Proper way to service your transmission

have you tried shutting off the overdrive when it happens? my car was going into neutral instead of fourth and when I drove with the od off it was fine. was a fairly inexpensive fix but your car may not have the same problem seeing that yours is shutting down and mine was not. david.
 
My 2004 MM now has 40000 mi. It had a flush at the dealer 2 years ago at 32000. It's also flinging itself in to neutral in the last week. I did notice that the overdrive lockout makes a difference, but I haven't really qualified it. I'm trying not to drive it until I take it to the dealer this Friday.

In the normal once or twice per week commute 23 miles to and from work (45 minutes), in Drive with the lockout disabled (normal), 2nd gear when the engine rpm reaches 2300-2500, it wants to shift into 3rd. Depending on traffic slowing down in front of me (happens between 35-45mph), the trans tries to go to 3rd, but comes back down to 2nd because of the traffic or an upcoming hill right at that shift point. After that, if it doesn't get into 3rd or 4th by 3000 or 4000 rpm, it goes to neutral (can't say for sure. I'm not fond of driving it this way to qualify it). I have noticed that if I enable the Overdrive Lockout at 2000rpm, it has shifted to 3rd when it gets higher in the rpm (not sure where). I have noticed that when I release the lockout it will either go to 4th or neutral (if the rpm is high enough). When there's no traffic and I've been driving for a while (with lockout disabled) and there's no upcoming hill at my 2-3 shift point, it will go from 2nd to 3rd and to 4th. I think this is because I'm moving on with authority and not just resting my foot on the accelerator pedal or covering the brake waiting to see what the traffic will eventually do.

The car seems to not like the commuting repetitive sequences of starting from a stop, 1st, 2nd, now everybody off the gas for a long distance, now everybody gently on the gas to about 40mph. At that time I'm free wheeling, adding gas because I'm not accellerating, figiting with the lockout, finally getting it to jump into 4th. Now the guys next to me want to race because I've been gunning my engine.

The commute has been like this since 2007 when they tore up the highway and force us off onto the side street to stop at that light. Then we get back on the highway, go for a while, then exit again because there's another light to drive under. 19 traffic lights in all. If there's any cross traffic waiting to cross, I will have to stop when I get to the light.

The transmission failing to engage through the full range of gears has happened on my last 3 commutes.

I thought the fluid might be low. Checked it several times. fluid covering the tip of the dipstick and along one side of the stick. I thought that since the stick is bending down the contortion of the tube, it's scraping off some fluid that hasn't drained back into the transmission. So I added 1.5 quarts of Mercon V at .5 quarts at a time. I checked it each time. Last check showed about a quart over full, maybe 1.5 quarts. The service manual says to lay the stick down on a white or dry (don't remember which word) and see where the fluid comes up to.

Anyway, I'm driving something else until I get it into the shop on Friday.
The engine has never died through all of this and I don't want it to start now if that's what I have to look forward to. Fluid is clean and does not smell burnt. Smells like almost fresh fluid.
 
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Muddflapp said:
My 2004 MM now has 40000 mi. It had a flush at the dealer 2 years ago at 32000. It's also flinging itself in to neutral in the last week. I did notice that the overdrive lockout makes a difference, but I haven't really qualified it. I'm trying not to drive it until I take it to the dealer this Friday.

In the normal once or twice per week commute 23 miles to and from work (45 minutes), in Drive with the lockout disabled (normal), 2nd gear when the engine rpm reaches 2300-2500, it wants to shift into 3rd. Depending on traffic slowing down in front of me (happens between 35-45mph), the trans tries to go to 3rd, but comes back down to 2nd because of the traffic or an upcoming hill right at that shift point. After that, if it doesn't get into 3rd or 4th by 3000 or 4000 rpm, it goes to neutral (can't say for sure. I'm not fond of driving it this way to qualify it). I have noticed that if I enable the Overdrive Lockout at 2000rpm, it has shifted to 3rd when it gets higher in the rpm (not sure where). I have noticed that when I release the lockout it will either go to 4th or neutral (if the rpm is high enough). When there's no traffic and I've been driving for a while (with lockout disabled) and there's no upcoming hill at my 2-3 shift point, it will go from 2nd to 3rd and to 4th. I think this is because I'm moving on with authority and not just resting my foot on the accelerator pedal or covering the brake waiting to see what the traffic will eventually do.

