02 Explorer auto tranny fill plug?

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Dad said he noticed what looked like a small trans fluid leak on mom's Explorer and wanted to see about adding some trans fluid.... but there is no dipstick...

It's a 2002 Explorer with a SOHC 4.0L, auto trans and electronic 4x4. I believe the trans is a 5r55w

Dad said that he looked the trans over and only found one "plug" that was accessible, so he unscrewed it and dumped two quarts of Mercon V in there. I stopped by the house since he said he needed more trans fluid and found that he had unscrewed what looked like an adjustment bolt or something (drivers side near the front of the trans). Had a long threaded rod going through a nut with a seal. He unscrewed the nut so the length hasn't changed, hoping it's not a problem at this point....

But where is the fill plug on one of these?? and did anything get damaged by pulling the wrong part??

 

[Surefoot1970]

Checking and Adding ATF to Ford Trans Without Dipstick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUP-nOsoJMA&feature=plcp

How to check and fill the automatic transmission on a Ford Explorer or Mercury Mountaineer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVs8545gmxg

Will these help?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

That answers some questions....

What a stupid design....

 

[adsm08]

That would roughly have been the OD band adjustment. Shouldn't hurt anything if the nut didn't move.

Frankly, as dumb as the design is, that is by far the easiest transmission Ford has as far as filling it up and getting it right is concerned. I wish that ALL auto transmissions had the dipstick tube for adding and the fluid and the standpipe and plug for setting the level on initial refill.