Metal Shavings on my Trans Dip Stick: Please Help

[Islandvic]

This is on a 1996 Crown Vic. It has about 157k miles on it. I had the trans flushed at 70k miles with QS Mercon V.

I droped and cleaned the pan and installed a new filter at around 130k miles. I drained the TQ also. I replaced 11.5 qts out of the 14 qt capacity (Castrol Mercon V)

I checked the dipstick yesterday. There were little hard particulates stuck to it.

I figure it was metal shavings, but of really unknown origin.

I drove it home and checked it again, and some more built up on it.

I was already going to sell it in January. I just dont want the trans to fail or a potential buyer seeing the junk on the dipstick.

What is the stuff? What might be the problem?

I was going to drop and clean the pan, install a new filter, and drain the TQ. I'm going cheap and bought 3 gallons of Wal-Mart ST DEXIII/Mercon and a bottle of LubeGard (green bottle) Mercon V converter.

Should the new fluid take care of it? I will just drive one of my other vehicles and not drive it much until I sell it.

Your thoughts please.

 

[Trav]

Its hard to say what the particles are without actually looking at them,it could be band material or metallic particles.In either case if it built up that quickly on the stick that means its flowing in the oil and could clog the filter not sitting on the bottom of the pan.The pan magnet should pick up ferrous metal particles but not aluminum or organic.My guess would be when you did the service and got most of the old oil out it could be cleaning the sludge from normal band/clutch pack wear in/around the drum and flushing it down into the pan,the filter will need to be changed and the pan cleaned at a minimum. Or worst case scenario the transmission drum,bands,clutch pack,bearing housing,or the TC is beginning to come apart inside.Does it have any strange noises or act differently?Check your states lemon law,here in MA a car can be returned within 30 days even for private sales for a major defect.

 

[psudaytona]

It could be some older debris that had built up and are newly freed due to the new fluid.

How is the car shifting? Any trouble going into reverse or shifting from one gear to another? What is the condition of the fluid(burnt, darker)?

Main thing I have seen in a few transmissions is the tiny metal shavings and a white semi solid "goo" that is actually the friction plates breaking apart and shedding its material into the ATF.

One way to find out for sure whats there is a UOA on the fluid, they could find what is in that fluid floating around and thus tell you likely trouble spots.

If its just loosened gunk from the transmission, I would suggest doing a few more fluid/filter dumps to clear as much of that stuff out as possible. Don't run any sort of cleaner if this situation is the case or you will almost certainly break much larger amounts of it off into suspension(BAD idea).

 

[benjamming]

Get a UOA done with particle count.

 

[nicholas]

go and buy a big neomodium magnet, and put it against your transmission drain pan....., leave it on for a few hundred miles., then before you change your transmission fluid, remove the mag.......,
if the mag is big / strong enough it should hold all those extra particles until your drain/refill.

 

[Gary Allan]

You saw my suggested solution on the Crown Vic board

. That will assure that no fluid returned has any stray particles in it. Now, admittedly, if the particles continue to show themselves... this will only increase your anxiety level ..but for the $$ involved I'd give it a try.

 

[Islandvic]

Dont have the $$ for an UOA.

Trav, no laws here about what you stated.

Nicholas, the pan already has a magnet.

Gary, thanks for the Wix suggestion. I'm going to do the trand fluid change, and see what happens. I hope its something simple like the aftermarket filter came loose.

I'm trying to keep a budget on everything right now. The holidays are killing me this year!

Thanks for all of the input, I'll keep everyone posted with the fluid change outcome.

 

[Trav]

Quote:

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Trav, no laws here about what you stated.

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Happy to hear that.I'm selling my Caddy but am really afraid someone will buy the car(which is absolutely gorgeous)and beat it for a month then sit it back in my lap with a blown N*.It happens all to often.