Results of Unholy Mixture.

[GreeCguy]

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.

 

[electrolover]

I use lucas too. It seems to help a tranny on its last leg

 

[panthermike]

I wouldn't go more than a few hundred miles with that mixture. Change it out then and use the LG Red. Sounds like you're trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of this trans, hopefully you can!

 

[Turk]

Problem is which one did the improvement as one or more of them may have needed some time to work.

Run what you have for a while then change the fluid & add a bottle of LG Red. See what happens & go from there.

 

[Artem]

I've also used the Lucas tranny fix with great success. Smoothed out the shifts within a few miles in a bunch of different cars that I've used it on. Can't comment on the other stuff but sounds like that seafoam did the trick for you more then anything else. It's hard to imagine that it's the combination of all the products.

 

[GreeCguy]

Exactly Panthermike. Helping support daughter and son in law who have baby on the way, a son in college who eats like Jethro Bodine, (he drinks two gallons of milk a day) and my oldest daughter is getting married this year plus I just sank two grand in my wifes car. Money is very tight in these parts. Thanks for the well wishes

 

[Rolla07]

Let us know what you decide and how it works!

 

[Barkleymut]

2 gallons of milk?? wow.

Sounds like one of the products helped out for the time being. I have never seen the Seafoam product, but at this point why not try it. Personally as long as the transmission was shifting fine I would leave the current mixture in there. As long as 90% of the mixture is the called for ATF.

 

[jorton]

GreeC, I have a car that shudders at intersections when stopped in low gear. Next time, would you use the Lucas or Sea Foam first?

 

[maybehabitformin]

Jorton I wouldnt use either in your trans unless its on its last leg.The sea foam may clean something out like the manifold or pressure control solenoid possibly.The lucas I am not sure what it does if anything.If its shuddering use lubeguard, for whatever fluid type you have.If you havent serviced the trans in awhile you may want to do that first and then add lubeguard.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

According to the Seafoam website, if you used transtune, then it is safe to leave it in there unless your trans fluid gets dirty looking. That would be a sign that it is cleaning up old deposits and you need to get that out by changing out the fluid. It recommends adding 1/2 bottle at a time. I'd probably change the fluid out soon and keep a close eye on the fluid. It says you can add the other 1/2 of the bottle into the new fluid too.

I've never used it personally. I did by the engine Seafoam once for my lawn tractor at the recommendation of the Kawasaki service tech. He is a friend who does tech support for lawn and garden repair centers and works for Kawasaki.

 

[GreeCguy]

@ Jorton - this entire process has been a learning process for me. I started blindly, knowing I should at least change my fluid and filter and then replace as much fluid as possible. Guy at Autozone recommended Lucas transmission fix, and I thought, for 12 bucks it's worth a shot. It did help some (or seemed to help). Then I started reading and researching. That's when I discovered Lubegard came highly recommmended both here at BITOG and on the Ford Taurus site (TCCA). Figured it was worth a shot. Was then informed problems could be due to varnish in tranny, especially as original tranny fluid was coffee dark when I pulled it out, (more like used motor oil). I had planned on doing another flush this weekend when tranny started acting up at intersection and I was far from home with much to to and panicked.

Knowing what I know now, if I could wind back the clock and do it all over again from scratch, here's what I would do.

Change transmission fluid and filter. Flush transmission in manner I did in first post, (via filler tube). On final flush, add one bottle of Lubegard. Drive a while and see what happens with that. If no change, then I'd try the Seafoam Trans fix.

What attracted me to the Seafoam was the lack of "leak stoppers" as my transmission is not leaking.

If none of the above worked, (And I'd give it more time than what I did - basically I rushed everything because right now, I can't really afford any down time), that's when I'd throw in a bottle of Lucas. It's really thick stuff, (almost like STP oil additive).

 

[Donald]

Sorry to say, but I think the transmission is on its last legs. Its a 1993 and not worth to rebuild, maybe a used one at a junkyard.

 

[fdcg27]

If this mixture is working, leave it in for a while.
After a few thousand miles, do a pan drop and exchange.
See how it's doing at that point.
You may save this tranny, or you may not.
No way of knowing.
You do know that the Seafoam will at least let the thing live a little longer.