tsherv

I have a 2004 Ford Freestar with 113,000 miles on it. In the summer, we use this van to pull a small enclosed trailer that weighs about 1,700 pounds fully loaded (80 miles round trip, 2 times per week). I don't have a lot of the maintenance records on this vehicle, so I don't know if the transmission has been serviced.

I've been doing some reading about high mileage vehicles, and how it can be counter-productive to change the fluid. Some people reported transmission failure shortly after a fluid change at high mileage.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

R.S.LOGAN

In my opinion , it's always advisable to change ATF and filter , but others may disagree .

Bert

Unless the fluid is VERY brown, I'd change it. Here's a procedure to get the most replaced. http://www.amsoil.com/faqs/ATF_and_F...Procedures.pdf

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Bert

AlwaysFord

Bert it the nail right on the head... The transmission has seals, valves, and little bitty pins and ball bearings all over the place that depend on hydraulic pressure to work efficiently. These parts break down and weard down with temperature and hydraulic fluid breakdown. When the fluid breaks down to a certain point (Brown or worse, smelling so aweful it makes you cringe), then your parts are as well, so when you put nice clean thick fluid back in, these parts cant take it. Especially FWD vehicles and 4WD vehicles.So, Pink to red, change it, Brown to black, rebuild it. Believe it or not, its only a couple hundred bucks to drop the valve body and replace these parts before they total your transmission. So if its brown or worse, Save up about 500 or so, and tell them its been to long since its been changed and you need the valve body rebuilt and new bearings and seals. Then you will be good to go for quite some time.

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2001 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4x4 (mine)
2003 Ford Focus SE (the wifey)