The car seems to not like the commuting repetitive sequences of starting from a stop, 1st, 2nd, now everybody off the gas for a long distance, now everybody gently on the gas to about 40mph. At that time I'm free wheeling, adding gas because I'm not accellerating, figiting with the lockout, finally getting it to jump into 4th. Now the guys next to me want to race because I've been gunning my engine.

The commute has been like this since 2007 when they tore up the highway and force us off onto the side street to stop at that light. Then we get back on the highway, go for a while, then exit again because there's another light to drive under. 19 traffic lights in all. If there's any cross traffic waiting to cross, I will have to stop when I get to the light.

The transmission failing to engage through the full range of gears has happened on my last 3 commutes.

I thought the fluid might be low. Checked it several times. fluid covering the tip of the dipstick and along one side of the stick. I thought that since the stick is bending down the contortion of the tube, it's scraping off some fluid that hasn't drained back into the transmission. So I added 1.5 quarts of Mercon V at .5 quarts at a time. I checked it each time. Last check showed about a quart over full, maybe 1.5 quarts. The service manual says to lay the stick down on a white or dry (don't remember which word) and see where the fluid comes up to.

Anyway, I'm driving something else until I get it into the shop on Friday.
The engine has never died through all of this and I don't want it to start now if that's what I have to look forward to. Fluid is clean and does not smell burnt. Smells like almost fresh fluid.
Click to expand...

Do you have a tune?

The linkage may need adjustment.

Check page 192 - 2004 MM - for the proper way to check trans fluid level, page 204 - 2003 MM.
 
I just put 03 Cobra Mustang motor in my 03 Mercury Marauder and I was hoping that someone knows someone to write a tune for the motor and the transmission. Can anyone help.
 
For anyone looking for a cheaper pan than the U-Haul that has a drain plug, the Dorman 265813 is a nice piece that can be had for $25 shipped if you have Amazon Prime.



There it is on my 08 GMQ. I had the U-Haul pan on my GMQ before, but I swapped it on to the Marauder and used the Dorman pan on the GMQ. it's similar to the U-Haul, only major difference I'd the plug faces the front of the car as opposed to the rear.
 
crownvic97 said:
For anyone looking for a cheaper pan than the U-Haul that has a drain plug, the Dorman 265813 is a nice piece that can be had for $25 shipped if you have Amazon Prime.


There it is on my 08 GMQ. I had the U-Haul pan on my GMQ before, but I swapped it on to the Marauder and used the Dorman pan on the GMQ. it's similar to the U-Haul, only major difference I'd the plug faces the front of the car as opposed to the rear.
Click to expand...


I second this, I bought this cheap pan for the plug. Works fine.
 
I like this write-up. I am living proof that a transmission fluid/filter change AND fluid exchange WORK! My 2006 Taurus started dropping out of overdrive with gentle throttle application and a washboard sensation was felt in the driveline. I immediately took it to a transmission guy I trust (Rod, Lee County Transmissions). He brought along a real-time scope and off we went for a test drive. He showed me the lockup of the torque converter and how it was sporadic. He stated I'd probably need a TC and stated just rebuild the whole AX4N while it was out. He asked if I'd ever done a fluid change because MercV uses a friction modifier that wears out. I had 95K on the odometer.

Reluctantly I bought a case of good MercV, a filter/gasket and got to work. I knew this could be wasted effort but I took the chance. I dropped the pan and it was relatively clean inside, replaced the gasket and torqued everything to spec. Using a 5 gallon bucket graduated in quarts I disconnected the cooler lines and pointed them into the bucket. I started the car and at idle watched the bucket begin to fill. When the fluid got to a few quarts I began pouring the new fluid in to keep up with the fill ratio of the bucket. Four quarts for every gallon of fluid in the bucket. The difference in color was evident when the new fluid began to come out. Reconnected the cooler lines to an auxiliary cooler after the OE cooler and topped the fluid off.

