Oil change transforms transmission (F-4EAT) Ford

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Sep 13, 2006
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Inherited the car from my parents. 1995 Ford Escort LX 1.9L 160,000km's.

Checked fluids as soon as home. Oil was black/dirty and the tranny fluid was thin and brown/black and it looked like it was overfilled. Both unknown mileage as it has sat for nearly a year or more with the occasional rare 5k trip to the corner store.

Changed oil (blend of PYB & Canadian Tire Syn.),oil filter, plugs, air filter and doing front pads later this week. Painted the dorr trim where it had peeled and cracked off (only on one side) I even threw my Turbo Miata wheels/tires on it as the Miata blew the engine a few weeks ago and I've been having to much fun this summer to start the tear down.

Drove it about 100km so far.

Soo.......The tranny starts in 1st and then goes to 3rd and that's it. Occasionally it will find 2nd but typically not. Dropped pan, put in new filter, also pumped out/ drained Tq Conv. at the lower cooler line. Went for a 4km test drive - The 2nd gear is a tiny bit better now but not really present. Once it's in 3rd it wont kickdown to 2nd under load or at cruise it won't go into 4th. Cruising at 97km/hr runs the engine at 3800rpm - not ideal !!

Drove to work next day which is about 23km. Same shifting pattern - darn.

Headed out at lunch today and bam, I picked 2nd gear consistently, then after getting out and up to cruise speed we hit 4th/OD. Yeeehah!
Must have just needed some more km's to work it's way into the valve bodys and orifice's etc.

Moral of the story, change your tranny oil. I doubt it was changed in 160,000K !!

I was prepared to swap the VSS or change some valves as we want to keep the car for a winter commuter/first kids car. Was even toying with a rebuilt or junkyard tranny swap. Hard to believe that a fluid change would do this.
If my parents would have kept it eventually it would have been scrapped or given away and assumed to have a dead tranny.

The tranny takes about 6 litres and I used MaxLife and half a bottle of Lucas Stop Slip Slap Chop.

Filter, oil and additive was just under $60. Priceless compared to the pain of a tranny swap.
 
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The new ATF apparently cleaned some varnish to restore performance. The overfull measurement may have been from the oil thinning and swelling. Cheers.
 
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