Hi everybody, I am new here and I need some help from experts.
I have erroneously drained the transmission fluid in my 2009 XLT 4x4 Explorer (automatic 5x + O/D, hence with a 5R55S transmission) and had to refill it. I pumped in 6 quarts, run the engine 30 sec then went on pumping in the remainder of the 11,2 quarts indicated in the manual. When I got to 9-10 quarts pumped in altogether, the fluid started seeping from the front part of the transmission (am not sure which part of the engine it is, it is between the ATF pan and the motor oil pan). I stopped pumping, closed the pump valve, turned engine on for 10 minutes and then removed the pump and the adapter to purge fluid excess. To my surprise, about 5 quarts of fluid drained before it started spattering. I put the fill plug back in and let the motor run idle. The seeping was still going on, albeit much reduced.
I let the car rest overnight, today I have driven it and then checked it on the bridge, with motor off and on, there was no seeping anymore. I will check again a few times every couple of days.
Now comes the million dollar question(s): has any gasket been damaged by the seeping ?
I am not sure how much fluid I have in the transmission right now, there should be around 5 quarts of fresh fluid plus whatever was still in of the old fluid (I had drained it well until there was nothing coming out of the drain hole, though), do I have to refill it ? Is there any dashboard light to indicate if the level is too low ? Alternatively, which symptoms would I have whilst driving if the ATF level was too low ?
And last: I believe that I have read that the 5R55S is a sealed system. If it is so, in my view, when you pump the fluid in, the air does not have any way to escape until you end the purging and the fluid spatters, thus allowing the pressurized air to escape. The overpressure in the sealed transmission system pushes the fluid out of the system until the compressed air can actually evacuate. Wouldn't it make more sense to put in a lower amount of fluid or find a way to allow the compressed air to escape whilst filling the fluid ? I guess that this compressed air actually contributed to the seeping, but I'd be interested to hear whether anybody else has experienced it.
Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
I have erroneously drained the transmission fluid in my 2009 XLT 4x4 Explorer (automatic 5x + O/D, hence with a 5R55S transmission) and had to refill it. I pumped in 6 quarts, run the engine 30 sec then went on pumping in the remainder of the 11,2 quarts indicated in the manual. When I got to 9-10 quarts pumped in altogether, the fluid started seeping from the front part of the transmission (am not sure which part of the engine it is, it is between the ATF pan and the motor oil pan). I stopped pumping, closed the pump valve, turned engine on for 10 minutes and then removed the pump and the adapter to purge fluid excess. To my surprise, about 5 quarts of fluid drained before it started spattering. I put the fill plug back in and let the motor run idle. The seeping was still going on, albeit much reduced.
I let the car rest overnight, today I have driven it and then checked it on the bridge, with motor off and on, there was no seeping anymore. I will check again a few times every couple of days.
Now comes the million dollar question(s): has any gasket been damaged by the seeping ?
I am not sure how much fluid I have in the transmission right now, there should be around 5 quarts of fresh fluid plus whatever was still in of the old fluid (I had drained it well until there was nothing coming out of the drain hole, though), do I have to refill it ? Is there any dashboard light to indicate if the level is too low ? Alternatively, which symptoms would I have whilst driving if the ATF level was too low ?
And last: I believe that I have read that the 5R55S is a sealed system. If it is so, in my view, when you pump the fluid in, the air does not have any way to escape until you end the purging and the fluid spatters, thus allowing the pressurized air to escape. The overpressure in the sealed transmission system pushes the fluid out of the system until the compressed air can actually evacuate. Wouldn't it make more sense to put in a lower amount of fluid or find a way to allow the compressed air to escape whilst filling the fluid ? I guess that this compressed air actually contributed to the seeping, but I'd be interested to hear whether anybody else has experienced it.
Thanks a lot in advance for your help.