2002 XLT No transmission Dip Stick.
livingrock
there is no transmission dip stick(?) I then checked the owners
manual, first item ;-), and it said that there was no maintanence
needed for the transmission. Has there been some amazing advance in
transmission technology, that checking the fluid and replacing it on a
regular basis is no longer needed?
Is it still possible to have the fluid changed, or is the system
sealed? Anyway I don't feel comfortable with this, since previous
generation Explorers are known for bad trannies. Has the transmission
reliablity improved since the early model years, or is Ford using a
different transmission than in the past? AAmco must be wetting
themselves waiting for all the future rebuilt transmission business
they are going to get a few years from now.
Bill
JaWise
>transmission technology, that checking the fluid and replacing it on a
>regular basis is no longer needed?
I think it is filled with synthetic fluid. I know mine says if you overheat
the transmission it will tell me on the message center to get the fluid
changed. I too am trying to decide weather to believe the manual or stick to
doing it every 30,000 miles.
ppcinfo
servicing until 150,000 miles. I imagine your 2002 XLT also has the same
sealed transmission and therefore doesn't have a transmission dipstick (like
my Explorer).
ppcinfo
"JaWise" <jaw...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20021118184532...@mb-mq.aol.com...
Jacob Suter
two trannies by the time you hit 150k...
Now if they'd actually stand behind their product for 150k I'd half believe
it, but, I know MUCH better than to think they'd stand behind a complete
screwup like that.
Well that cirtainly just scratched Ford off my list of vehicles to purchase
to replace my truck (02/03 Ranger extended cab 4.0 auto was 2nd to the
Dakota, now its definetly scratched off the list.
Sorry Ford, you lose again due to your own cheapening of product.
JS
"ppcinfo" <ppc...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:S5fC9.20588$XF5.3...@news2.west.cox.net...
AZGuy
<jsu...@intra-nospam-star.net> wrote:
>Wow, at the average rate of failures on the A4LD/*R55E, you'll be through
>two trannies by the time you hit 150k...
>
>Now if they'd actually stand behind their product for 150k I'd half believe
>it, but, I know MUCH better than to think they'd stand behind a complete
>screwup like that.
>
>Well that cirtainly just scratched Ford off my list of vehicles to purchase
>to replace my truck (02/03 Ranger extended cab 4.0 auto was 2nd to the
>Dakota, now its definetly scratched off the list.
>
>Sorry Ford, you lose again due to your own cheapening of product.
>
How does that cheapen the product? (not counting the $3 they save by
not putting a dipstick in). There is nothing stopping anyone from
changing the fluid and filter in them if they wish to, Ford just isn't
recommending it or making it easy to check the fluid level. I can
think of lots worse design issues then that which would make me not
want to buy a particular vehicle.
patrick
manufacturer is stupid. If they have it some way where the trans fluid
doesn't need to be changed, I think I would be hesitant at first, but I
think I would trust Ford.
However just to be on the safe side, I think I would still like to be
able to change it every 30k =) Fluids are cheap - never neglect them.
C. E. White
family even knows there is such a thing as a transmission fluid dipstick. I
personally have my transmission fluid changed eery 25,000 miles. The rest of
the family - never! Guess what - no one in my family has had an automatic
transmission fail in 20+ years (and that includes 5 Rangers and an Explorer).
Do you worry about the rear end not having a dip stick? How about the transfer
case? Should we get rid of maintenance free batteries? Should we add dip sticks
to manual transmissions (all my farm tractors have dip stick on the
transmission, why not cars)? When was the last time you had to add automatic
transmission fluid? Except for having the automatic transmission fluid changed,
I have not had to add it to one of my cars in over 20 years.
Regards,
Ed White
C. E. White
patrick wrote:
> no matter if your a Ford person or not... Ford is not stupid.
Well, I won't go this far. If no one at Ford is stupid, how do you explain the
Blackwood?
Ed
livingrock
Don't get me wrong I like my explorer, but I think Jacob is correct
about Ford wanting to save manufacturing cost by cheaping parts. A
perfect example is that I noticed that the value covers appear to be
made of plastic(?!). It seems to me that this truck and others I
looked at before I bought it are designed for the "lease for 3 year"
market segment. This must be the case since where I live (northern
NJ) you don't really see too many cars older than 3 years. I'm sure
90% of car owners today don't know how to open the hood of their cars.