This was 3 years ago and 35K miles. It never acted up again.
 
fastblackmerc said:
Yes you can add an aftermarket cooler without cutting any existing lines. Add the cooler in series with the OEM cooler. Plumb it so the fluid comes out of the OEM cooler, into the aftermarket cooler then back to the tranny.
Click to expand...



I did it the other way around, to make sure the aftermarket one ALWAYS works.
 
So I've bought the Dorman pan; and reluctantly are considering doing the "original pan" drop in my garage (at home. I add reluctantly because it's been YEARS since I dropped a trans-pan, and remember the utter mess it can make down your arm!).

Anyway...if I do the drop at home,
how many bottles (quarts for you US guys / Litres for us Canadians), should I buy and drop in? (and that includes the filter change this time too).
Is there a difference in amount that goes in from this point, without the filter change?

I am DEFINATELY going to a full-synthetic fluid - Mercron V compatible of course.
 
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Rockettman said:
So I've bought the Dorman pan; and reluctantly are considering doing the "original pan" drop in my garage (at home. I add reluctantly because it's been YEARS since I dropped a trans-pan, and remember the utter mess it can make down your arm!).

Anyway...if I do the drop at home,
how many bottles (quarts for you US guys / Litres for us Canadians), should I buy and drop in? (and that includes the filter change this time too).
Is there a difference in amount that goes in from this point, without the filter change?

I am DEFINATELY going to a full-synthetic fluid - Mercron V compatible of course.
Click to expand...

Regular Mercon V is fine. You will need about 5-6 with a pan drop and filter change.
If you drain the pan every other oil change, your transmission will last forever.
 
Rockettman said:
Is the oil pan gasket, re-useable on these transmissions?
(Is there a need to purchase a new one)?
Click to expand...
The trans pan gasket is reusable, no need to replace.

Also, both my GMQ and Marauder only took 5qts to be dead on full after pan and filter replacement.
 
Regarding the Dorman pans:

Ok..so maybe a strange question...
I didn't even realize that the plug was at the front of the pan, as opposed to the back.

If I raise my car up on ramps at home each time I do my change, is there a significant difference in fluid that will drop out, compared to "level" on a hoist?
(Is the retro-fit of a plug in the original pan, a better idea?)
 
Rockettman said:
Regarding the Dorman pans:

Ok..so maybe a strange question...
I didn't even realize that the plug was at the front of the pan, as opposed to the back.

If I raise my car up on ramps at home each time I do my change, is there a significant difference in fluid that will drop out, compared to "level" on a hoist?
(Is the retro-fit of a plug in the original pan, a better idea?)
Click to expand...

I would assume that there would be less oil in the drain pan since the oil is moving away from the plug. Another reason why I don't use Dorman parts except for their "HELP" parts, clips, specialized nuts, bolt & washers and soft parts like grommets, etc.

Either retrofit a plug in the "correct spot", buy a U-Haul pan or aftermarket deep pan.

Found this quote: "Dorman used to be a great name in "small parts," fasteners, freeze plugs, brass and copper fittings, draincocks, threaded plugs, cotter pins, the like. Parts stores would have a whole wall with chest-high drawer racks in orange and blue labeled "Dorman" on the front. Always top-quality parts.

Today, the name is the only thing left. The real Dorman company no longer exists, it was sold years ago. They are still a source for hard-to-find parts, but quality is hit and miss at best. Mostly chinese-made stuff. Buyer beware, don't trust the name anymore."
 
So I have had the swap of my trans-pan to the Dorman one. (Decided to not do it myself afterall).

As I checked the old one (the original) they put in my trunk, I noticed the magnet was still on the old pan!

Did I miss seeing a magnet in the Dorman pan right in the box?
Or did they just forget, and now probably don't have a magnet in there?

(Just wondering if I need to start something with this shop now). :mad2:
 
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