Trans fluid question

[OldLefty]

Okay you young pros out there. Have 2000 3.0 2wd ranger first one I have had with a auto trans.
It seems to be working just fine with 50,000 miles on it. I want to change the fluid. What do you recommend for fluid? And is there anything else I should do to make this last a long, long time? Thank

 

[fleck]

ATF is all the same, I get the generic Advance Autoparts stuff.

 

[Earl43P]

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/TransmissionFluid.html

Personally, I like this method better, but you decide. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77507

I don't have an automatic, but when the wife's Toyota is due, I'm paying somebody to hook the flush machine to it.

 

[exbass94]

Make sure you use Mercon V, not regular Mercon!! As long as it's Mercon V, any fluid will be fine. Are you dropping the pan and refilling it, or doing a flush?

 

[OldLefty]

Thanks Gents!
Mercon V it is. I was not planning to drop the pan.
Just pull the cooler hose's, start it up and start dumping in the new until I saw the new stuff coming out. The stuff in there now seems to be clean and does not smell burnt. But I just want to do this to keep things running well for next few years. The truck won't see much abuse. But I may have to pull a 1500lb trailer (thats with the load) around a little bit this summer.
Any thoughts on using mobil 1 syn trans fluid or is it waste of money?

 

[rurouni20xx]

if its mercon v compliant you should be fine, most of the aftermarket stuff is mercon 3 compliant tho, and doesnt react well w/ seals and spools in a mercon 5 tranny. check it out thoroughly!

 

[exbass94]

if its mercon v compliant you should be fine, most of the aftermarket stuff is mercon 3 compliant tho, and doesnt react well w/ seals and spools in a mercon 5 tranny. check it out thoroughly!

First of all, there's no such thing as Mercon 3. There's just regular Mercon (which is the same as DEXRON 3), and Mercon V. And Mercon V supercedes the regular Mercon, so any bottle of V will also say it's compatible with regular Mercon.

 

[locovaca]

I would drop the pan and change the filter out. Seems like a hassle but I prefer to do any and all maintenance I can with the auto trannys to save problems down the road.

 

[irishblessing]

do you really need to replace the filter i was told you dont

 

[98 ranger xlt]

Just look on the dipstick it should say.

 

[thegoat4]

The internal pickup screen will eventually clog up with clutch dust. It is a good idea to change it every so often because once it's clogged to the point of cavitating the pump, your tranny is doomed. There is no practical way to check it without removing it.

When I had an auto, I changed the fluid and screen every 30k. Probably excessive, but I never had a tranny problem.

 

[rurouni20xx]

mine wasnt changed til 220k, i know thats a lil late but i went to do it a yr after i got the trk and i thought my dad did it b4, apprently not. the screen was so full of crap it was unbelievable, i dont know how the a4ld kept going. id go by the book interval of 80k on fluid and filter in the future if i get another auto, so far im going stick if i can help it.