That's why I think car manufacturers feel they can get away with
removing things like the tranny dip stick, etc, next car I buy
probably will not have an oil dipstick :-).
Call me old but where/when I grew up it was the era of the muscle car,
where all of my friends myself included would buy a used (> 50,000
miles) Ford, Chevy Dodge or Pontiac and spend our saturdays fixing and
modifying the engines. I realize were in the era of the $40,000
disposable car/SUV, but for the few(sad that its too few these days)
of us who would like to maintain our cars ourselves, I resent that the
opportunity is being taken away by the corporate bean counters. I'm
sure in the next few years a majority of cars will have sealed hoods.
To change the subject a little I just have to comment on the "leather"
seats in the XLT. $600 dollars option for vynl with a tad bit of
leather, I guess that Ford's market research Dept. has determined that
its been a long time since vinyl seat were standard on cars(cloth has
been standard for over 15 years now) that nobody remebers when cloth
was an option over vynl seats. These "leather" seats are lower
quality than the vynl bucket seats in my GTO.
patrick <hyd...@cox.net> wrote in message news:<3DD9B5A2...@cox.net>...
Bill Darchi
That's because I bet nobody in your family keeps their cars after the lease expires.
:-)
JaWise
>
The T-Tech machine way where they suck it out via the cooler lines???
Fred
You say there is no dipstick, but is there still a dipstick tube but
it is capped off somehow. Also, when looking underneath at the
transmission, is there still a transmission pan bolted to the
transmisssion?
C. E. White
Bill Darchi wrote:
>
>
> That's because I bet nobody in your family keeps their cars after the
> lease expires.
Not true at all. In fact no one in my family has ever leased a car. My
Father generally keeps his pick-ups four to five years and 75,000 to
90,000 miles. My Sisters just drive them to they fall apart, or they get
totaled in an accident. My Mom trades cars every seven to ten years
whether she needs to or not. With the execution of a 96 Explorer I owned
for only 32,000 miles, I have not sold a car before it had 100,000 miles
in the last 17 years.
Regards,
Ed White
JonnyCabŽ
the
> Blackwood?
Two words: No advertising.
If Chevy can sell something as seriously *fugly* as the Avalanche, the
Blackwood should have been a hit. Ford put about fourteen of them in LM
dealers for two weeks and then pulled the plug.
Mark Kovalsky
"Fred" <Fr...@anon.com> wrote in message
news:3ddae8b8...@netnews.worldnet.att.net...
> I am curious, as I don't have a 2002 ('96 XLT)
>
> You say there is no dipstick, but is there still a dipstick tube but
> it is capped off somehow. Also, when looking underneath at the
> transmission, is there still a transmission pan bolted to the
> transmisssion?
There is no dipstick, and no dipstick tube to be capped off somehow. There
is no hole in the transmission for a dipstick tube.
The transmission is not the 5R55E, it is a new transmission with almost the
same name. The new one is called 5R55W, but that doesn't show that about 85%
of the parts are new. It is almost identical to the transmission in the
Lincoln LS and Thunderbird.
Early 2002's have a drain plug in the torque converter. Mid year they
stopped installing the plug. All the pans have a drain plug.
I think the best way to change the fluid in these ( and I do think it needs
changing about every 30K miles) is with a fluid exchange machine. More and
more shops have these now. They connect into a cooler line and replace the
old fluid with new fluid. It's very effective at replacing the fluid.
The transmisison fluid that is installed at the factory is MERCON V. The
factory fill fluid is a synthetic blend.
Mark
AZGuy
Fred
V8 XLT with 4R70W transmission, it has a dipstick, torque converter
drain plug, etc. I have am not very comfortable with extended drain
interval, sealed transmissions, engine or whatever.
C. E. White
AZGuy wrote:
>
> Is there a way to check the fluid level??
SECTION 307-01: Automatic Transmission - 5R55W/S 2002
Explorer/Mountaineer Workshop Manual
IN-VEHICLE REPAIR
Fluid Level Check
Special Tool(s): Gauge, Drive Pinion Angle 205-025 (T68P-4602-A),
Worldwide Diagnostic System (WDS) 418-F224, New Generation Star (NGS)
Tester 418-F205 or equivalent scan tool, Oil Suction Gun 303-D104
(D94T-9000-A), Adapter, Fluid Level and Fill Plug 307-437
Material: MERCON® V Automatic Transmission Fluid XT-5-QM, XT-5-DM
MERCON® V
Check
- Using the scan tool (WDS), monitor the transmission fluid temperature
(TFT) using PID: TFT.
