im approaching 80k miles, should i change my tranny fluid!?

[LONO100]

hey all, just got done doing the usual oil change on my 03 ST XLT, and i was wondering whether i should change out my tranny fluid. ive read a ton of stuff on this forum and like everyone, have heard horror stories about tranny fluid flushes and changes leading to disasters. the usual advice that you read or hear is if you havent had it done and you are over 100k miles, dont do it.

my question is, my ST is still in the high 70k range. would it be wise at this point to switch out my tranny fluid and get some fresh stuff in there? i dont have a sealed tranny, mine has a dip stick, the color still has that pinkish look, it doesnt look too burnt out, and still smells like tranny fluid.

has anyone had their tranny fluid done around 80k miles, and if so, how did that turn out for you? any help, advice and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I had mine flushed and new filter put in at abround 84k and it needed it bad, runs alot better now and I haven't had any issues since. I now have over 97k miles on the ticker.

 

[94Eddie]

I am a big supporter of changing the transmission fluid and filter every 30k-40k miles. I have never had to rebuild a transmission on a vehicle that was purchased new or with 50k miles, or less, on it. I bought a '94 Explorer with 50k miles on it and the first thing I did was a transmission fluid and filter change. I drove it to 200k miles before I sold it with the original transmission still running like a Swiss watch. Regular fluid/filter changes won't guarantee you will never have to rebuild the transmission but it will improve the odds of not having to rebuild it substantially.

 

[herebyproxy]

Yes

I changed the xmission fluid every 30,000 on my jeep.....335,000 miles and still going strong....

 

[LONO100]

thanks fellas, good stuff. i read a thread on the forum that was pretty extensive. the guys on there were debating whether to take it to have a full flush (including the t converter) or just dropping the pan in the garage, inspecting for shavings and changing the filter and replacing the fluid that comes out what do you guys usually do?

 

[BrianDye]

Since your at such a low mileage compared to some asking the same question, I say full flush. Whether you do it yourself, or just have a shop do it, thats up to you

Me personally, I would goto a shop (A trusted one that ive been to before) and have them flush it and change the filter. (Its only about 90-100$ around here, so its not much more at all than having to buy X gallons of trans fluid thats just gonna get ran through and pumped into a bucket.

(If it was colder outside, id do it myself, but I hate the heat!)

 

[Joe Dirt]

My Ford dealer does a flush and Wynn additive refill for $119

I've done flushes on 3 of my 4 Ex's when purchased, at 173k, 168k, and 215k+ with no ills. If a tranny is going to fail, it is going to fail. The band material that wears off and circulates in the fluid is what helps almost dead tranny's to keep rolling. If you change it, and lose that material, that's the issue. I figure if it's going to die, I want to know it. At your mileage, I wouldn't think twice about it.

 

[LONO100]

as soon as i get back from tahoe this weekend im changing my tranny fluid. i dont have the cash to do a full flush being that i just dropped 3 bills on a new aussie locker today, so i guess ill be doing it myself by draining the pan, changing the filter and adding new fluids.

can anyone tell me approx how many quarts of tranny fluid i will need to buy? what is a good brand for these explorer trannys? and how much should i be paying for the tranny filter? thanks fellas.