2002 XLT No transmission Dip Stick.
Question:
>How would you change the fluid if the transmission is sealed?
The T-Tech machine way where they suck it out via the cooler lines???
Response:
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? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->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
Response:
> 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
Response:
> Well, I won’t go this far. If no one at Ford is stupid, how do you explain 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.
Response:
> 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
Response:
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
Response:
> Has there been some amazing advance in >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.
Response:
My 2003 Eddie Bauer has a sealed transmission, which doesn’t require 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
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Has there been some amazing advance in >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.
Response:
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. JS
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My 2003 Eddie Bauer has a sealed transmission, which doesn’t require > 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 > > Has there been some amazing advance in > >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.
Response:
>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.
Response:
no matter if your a Ford person or not… Ford is not stupid. No 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. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->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.
Response:
Well I can certainly see Ford’s side of this one. Except for me, no one in my 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 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > 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. > JS > My 2003 Eddie Bauer has a sealed transmission, which doesn’t require > 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 > > > Has there been some amazing advance in > > >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.
Response:
> >One morre thing I noticed in the shop manual – >Use only MERCON
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