- Start the vehicle. NOTE: Engine idle speed is approximately 650 rpm.
- Run the engine until the transmission fluid temperature is between
27°C - 49°C (80°F - 120°F).
- Move the range selector lever slowly through each gear, stopping in
each position and allowing the transmission to engage.
- Place the range selector lever in the PARK position.
- Raise and support the vehicle with the engine running. For additional
information, refer to Section 100-02 .
- If needed, use the special tool to set the vehicle as close to level
as possible.
- Place a suitable drain pan under the vehicle.
- With the transmission range selector lever in the PARK position, hold
the larger drain plug with a wrench and remove the small (center) fluid
level indicating plug using a 3/16 inch Allen key.
- Allow the fluid to drain. Wait approximately one minute. When the
fluid comes out as a thin stream or a drip, the fluid is at the correct
level.
- If no fluid comes out of the hole, fluid will need to be added
continue with this procedure.
- Install the special tool into the pan.
- Using the special tool extract approximately one pint of clean
automatic transmission fluid from a suitable container.
- Using the special tools, fill the transmission with clean automatic
transmission fluid.
- Remove the special tool.
- Allow the fluid to drain. Wait approximately one minute. When the
fluid comes out as a thin stream or drip, the fluid is at the correct
level. If no fluid drains from the plug keep adding fluid in 1/2 pint
increments until the fluid starts to drain from the plug.
- Remove the special tool from the pan.
- Reinstall the small (center) fluid level indicating plug using a 3/16
inch Allen key.
- Remove the special tool.
- Lower the vehicle.
- Remove the WDS.
- Check the operation of the transmission by moving the range selector
lever slowly through each gear, stopping in each position and allowing
the transmission to engage.
- Raise and support the vehicle with the engine running and check for
any leaks. For additional information, refer to Section 100-02 .
- Lower the vehicle and shut off the engine.
AZGuy
<cewh...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>
>AZGuy wrote:
>>
>> Is there a way to check the fluid level??
>
>SECTION 307-01: Automatic Transmission - 5R55W/S 2002
>Explorer/Mountaineer Workshop Manual
>
>IN-VEHICLE REPAIR
>
>Fluid Level Check
>
Thanks for posting that. What a pain in the ass just to save the
expense, and presumably complications, of the dipstick tube during
manufacturing and drive train installation. I wonder if in a few
years we will be seeing aftermarket tranny pans that have a built-in
dipstick tube and dipstick. I'm sure for most people it won't make
any difference as they don't ever check their fluid anyway or change
it themselves.
Fred
Good grief, what a hassle!
On Sun, 24 Nov 2002 22:26:22 -0500, "C. E. White"
<cewh...@mindspring.com> wrote:
C. E. White
I was fascinated by the apparent precision that Ford is asking for. I
assume the inner bolt seals off a tube that projects up into the pan to
the correct heights. Ford is asking that you get the fluid to the
correct temperature and make sure the truck is level. I doubt anybody is
so careful with the old dipstick.
Regards,
Ed White
C. E. White
missing the point. Some people who have commented have stated the belief
that Ford eliminated the traditional transmission dip stick solely as a cost
saving measure. Based on my understanding of what was added in order to
check the fluid, I don't think this is the case at all. I think there are
other concern, besides cost, that influenced the decision. I don't know what
they are, but it I believe they exist.
Regards,
Ed White
C. E. White
Use only MERCON® V transmission fluid. Use of any other fluids may
result in transmission failure.
Normal maintenance; fluid change not necessary, filled for life.
Severe duty maintenance; change the fluid at 40,000 km (25,000 mile)
intervals.
AZGuy
Yeah, "severe duty". And when you read what "severe duty" is it
covers just about every type of driving any normal person uses a car
for.
C. E. White
AZGuy wrote:
I think the maintenance schedule Ford sends out is not to quick to
require the severe duty schedule. The 2001 maintenance schedule says -
Severe Duty Driving conditions occur if your vehicle is subject to one or
more of
the following conditions:
High-speed driving for long distances during hot weather.
