Who put DEXRON in my MERCON V???

[Sean Burke]

Whoa boy I guess it's my turn with tranny problems.



Q. I had my 03 (115k miles) tranny flushed at a local Jiffy Lube in mid December. My trans completely failed after about 200 miles. The invoice says serviced with DEXRON and no mention of MERCON V anywhere on their paperwork. Could this have led to failure or is this coincidence? I'm not looking forward to 2500 - 3k bill for a tranny. any insight would be appreciated. below are some observations on symptoms.



-Fluid is already burnt



- It seems stuck in 3rd gear as soon as I put into drive, meaning that i gotta rev it to 3k rpm just to get it to move.



-Once over 35mph things seem to firm up a bit and OD is working despite the flashing OD light.



-Low1 engages but giving it gas feels like it's fighting itself and barely moves.



-I haven't been driving it but I'm sure it's gonna need rebuilt as the fluid is burnt.



Thanks in advance,

-Sean

 

[eric huskey 2]

I say you have a case! The owners manual clearly says MerconV . Not Mercon/ Dextron III or any substitute. I don't know if you could tell by the color if the fluids were different or not. I would start by talking to Ford and ask them if this fluid would screw it up. Good luck!

 

[Tom Schindler]

Most, if not all, tranny fluid is Dexron/Mercon fluid. Sounds like they did not use Mercon V fluid.



We know why I do it myself.





Tom

 

[Andy Cabrera]

Another Excellent job by Jerkylube!

Those guys are a bunch of idiots. If you have documentation stating they used Dextron, I would definitely take them to small claims court.

Get something in writing from Ford stating that use of Dextron will lead to failure. Also get something from the transmission repair shop of what damage was done and why.

As an auto service shop, they should know what fluids types are required.

 

[Bo Loo]

I would recommend you sue if applicable, but if you do and win, they'll owe you the cost of a used transmission. Don't think they'll cover the entire cost to get it replaced.

 

[Jeff Schroeder 2]

Sean,



Here is a transmission fluid chart direct from Ford Motor Company specifying which trans take which fluids. Listed below in smaller print are messages stated to use the specific fluid listed for your transmission, or damage may occur.



[Broken External Image]:



Your 01 has a 5R44E/5R55E trans, and the chart specifies MERC V. Hope this helps. Jeff



******If the image wont come up, I have it posted in my library as a PDF file*********

 

[Richard L]

It appears that Jiffylube screw up big time. And they were even dumb enough to put it in writing by saying your Mercon-V transmission was serviced with Dextron.



I would suggest that you go back to the Jiffylube with a copy of your service receipt and talk to the owner/manager and let him know that they have to pay for your transmission service.

They cannot use the excuse "Your transmission was on it's last leg anyway and you are just taking it out on them" They wrote Dextron on the service order and that should be enough to prove they screwed up your transmission.



You are not required to take your vehicle back to them to see if they can determine the cause, because they are not transmission repair shop and have no expertise in determining the cause of your transmission failure. If it died within 200 miles of their tranny flush, and they wrote down that they used Dextron, they just tightened the noose around their own necks.



I would bet that you can sue then for the complete cost of a rebuilt transmission and all the labor, and probably even a rental car until your transmission gets fixed.



...Rich

 

[scott degroot]

My first question is why did you have the trans flushed in the first place?. While I don't agree with their use of Dexron III, I have seen this same thing done ALOT of times without any ill side affets...I don't condone it though. While the wrong fluid was used I don't honestly think that it contributed to your trans failure, now the actual flush itself may have. My guess is that there was an issue there already that developed gradually and you just got used to it so you didn't notice it and new fluid just made the problem fully develop...then again it could have just been time, the trans in the Gen 1 is not know for any kind of longevity adn at 115K I thinik you got more mileage out of it then you should have.

 

[Korey Kreiter]

This is 1 reason you never drive one tire (step 1 foot) into a quick lube....

 

[Jeff Schroeder 2]

Working at a Ford Dealership, I have also seen this happen many times, and I would have to say about 1/2 of them always end up in trans failure, with either repair or trans replacement as a result. We have a local Jiffy Lube as well, and a Wal Mart quick lube...both places have irresponsibly flushed transmissions and filled with the wrong fluid, and the customer comes to us for help. Some people catch it quick enough and avoid problems, others dont. Mercon V is backwards compatible, and works in most trans that take regular Dexron...but Dexron is NOT compatible with the new transmission that take Merc V. I also have to disagree with L1TECH about the durability of the transmissions in the Gen 1 tracs...115k is not a mileage point for these trans to fail...the 5r55e/5r44e are well built trannys with few problems, and at our dealership, we provide a flush schedule that if followed, will help prolong trans life. My first trac was an 01, and had 160k on it when I traded it in...never had a problem at all with the trans, and yes, I flushed with Merc V every 30k miles. Jiffy Lube goes thru this scenario many times, and they will squirm and whine a bit, but should pay for any repairs. They will also try to point out your vehicle has over 100k, and that it was probably due to fail anytime...which is bullshit...and they will probably tell you that dexron is just fine and wont hurt your trans...READ THE FORD APPLICATION CHART!!! Merc V only in these transmissions!



