Hey guys I just bought a 2003 f150 single cab fx4 and noticed the tranny fluid is low. Went to oriellys and they said they weren't sure which one I needed. Since the dealership is closed, what do I need? Mercon v? Or mercon?

 

Mercon V.

 

We just did a DIY Flush on my sons 08 4R75E... With Amsoil ATF... We also added a 5/16 Magnefine Transmission Filter into the transmission cooler return line... Very easy install... Alot more piece of mind as well... Considering this 08 will be transporting my son back and forth to college for the next 4 to 6 yrs...

Not to high jack this thread... But I was curious for those of you who have added the magnefine filter, how many miles do you drive between replacement?

One thing I will say... This 08 has 170K miles on it--> Mostly interstate and highway miles... I was shocked to see a spotless pan once I dropped it and drained all the fluid from it... The magnet had a good amount of particles stuck to it... The fluid had never been changed before... It was very dark red, but didn't smell burnt...

With the addition of the Magnefine Filter future flushes will be very easy and fast...

To the OP as stated above Mercon V or equivalent... I have always read and heard that all Types of ATF are created equal... I really have my opinion on that but will not add to this topic...

I have another question to add to this... Does the Power Steering Have to be Mercon V also? I have hard time thinking this system is not going to know the difference between DexIII/Merc or Mercon VI or Any type of Fully Synthetic ATF for that matter... Is my understand wrong?

 

Yes, your understanding is wrong. All ATF is NOT the same. There are different ratings for a reason. Use the correct fluid or get ready to replace expensive parts.

 

Another important note regarding trans fluid. There are some on the market such as Valvoline Maxlife Merc/Dex that say on the bottle "Recommended for use where Mercon V is required." This can be very misleading. It's their way of saying "This fluid does not meet the standards your vehicle requires, but you should buy it anyways."

The bottle should be clearly labeled as being Mercon V on the front of the bottle.

Regarding its use in the power steering system, there's a reason Ford specifies it. Don't second-guess their engineers. I doubt you know better than they do.

 

Except where they approved a plug with a crimped on ground shield, instead of a one-piece or welded design.


MGD

 

Amsoil in both, trans and PS.

It worked wonders for me, small miracle.

That's an old E4OD anyway. Brought it back from the dead.

 

Ok: Thanks for the advice and input... I already did a flush of the P/S with Amsoil ATF as well... Next is the Rearend and Transfer Case...

Jay I have every right to question the so called Engineers... LoL! I know the 5.4L is a durable-strong V8--->But They could have spent 30 more minutes on the Cam Phaser Issue and fixed this issue as well as the STUPID **** Head Design which would have made hundreds of thousands of headaches go away... -->Spark Plugs!!!!

I will comment that after the 4R75E Flush with Amsoil ATF... The 4R75E really operates quite differently... Shifts seem to be more in the right spots... It's tough to explain... Big difference though. --> A Good Difference!

 

From personal experience, it doesn't matter what brand of fluid you use (as long as it's the correct type). A transmission flush will always make the transmission feel noticably better. Most recently, I did a trans filter and complete drain in my sister's '99 Explorer with a 4R70W using Castrol Mercon V. I thought it felt just fine before. It's much smoother now and the shifts are flawless.

I haven't checked my 4R75E, but I'm assuming it also has a drain plug on the torque converter. All automatics should have that.

 

For F-150's the TC drain stopped showing up in 2002 and later - for both the 4R70W and 4R75E.

I agree - it should have remained. The relentless march to no owner-accessible maintenance points ....

MGD

 

The new 6R80 doesn't even have a dipstick - you have to crawl under and pull a plug to check the fluid and put fluid in.

Amsoil ATF (the correct type, there's more than one!) is excellent fluid to use in trannys and power steering units. The new trannys take Mercon LV.

 

Obviously, as long as it meets the manufacturer's specs.

However, I can't find any literature stating that Amsoil meets Ford's specs. They use the code word "recommended". I'm sure Amsoil makes good products, but if they don't at least meet the manufacturer's specs, then by definition, it's not the correct fluid.

 

You could be opening a can of worms here - and it's only a matter of time before Takeda jumps in with his anti-Amsoil BS - but even if it may not be officially certified, it does meet or exceed official specs.

 

Amsoil is in my truck. I switched to it last year the truck has 140,000 miles on the original trans. In 5 years if the trans hasnt needed a rebuild I'll sing amsoil praise.

 

If it met Ford's specs, it would say "Meets Ford specification..." It's that simple.

A universal ATF can't possibly meet everybody's specification. Sure, it will work. But there's too many variables in transmission life. So let's say that jethat makes it five more years on his transmission, then it needs rebuilt. How much longer could it have lasted if it had the correct fluid? There's no sure way to know.

I'm not trying to bash Amsoil. They have a small, but strong following. It seems to me that people are paying too much money to put the wrong stuff in their car.