Short trips during high humidity or freezing temperatures.
Stop-and-go driving in rush-hour traffic, especially during hot
weather.
Dusty or sandy environments for long periods.
Towing and/or carrying heavy loads using a vehicle-top carrier.
Idling for extended periods such as police, taxi or commercial
delivery usage.
The 2003 Ford Maintenance Schedule has the following information:
Items Needing Special Attention
If you operate your Ford/Lincoln/Mercury primarily in one of the more
demanding “Special Operating Conditions” listed below, you will need to
have some items maintained more frequently. If you only occasionally
operate your vehicle under these conditions, it is not necessary to
perform the additional maintenance. For specific recommendations, see
your dealership service advisor or qualified service professional.
-Towing a trailer or using a camper or car-top carrier
Every 3,000 miles or 3 months
Change engine oil and replace oil filter
Every 30,000 miles
Change automatic transmission fluid
Lubricate 4X4 front hub needle bearings (F Super Duty)
Every 60,000 miles
Change transfer case fluid
Change rear axle fluid if equipped with XY-75W90-FEHP
As required
Change manual transmission fluid
Inspect and lubricate U-joints
-Extensive idling and/or low-speed driving for long distances as in heavy
commercial use such as delivery, taxi, patrol car or livery
Every 3,000 miles or 3 months
Change engine oil and replace oil filter
Lube front lower control arm and steering linkage ball joints
with zerk fittings, if equipped
Every 5,000 miles
Inspect brake system
Check battery electrolyte level (Patrol Cars)
Every 15,000 miles
Replace fuel filter
Every 30,000 miles
Change automatic transmission fluid
Lubricate 4X2 wheel bearings, replace grease seals, and adjust
bearings
Every 60,000 miles
Replace spark plugs
Change transfer case fluid
As required
Replace cabin air filter
-Operating in dusty conditions such as unpaved or dusty roads
Every 3,000 miles or 3 months
Change engine oil and replace oil filter
Every 15,000 miles
Replace fuel filter
Every 30,000 miles
Change automatic transmission fluid
Every 50,000 miles
Change rear axle lubricant (450 and 550 only)
Every 60,000 miles
Change transfer case fluid
As required
Replace engine air filter
Replace cabin air filter
- Off-road operation
Every 15,000 miles
Lubricate 4X4 front hub needle bearings (F Super Duty)
Every 30,000 miles
Change automatic transmission fluid
Every 50,000 miles
Change rear axle lubricant (450 and 550 only)
Every 60,000 miles
Change transfer case fluid
As required
Replace cabin air filter
Inspect and lubricate U-joints
Inspect and lubricate steering linkage ball joints with zerk
fittings
- Use of E85 50% of the time or greater (flex fuel vehicles only)
Every 3,000 miles or 3 months
Change engine oil and replace oil filter
Every 60,000 miles
Replace spark plugs
None of this seems "excessive." I am surprised that the 2003 Maintenance
schedule says change the transmission fluid at 30,000 miles for severe
service and the shop manual say 25,000 miles. Oh well, changing at either
is probably a good idea if you do a lot of towing, hauling, or stop and
go driving.
Regards,
Ed White
jeffatk...@gmail.com
Ashton Crusher
wrote:
>I just had my 2002 Ford explore to the shop. A nut on the bottom of the transmission that you have to take out has a dipstick attached. If there is fluid on the top it is fine. If no fluid on dipstick then you need an adapter to add fluid which only Ford or a shop that does transmissions has.
margare...@gmail.com
margare...@gmail.com
Ashton Crusher
wrote:
>Won't pass smog do with transmission
mooner...@att.net
> I have a 2002 XLt and I just noticed while doing an oil change that
> there is no transmission dip stick(?) I then checked the owners
> manual, first item ;-), and it said that there was no maintanence
> needed for the transmission. Has there been some amazing advance in
> transmission technology, that checking the fluid and replacing it on a
> regular basis is no longer needed?
>
> Is it still possible to have the fluid changed, or is the system
> sealed? Anyway I don't feel comfortable with this, since previous
> generation Explorers are known for bad trannies. Has the transmission
> reliablity improved since the early model years, or is Ford using a
> different transmission than in the past? AAmco must be wetting
> themselves waiting for all the future rebuilt transmission business
> they are going to get a few years from now.
>
>
> Bill
