2-3 Slip - Scared Newbie Needs Some Guidance

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Caymen,



Did you read the posts from that last link I supplied?



I'm still not convinced that Ford didn't have some 'tampering' going on (seek out info on Dr. Deming on that). I suspect that the improper fluid at the factory was no such thing. I'd sooner think that an intentional change was made in an attempt to make the trans reliability of prior years better going forward, and it likely had the reverse effect.



Of course, I have no way to prove that....just a lot of 02s and 03s with trans problems at low mileage, a spike in 04s, and time will tell on the 05s.



TJR
 
Sorry, I am not buying that. The additive is only required in the vehicles that had the wrong fluid. It is not required after that.



If the additive was to upgrade Mercon V fluid, it would be a required additive.



Since it is not a required additive, that leads me to believe that the additive was to upgrade the wrong fluid into the right fluid.



Personally, I run AMSOIL tranny fluid. Tranny shifts like a dream. Not one complaint at all.





Tom
 
Caymen, as I said, how can we be so sure that the '04 factory fluid was actually the WRONG fluid, and not instead some purposefully different fluid...changed to address the failures in the field, and later found to have a negative instead of a positive affect?



TJR
 
Caymen asks:
How can you assume Ford is lying?
Click to expand...



I don't assume they think they are lying. The recall says the reason for the recall service is as follows:



The affected vehicles were originally filled with an improperly formulated transmission fluid that, over time, may cause delayed/harsh reverse engagements.
Click to expand...



Note that it doesn't actually say a mistake was made. It doesn't use the term "wrong" or "incorrect", which implies something accidental.



It simply states that the fluid was improperly formatted.



That leaves room for the fact that the fluid was intentionally place in the vehicles, and then later deemed improperly formated.



It doesn't mean anyone lied. As I said before, its all about POV and timing...in particular WHEN was it deemed "improper?"



TJR
 
That is fancy talk.



Like the FAA calls a catastrophic crash, "an off runway landing resulting in the loss of all live on board".



Sounds better than "The plane crashed killing everyne on it".



Sorry, I am not buying your theory.



Someone please chime in on the consumer reports tranny rating on the 2004 Sport Trac. Last time I read it, they gave the 2001 and 2002 tranny's negative remarks, but the 2003 to 2005 tranny's above average reliability.



I just need a confirmation on it.





Tom
 
Caymen said:



Someone please chime in on the consumer reports tranny rating on the 2004 Sport Trac. Last time I read it, they gave the 2001 and 2002 tranny's negative remarks, but the 2003 to 2005 tranny's above average reliability.
Click to expand...



<whistle sound>



Flag on the play.



Yellow card for Caymen.



....



Sorry, but you of all people can't with any credibility quote consumer reports to make your case. You can't pick and choose when consumer reports is valid and valuable. You are the first, consistent voice to denounce CR whenever they give a report on reliability and/or quality of imports, especially Japanese imports.



So now, when they might have something positive to say about Ford, I am supposed to take what CR says, and moreso what you say as valid and valuable?



C'mon, that seems really hypocritical and self-serving to me.



Unless of course you have changed your stripes, and henceforth will accept CR as an unbiased finger on the pulse of the consumer opinion.



TJR
 
If I had a Consumer Reports magazine to refer to, I would, but I do not read it. Since many people read it like the bible, I am simply just bringing it to the attention on everyone here. (Namely you, TJR)



As I said, IIRC, CR said the 2002 tranny was unreliable, but at 90,000 miles, they could not be more wrong.



It is not self serving. Consumer Reparts can say Ford makes the best cars out there. All they are doing is agreeing with me. I already knew they make the best out there.





Tom
 
Caymen,



You still didn't weigh in on my assertion that you seem to pick and choose to rely on and quote CR when it serves your purposes, and dismiss them when they don't.



I value CR and will read whatever gets quoted/linked. I would find it hard to believe that '04 transmission reliability in "Explorers" was higher than 02, 03.



TJR
 
You missed my point. I do not read CR and I think the magazine is biased towards imports, but that is besides the point.



People, yourself included, read consumer reports like it is the bible.



I use my own judgement and so far it has worked.



Lets look at another example. The 2007 Sport Trac seems like it is a headache to the owners. Consumer reports says Ford is getting better on quality and reliability.



The results here on this website say otherwise.



So far, you could not give me a 2007 Sport Trac, but I would buy a 1st generation.





Tom
 
Chris M. Hope you make out ok with your problem. Keep us posted. I have an 04, no problems so far with my 32k miles. I had an 01 that started to get the 2/3 flair, traded it at the dealer to get the 04.