From the Ford Service Website:





"Specific service fluids (listed to the right) are called for depending on the type of

transmission and the year the transmission was built. It is important to use the correct

fluid, each fluid exhibits different properties and should be used only in the transmission

for which they were designed. The vehicle owner or rebuilder should use the type of fluid

printed in the owners guide or on the automatic transmission fluid level indicator. Refer to

your scheduled maintenance guide to determine the correct service interval. Failure to use

the recommended fluid may affect transmission performance and durability."

 

[MARVIN McINTYRE 2]

Would that Mercon V be used to top off the transmission fluid if needed?

 

[Andy Cabrera]

In your Trac?? Yes!



I made the huge mistake years ago with a 93 Dodge Dakota. I was told it was ok to top of with Dextron..the "universal" fluid. The Truck use ATF4.

BIG mistake!

It didn't happen right away. It too a few thousand miles but eventually she developed major tranny issues.

 

[Johnny O]

When I had the tranny flushed in my old '05 Trac, the Valvoline Quicky-Lube used Dexron plus an additive that effectively made it Mercon V. I wasn't crazy about the idea but they showed me the bottle and I read the label. No issues for the last year and 15,000 miles I had it. I prefer to go to the Ford dealer for tranny flushes but at the time I was just too busy at work to take off a weekday to get it done.



But if you can get Iffy Lube to cough up a new tranny, go for it. :supercool:

 

[Richard L]

Ford requires Mercon-v for a reason, and Dextron is not the same stuff.



I have had my tranny flushed in both of my Gen-1 Sport Trac's with no ill effects. My 2001 had 33K miles when it was flushed, and I immediately noticed quicker, crisper shifts and even acceleration was noticabley quicker. And I never noticed any deterioration of the transmission prior to the tranny flush. I watched the flush process and the old fluid comming out was a very dark reddish brown color and very opaque.



I had my 2003 Sport Trac flushed when it had about 21K miles. I never notice any difference in performance after the flush, but I knew I had good fresh fluid for another 20K+ miles. I traded the truck in with almost 34K miles and never had any tranny issues.



I must disagree with L1TECH. Ford has had a lot of problems with the Gen-1 5 speed automatic and even before that, the 4 speed version of the same tranny. They have had a number of issues with the valvebody gasket leaking, and the solenoids sticking which cause the infamous 2-3 shift flare. There are companies all over the internet selling transmission parts for the 5R55E tranny to fix all of those common problems. Of course, every Ford dealership denies any problems with the transmission....but I think most of us here know better.



I had a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix that had problems with every power window except the drivers side rear door. All of the other windows had motors and switches replaced at least twice, and some were fixed 3 times in the 3 years I owned the vehicle. The last time a window died on me the car was just out of warranty. The service manager looked up the problems I had and agreed to fix the window under warranty. He then made the comment that they had never had hardly any problems with the GP's windows. After the service manager walked away, the service writer just shook his head and said, "He has no idea what he is talking about because they have been plagued with power window problems on that GP body style since it came out in the 1997 model year.



So dealers and people who work at dealerships will rarely tell you if their are any major issues with a specific make/model of their vehicle for fear it will chase away customers, and may get Ford sued for covering up or denying known mechanical problems.



Many members here were told there was nothing wrong with their transmissions, or were given patch job repairs until their Sport Trac was out of warranty, then suddenly they needed a new transmission.





...Rich

 

[Ray McIntireJr]

Ohhh man!! Someone at that place isn't gonna be happy when they have to buy a new trans for your ST. OUCH!! There goes their profits for a week or so.

 

[EddieS'04]

I question the reasoning for flushing the tracs 5spd auto. The reason is, I have had and still have family and freinds that have the 4.0L explorers with the same 5r55e trans.



They have never flushed their trans. Only droped the pans @ 30k to 50K. New filter and top it off. Some of these folks have over 200K now. They have never even had the 2-3 flair.



4 yrs ago when I joined this site. Is when I started hearing, I better do a flush every 30K. Or my 5r55e will crash and burn.



Not only did the Trac itself catch my eye. Also knowing others with explorers, had the same dependable drive trains. So this idea on this site of flushing has me confused....:banghead:

 

[scott degroot]

by Richard L,4/9/2010 14:14 MT





I must disagree with L1TECH. Ford has had a lot of problems with the Gen-1 5 speed automatic and even before that, the 4 speed version of the same tranny. They have had a number of issues with the valvebody gasket leaking, and the solenoids sticking which cause the infamous 2-3 shift flare. There are companies all over the internet selling transmission parts for the 5R55E tranny to fix all of those common problems. Of course, every Ford dealership denies any problems with the transmission....but I think most of us here know better.

Actually you are agreeing with me, I said these trans aren't known for their longevity, I think you are diasgreeing with HOCKEYFAN