Questions about trans. service for 2004 Taurus

[04SE]

I have a 2004 Ford Taurus SE w/ 3.0 vulcan and I have no clue what the transmission code is. The car curretnly has 52,XXX and I have had it for the past 15,000 miles. I drive like I am driving Ms. Daisy and I never knowingly/intentionally stress the transmission. It shifts/drives perfect but I want to service it. I want to have a transmission service done to extend the life of the transmission and be able to drive it to 150,000. I called a dealership about getting a pan drop/filter change and the guy told me that he would only be able to get 4-5 quarts out doing that, which I knew. He recommended using a machine they have that does not "flush" the transmission but just uses a low pressure to push the old fluid out while pumping new in. Then, he would drop the pan and change the filter and then fill it back up. He wanted $140 for the service and would only charge me for the price of the filter to install it. So it would be $140 + filter. I am reeeeeeeeeeally scared of the whole flushing of a transmission. He assured me that it would do no damage as they do these very frequently and it would not be a flush but just an exchange. He said that people have problems with a flush when the transmission is high miles or had a pre-exisiting problem, which again, I know this, but I am still scared.

So, I called another dealership and they would actually flush it and he told me my transmission does not have a 'filter' but it has a 'screen' in it. Also, they add an 'additive' to help it shift better (whatever that means, I am VERY leary of additives). He wanted $175ish to flush it and change the screen. Also, I get a 15% discount at this dealership on all parts/service because I bought the car at this dealership. I want quality service, I do not care about the price.

So....

1. Is flushing safe?
2. Do I have a filter or a screen in my transmission?
3. What is the model # for my transmission?
4. What experiences have you heard/seen when doing this?
5. Can you actually exchange fluid without flushing, or are they the same?
6. Recommendations?

 

[Squishy]

The "flushing" machines at dealerships use the transmission pump to exchange fluid. The transmission won't see any more pressure than it does at normal operating conditions. What they do is they connect the machine in-line with the fluid return. The machine measures how much old fluid is pumped into it, and puts the same amount of new fluid back into the transmission. No danger at all.

I'm not sure what the dealership means by shift "better". "Better" could mean softer shifts, which some people seem to prefer, but it puts more wear on the transmission.

 

[Squishy]

As for your transmission model, my service DVD lists it as 4F50N, but Wikipedia says AX4N. Don't know which one is right.

 

[04SE]

Quote:

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As for your transmission model, my service DVD lists it as 4F50N, but Wikipedia says AX4N. Don't know which one is right.

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Thanks for looking. Those are the two I came up with as well. I think it is the AX4N, but I am not positive.

 

[04SE]

Quote:

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The "flushing" machines at dealerships use the transmission pump to exchange fluid. The transmission won't see any more pressure than it does at normal operating conditions. What they do is they connect the machine in-line with the fluid return. The machine measures how much old fluid is pumped into it, and puts the same amount of new fluid back into the transmission. No danger at all.

I'm not sure what the dealership means by shift "better". "Better" could mean softer shifts, which some people seem to prefer, but it puts more wear on the transmission.

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Ah, hah! I did not know that. I thought the machine pumped the fluid through the transmission. I did not know the transmission did all of the work during a flush.

Thank you for your input.

 

[Axe Man]

I have an '03 Taurus but it has the Duratec DOHC V-6. It definitely has the 4F50N transmission. I think if you have the Vulcan V-6 it has the AX4N. The guys here can tell you for sure:

http://www.taurusclub.com

 

[unDummy]

Its the same transmission. I hate when an automaker renames a transmission when they made a couple minor simple upgrades.

1. Flushing is safe.
2. Ford uses a 'pita pocket' filter. Its better then the Japanese screens. But, I doubt that its micron rating is anything to brag about.
3. AX4N
4. Ford recommends cooler line flushes. So, machine flush using vehicles own power is perfect. Make sure they use Mercon-V. Make sure no solvents are added.
5. Its the same. Flushing isn't defined and a common misnomer for ATF fluid change.
6. Drop the pan, replace the filter and pan gasket(not cork), top her off, and then machine flush at least 2 gallons of ATF. Repeat every 30k.

 

[The Critic]

Yes, it's the same transmission. The AX4N was the original name, but Ford renamed it to 4F50N as Ford's transmission naming scheme is supposed to indicate drive wheel design, torque capacity, number of gears, etc.

Flushing is safe. As stated earlier, its merely an exchange of fluid with the transmission serving as its own pump. Use Mercon-V as have it done at least every 30k. Ford recommends servicing the 4F50N every 30k miles even under normal service unlike most of its units.

 

[Tempest]

Has anyone done a pan drop on a AX4N? I'll be doing one next week (along with cooler line flush to Amsoil) and was wondering if there are any "gotcha's" to avoid. The Chilton's manual makes it appear straight forward. Car is a 2000 Taurus with 24v.

PS: Is there anyway to tell what pan the car has? Wix shows a standard and deep pan.

Thanks.

 

[Gary Allan]

I don't know the answers to your questions ..but I have a suggestion since you're going to exchange the fluid anyway. Pump the sump through the cooler line until it stops. Then take the pan down. You'll have a much easier time with the non-mess usually accompanied with pulling the pan full.

 

[K-Man]

What a coincidence, Tempest. I have a '98 Taurus, discussed here before, with the same dreaded AX4N. Just ordered a bunch of Amsoil ATF (should make Pablo happy

) and bought a new filter. My plan is to drop the pan and replace the filter myself using the Amsoil to top up, then wait a few days and take the car to a shop for the full change with the cooler lines. I'll provide the shop with the fluid, of course. To be honest, I don't feel so confident about doing the cooler line part myself.

This will use more Amsoil ATF than doing it all at once, but I feel sure I'll have much closer to 100% change with the separate procedures. This is possibly heresy, but I plan to add LubeGuard to the Amsoil (added to the containers before giving them to the shop) as well. With this notorious transmission, every little bit helps. After this change, I'll feel pretty confident with periodic pan drops and top offs.

 

[Tempest]

I've done a pan drop/cooler line flush on my Jeep, so I'm not worried about that part of the job. While you have the pan off, you might want to think about adding a drain plug to the pan. I just got one from Napa for $5. Will make keeping the fluid fresh easier.

 

[ConfederateTyrant]

Do NOT add the LubeGuard to Amsoil ATF! What reasons are you wanting to use it?

With Amsoil ATF I don't see a reason for using it, and in the event that something happened, Amsoil would deny warranty coverage because you used aftermarket additives.

 

[JustinH]

I would do the transmission fluid exchange every year in one of those things, they are prone to breaking if you don't service them.

I would also consider an auxilary transmission cooler.

The fluid exchange "flush" simply hooks up two tanks to your transmission while its running.

It lets the transmission take in new fluid, and it spits the old fluid into a waste container until clean fluid is achieved.

Before they do the fluid exchange, I would instruct them to remove the transmission pan, and clean it, and clean the magnet (if that trans has one) and replace the transmission filter.

Then they can do their fluid exchange.

Make sure they are using the proper ford spec fluid. In my rwd transmissions this is semi synthetic mercon V, yours may be different, read your service manual.