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Color Comparison: Automatic Transmission vs. Power Steering Fluid

4K views 49 replies 10 participants last post by  1997ThunderbirdLXV6 
#1 ·
Both fluids should be Mercon V. Power steering I changed soon after purchasing the car in late March; transmission I don't know when (if?) it was changed.

Note the difference in color.

My question: do non-Motorcraft fluids which meet or exceed Ford/Motorcraft specifications have the same color as the original Motorcraft fluid? Or do the specifications not include the color?

The transmission fluid is simply a more pale shade of red/orange (could that be the color of Mercon prior to Mercon V?).
It does not smell, and if you look at a drop hanging from the dipstick, it's entirely translucent (not milky, dark or opaque).

One way or another I want to replace the transmission fluid as soon as I find a place where I can do that. Just wondering if the color could be a clue as to what fluid is in there currently.
 
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#45 ·
In the transmission fluid change instructions on crownvic.net, there's the following paragraph:

"Disconnect the battery, unplug the PCM from the harness, or remove the PCM "KAM" fuse while the converter is draining to re-set the adaptive shift strategies in the PCM for the transmission. This is VERY IMPORTANT !"

I haven't read any such thing on TCCoA. Any thoughts?


For the cooler lines, I see at the radiator there's one at the top and one at the bottom. Which one is fluid going to the radiator, and which one is the return line to the transmission?
 
#48 ·
A goes back to the transmission. I have disconnected the line and accidentally put my clear tube on the end of line itself before, instead of using a fitting and the fluid sprayed out from the top hole instead of the line when I started it up to drain it.
I am 100% sure, but now you have me doubting myself...
 
#50 ·
So to bring this thread to a close, as always, thanks to everyone for your expeditious answers and solid advice.

Today I went ahead and did a "limited" transmission service. Specifically I did not drop the pan and change the filter. I do not have any stands/ramps currently and no place to store them if I bought a pair. My drive one wheel up a curb technique worked great for an oil change, but it doesn't provide enough space to access the transmission. Yup, this is a budget operation. Given the car's mileage (43,000) and state of the fluid (no dullness or visible solid matter in the fluid whatsoever), I'm actually not terribly concerned about the filter, though it'll still be on my to-do list for another time (then also including the installation of a supplemental cooler).


So what did I do?

- First I siphoned the fluid from the pan. This produced 3.5 quarts. I refilled immediately with fresh fluid.

- Then I disconnected one of the cooler lines and connected it to a transparent tube, prepared with several empty containers to catch fluid. Meanwhile my friend was set up at the dipstick tube with a funnel plus ready to pour quarts of fresh fluid.
I started the engine and collected the old fluid while my friend poured fresh. I monitored for changes in fluid color. The old fluid's orange-brown turned to red after 8-9 quarts or so.

- Finally I reconnected the cooler line, checked and adjusted the fluid level cold, drove the car, checked fluid level hot, etc. Ultimately a grand total of 13.5 quarts fresh fluid went in.


I realize this may not be the full service most of you recommended (pan drop, T/C drain, etc.). But given my limited possibilities right now (you can only do so much downtown on the side of the street), I think this was a good compromise. I'm glad (most of) the old fluid is out.

For anyone wanting to do this, know that the person pouring the fresh fluid has to be very quick to keep up with the old fluid coming out. Another observation: removing the fan is very easy, and it makes the cooler lines much more accessible.


Initial observations from a quick drive: I would say slightly smoother; this includes smoother engagement when shifting between R and D. Absolutely no torque converter shudder; and I did go to the (slight uphill) stretches where I used to be able to reproduce the shudder.
This may be unrelated, but the couple of times I started the engine after the fluid change, it started more quickly than what I'm used to.
 
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