You guys are going to hate me, but I thought I would post as "food for thought."
History and background: 1993 Ford Taurus GL with the AXOD metric transmission. Transmission has 155,000 miles on it and last fluid change was at 90,000.
Tranny issues are slipping in first gear and a "hesitant" shift between 3rd and 4th. Transmission also "jumps" into drive and reverse.
Changed fluid and filter. Pan had a pretty good coating of "grey clay." Cleaned pan, reinstalled pan and added new fluid. Then, I drove the car several miles, pumped three quarts out with hand pump through filler tube, added three quarts, repeated, until I had removed and added 15 quarts of fluid. Final fluid flush, I added a bottle of "Lucas transmission fix," and drove for a week. Some improvement.
Read about "Lubegard" products. Bought a bottle of Platinum, removed one quart of tranny fluid and added ten oz Lubegard and topped off with fresh tranny fluid, (Advanced Auto DexIII/M. Improvements noticed right away but still some slipping and jumping.
Added bottle of Lubegard Red. More imporvement, but still some slipping and jumping.
Was going to do a total flush again this past week to get back to ground zero so to speak but got very busy. Yesterday, while driving down Hwy 19, transmission started slipped again and developed torque converter shudder, (car would vibrate at intersections and in low gear). Was worried car was going to leave me stranded and I had entirely too much to do yesterday to be stranded. Happened to be at an intersection with Advanced Auto on the corner. Pulled in and bought a bottle of "Seafoam Trans Fix." (I chose Seafoam as it does not have a leak sealer or seal sweller as my tranny is not leaking). Bought a funnel as well and poured bottle into transmission there in the parking lot.
Pulled back onto highway. Tranny REALLY started to slip, (like I was riding the clutch in a standard transmission). Thought, "Now I've really done it." However, within five miles, transmission smoothed out and for the rest of the day, transmission shifted perfectly. No slipping, no shudder, no jumping in and out of drive. On the way home last night, even floored it a few times and the ole gal shifted better than she has in years, (I had forgotten first gear could be so resposive). When shifting into drive or reverse, I can hardly feel it go into gear - very smooth and gentle.
I was going to change out the fluid today, but now I'm thinking of just leaving well enough alone. While I have four gallons of new fluid, I'm thinking at the very least of leaving it in there for a few months to keep doing whatever it's doing and then flush fluid and add a bottle of Lubegard Red.
Comments? Suggestions? Observations? Accusations? I'll taken em all.
History and background: 1993 Ford Taurus GL with the AXOD metric transmission. Transmission has 155,000 miles on it and last fluid change was at 90,000.
Tranny issues are slipping in first gear and a "hesitant" shift between 3rd and 4th. Transmission also "jumps" into drive and reverse.
Changed fluid and filter. Pan had a pretty good coating of "grey clay." Cleaned pan, reinstalled pan and added new fluid. Then, I drove the car several miles, pumped three quarts out with hand pump through filler tube, added three quarts, repeated, until I had removed and added 15 quarts of fluid. Final fluid flush, I added a bottle of "Lucas transmission fix," and drove for a week. Some improvement.
Read about "Lubegard" products. Bought a bottle of Platinum, removed one quart of tranny fluid and added ten oz Lubegard and topped off with fresh tranny fluid, (Advanced Auto DexIII/M. Improvements noticed right away but still some slipping and jumping.
Added bottle of Lubegard Red. More imporvement, but still some slipping and jumping.
Was going to do a total flush again this past week to get back to ground zero so to speak but got very busy. Yesterday, while driving down Hwy 19, transmission started slipped again and developed torque converter shudder, (car would vibrate at intersections and in low gear). Was worried car was going to leave me stranded and I had entirely too much to do yesterday to be stranded. Happened to be at an intersection with Advanced Auto on the corner. Pulled in and bought a bottle of "Seafoam Trans Fix." (I chose Seafoam as it does not have a leak sealer or seal sweller as my tranny is not leaking). Bought a funnel as well and poured bottle into transmission there in the parking lot.
Pulled back onto highway. Tranny REALLY started to slip, (like I was riding the clutch in a standard transmission). Thought, "Now I've really done it." However, within five miles, transmission smoothed out and for the rest of the day, transmission shifted perfectly. No slipping, no shudder, no jumping in and out of drive. On the way home last night, even floored it a few times and the ole gal shifted better than she has in years, (I had forgotten first gear could be so resposive). When shifting into drive or reverse, I can hardly feel it go into gear - very smooth and gentle.
I was going to change out the fluid today, but now I'm thinking of just leaving well enough alone. While I have four gallons of new fluid, I'm thinking at the very least of leaving it in there for a few months to keep doing whatever it's doing and then flush fluid and add a bottle of Lubegard Red.
Comments? Suggestions? Observations? Accusations? I'll taken em all.