3/2000. I can find no indication that the transmission filter ever needs replacing at any of the scheduled servicing miles.

Back at 22K I had the transmission and converter flushed and changed by Ford. At the time I asked about the filter and all I got was a curious look, and a "no it did not need it." I was later told that when the system is flushed, it back flushes the filter. I assume that means that the filter gets cleaned during the flushing process too.

I have a simple question, Am I blind? Or is there an official Ford warranty need to ever change the transmission filter? If someone knows what the scheduled change for transmission filters is let me know. I don't want to pay Ford for something I do not need.

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TexfordD · #2 09-07-2002, 04:16 PM

who worked on your truck?..the pool guy?...2 years or 30000 miles on the filter and fluid...sooner if under severe loads...add an additional cooler to help prolong the life of your tranny...p.s. find another shop..bachflush the filter R.O.T.F.L.M.A.O

Mark Kovalsky · #3 09-07-2002, 04:59 PM

You are not missing anything. Ford does not recommend a transmission filter change for the life of the truck.

I've personally opened a transmission filter that came out of an ambulance with 347,000 miles. There were complete service records with it, so I know that this was the original filter. It was not plugged, and if the truck had continued to run I would have no problem leaving that filter in. It was fine.

It's also impossible to back flush a transmission. To do that you would need to run fluid backards through the pump. The pump acts as a one way valve, only allowing fluid to flow in the normal direction. To get fluid to flow in the other direction you need to run the engine backwards!

arl · #4 09-08-2002, 01:05 PM

Anybody else. I have the cooler. Since I cannot find anything in the Ford books, I looked again this morning, I have to agree that it is not needed, routinely.

So my next question is, when would it be needed. I am not having trouble with the transmission but am just curious why Ford would not say in the maintenance schedules that "It is not recommended to change the filter for the life of the transmission?" Another Ford gimmick to get out of covering warranty repairs.

Thanks, ARL

AjRagno · #5 09-09-2002, 10:31 AM

Ford's official stance on the transmission filter is: "The filter may be reused if no excessive contamination is present."

I used my original filter for 70,000 miles and when replaced, it still looked very much serviceable.

Tiger · #6 09-09-2002, 11:19 AM

My feeling is that if you are goint to drop the pan you should change the filter, particularly at first fluid change. It is about 30 bucks. About the same costr as 12 or 13 qts of fluid. Once the pan is off, the filter change is a breeze. When I did mine, the transmission was running fine (30,000 miles). The pan and magnet had about an eigth inch coating of crud on it. It seems logical to me the filter would be equally coated. I looked into the filter pickup hole and saw dark grey just like the crud on tha pan.

Bottom line, it's preventative maintenance for me. I don't have to use Mobil 1 either, but I do.

I will say this, I felt notably crisper shifts. After all done. Was it the new fluid or the clean filter?

Also, I am curious why Ford calls for a fuel filter change at 15,00 mi and not the tranny. When I changed my fuel filter at 22K, it was clean as a whistle. Seems inconsistent to me.