We have a 1996 Ford Taurus with about 85,000 km on it, and it’s starting to give us some weird transmission problems. Usually it’s just fine, but once in a while we’ll get a really hard shift coming out of 1st gear. And also once in a while the transmission’s shift points seem to move up a bit.
It’s been recommended that we get a transmission flush. I’m a skeptic about engine flushes, believing they do no good unless the engine has serious signs of sludge buildup. But I don’t know diddley about transmissions, so I’m not sure.
So what’s the Straight Dope? Are transmission flushes generally a scam? Can they harm the transmission? If it’s not a scam, do the symptoms of our Taurus sound like something that might be helped by a transmission flush?
I don’t know the exact answer but my 1998 Escort with 70,000 miles on it started off with similar problems, and after I ignored the odd shifting for about 3 months, it ended up in a $1500 tranny rebuild.
Pay attention to your car. Obviously something’s wrong with the transmission, so if someone is suggesting a $90 transmission flush, that’s better than them suggesting a very expensive rebuild, no? (uhm i’m just assuming a transmission flush is about $90…)
The Taurus transmission is notoriously annoying. I have such a Taurus, and I needed to replace the transmission, and I have known others with the same problem. I think you shouldn’t waste money on a flush, but shop for a transmission replacement and do it at a time of your choosing.
What does your owner’s manual say about transmission fluid changes? Follow the manual recommendations for routine maintainance and you can’t go very far wrong.
If you would have had your transmission serviced every 30,000 (approx.) you may not have had this problem at all.
Assuming you have never had your transmission serviced I would do that b4 I had it flushed. I have never heard of flushing a transmission. However I think they are just going to service it and call it a flush.
This includes draining the old fluid then replacing it with new. Next they will put in a new filter.
If I were you, I’d find the most reputable transmission shop I can, and just take it there. Don’t go to the local quickie lube joint. At the very least it just needs to be serviced - the fluid & filter change like Poloin99 described. At worst they’ll have to take out the tranny and then you’re talking $400-$500 just to have them diagnose the problem. Based on the mileage it seems like it’s a little early in the life of your car for a serious transmission problem so hopefully the fluid and filter change (a “flush”?)will do. Whatever you do, don’t wait!
A “Flush” isn’t simply changing the filter, draining the old ATF and filling with fresh ATF. Many auto trannys still retain a significant amount of old ATF during an oil change…even with the pan dropped. Also, some sludge still remains within the deep guts of the tranny.
A simple fix is to pour carburetor cleaner into the filler neck…this cuts the varnish and sludge deposits. Start the engine and run it through the gears to circulate the solvent through the guts.
The actual “Flush” is when the technitian raises the car on a lift, drops the pan, and attaches a pressurized hose full of clean ATF directly to the pan’s pick-up line. With the engine running and drive engaged, the flush actively pumps out ALL the old ATF and completely replaces it with fresh stuff.
BTW, I’ve parked enough Tauruses and Sables to recognize the quirky mis-shifts which occurs during left turns: low ATF levels in the pan leans away from the pick-up line and the loss of hydraulic pressure pops the tranny out of gear. Straighting out the car suddenly makes it lunge into gear again…is this what your car is doing, Sam ?
A transmission flush is a legitimate service procedure. It does not use solvents like an engine flush–which I would not do on ANY engine, regardless of its condition.
A traditional transmission service consists of removing the pan (which drains the fluid), replacing the filter, reinstalling the pan with a new gasket, and refilling the fluid. Typically 1/3 to 1/2 the fluid will not drain out during this procedure, so you’re left with a fair amount of old fluid.
A transmission flush entails tapping into the transmission cooler lines and pumping in fresh fluid, collecting the old fluid as it’s forced out. The pan gasket and filter are not touched.
Neither is a perfect service method. Doing both would be great, but gets rather costly.
Transmission servicing is a maintenance procedure, not a repair. However, the fluid condition is a significant factor in tranny operation, and there are some problems that can be caused by a clogged filter, so a service MIGHT restore proper function. As to whether your situation would be better served by a traditional service or by a flush, I couldn’t say.
I would suggest you find a GOOD transmission shop. Avoid the chains, which have a long history of overselling and overpricing. Find a shop with a reputation for integrity, and follow their advice. A knowledgable tranny person could tell you whether a service would PROBABLY, POSSIBLY, or NOT be helpful. If a service is advised, they could recommend the appropriate one for you.
When my Dad would show me how to check fluid levels, he would always pull the tranny dip stick, look at it (I guess to see if it was still red) and smell it. I still do the same thing, even though I don’t know what bad fluid smells like. I guess if it ever smells different, I’ll know it’s time for a change. That’s the extent of my knowledge on the subject.
The only symptoms are the occasional hard shift coming out of 1st (quite hard), and the occasional moving of shift points slightly. Just enought for me to notice that the car isn’t shifting where it normally would. Then it settles down and will drive without a complaint for a week.
These are still very occasional problems. It’s possible that they are just the result of normal wear and tear. I just want to make sure I do the right thing.
BTW, I have no idea how it was cared for - we bought it at 75K.
You got company: http://members.aol.com/MKBradley/status13.html
"Symptoms from the defective Forward Clutch Piston were: Delayed forward engagement
and shifts out of gear when coming to a stop. "
7/9/98
Transmission Status Report #13
E-mail list size: Approximately 1000 victims
Taurus Transmission Victims