Gary D.
 
Gary, when did your 01 start to get the flare (mileage)?



Do you consider yourself the kind of guy that doesn't know how to drive a truck or maintain one, as some have attributed to the cause of tranny failures?



TJR
 
Gary,



Are you aware that, according to some members, your 2004 tranny is going to fail really soon and you should get rid of it now before it fails?





Tom
 
Caymen said:
Are you aware that, according to some members, your 2004 tranny is going to fail really soon and you should get rid of it now before it fails?
Click to expand...



I hope by "some members" you aren't implying me, because if you are then you are putting words in my mouth.



I even tried above to state that I never said EVERY '04 is going to fail when I said:



No one said every tranny was going to fail. But the incident rate of failure even when under warranty is high, and between the period of off-warranty (36K for the older models) and 70k miles it is alarmingly high.
Click to expand...



I stand by that. The incident rates of Explorer transmission problems seems high and seems to often occur at low mileage based on comments from this site, and others like it.



Also, what is the #1, most oft quoted reason for buying the 75k mile extended warranty? Answer: To protect against the dreaded 2/3 transmission flare.



Many here discuss the problem, many people are hit by the problems, and many people are guarding against the problems with ext warranties; but I guess we are to assume there are no transmission problems?



Yeah, maybe the incident rate is only 1 in 10, or 1 in 20, or even 1 in 100...but ANY of those factors, IMHO are too high.



If one pays $30k for a light truck, then one should expect that said vehicle will be reliable well beyond 100K miles, with exceptions being in the 1 to 1000 or 1 to 10,000 odds. I really don't think that Ford is getting that with their Explorer trannies...not even close.



But of course, I have no hard data...I will be the first to admit that.



TJR
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Caymen, I said that! You clearly can see that I said that. But context and intent is everything in the written word.



Note that I said "by all accounts". You are familiar with that phrase, right? It is away of attributing an assertion not to oneself, but to common opinion, or common consensus. It’s a way of stating generalities.



Regardless, I stand by the assertion as evidence and postings on this board imply that an ST’s tranny is on borrowed time after about 75k miles.



Heck, it must be on borrowed time between 36K and 75K given the rationale most have here for purchasing extended warranties. Again, the #1 reason most oft quoted is that “it will pay for itself if I get the tranny flare.”



Here is the $64K question, Caymen:



Do you absolutely, positively, unequivocally think that the 5R55E transmission in the Explorer vehicles (Explorer, ST, Merc Mountainer) has met the quality and reliability that Ford and Ford customers deserve and have come to expect?



So, which is it: Yes or No? Met, or Not Met? Satisfied or Not?



TJR
 
Do you absolutely, positively, unequivocally think that the 5R55E transmission in the Explorer vehicles (Explorer, ST, Merc Mountainer) has met the quality and reliability that Ford and Ford customers deserve and have come to expect?
Click to expand...



My family has had 5 5R55E tranny's, 2 4R44E (or whatever the Aerostar tranny is), friends have had Aerostars push 250,000 miles. Not one problem at all.



In my experience, yes. I am not one of those "I had one POS therefore all are P'sOS" nor "I had one and it was awesome, therefore all are awesome" guy. I come from a Ford family that has owned HUNDREDS of cars, many of them have 200 to 300 thousand trouble free miles on them.



My experience says that the trannys are good, though some may exibit issues. At the same time, we never say how great something is, but we do bitch and say it is crap if it gives up problems.





Tom
 
Took in my Trac to Miami Valley Transmission (Dayton, OH) today. You know how it is at these places--you're pretty much at their mercy unless you have Super Ninja repair skills and all the sweet hookups (like Todd Z and others on here) :p



Thank God, all it needed was a service and EPC adjustment. I just got the call from the owner, and he says it's driving fine now. Total cost, $18.99. Said the valvebody gasket looked fine, and saw no other problems. Most important, he was courteous and actually listened to what I had to say, including what I thought might be wrong. Another place I called (won't name them) basically blew off what I had to say and led me to believe it would probably need a re-build (before they even saw the thing!).



I'll be keeping my eye on the situation and hoping I won't ever have to go back. But thankfully I have an honest place to go if things ever change. if you're looking for an honest shop in or near Dayton, I recommend Miami Valley Transmission.



Ya'll be cool,

Chris M.



p.s. -- Will update in a new message after driving it over the weekend...
 
That's amazing! I would expect more than $18.99 if they just dropped the pan and looked inside:eek:!
 

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