2004 Transmission Fluid

[JRP]

I have a 2004 Tbird and want to either add the small bottle of additive to the transmission. Can't seem to find any information on how to add the fluid.

 

[George]

JRP:
I don't believe you can add any to it. I did some research for you and here's what I found:

It has a sealed tranny. If it does need some you must take it to a Ford or Lincoln Dealer. It also DOES NOT have a dip stick either.

On guy said, "I remember when I bought my '04 they sent out a bulletin that the factory put the wrong tranny fluid in some of the cars. I had to bring it into the dealer and they drained it and put in the correct fluid." -
So, JRP if you go to the dealer you can ask them to look up the OASIS report on your VIN to see if the tranny was ever changed or affected by wrong fluid.

Also, Fluid & filter is supposed to be good until 100,000 miles. Are you having sluggish shifting? Lurching motion?

From what I learned, it takes a special tool-fitting that will be placed into a fitting on the bottom of the transmission's oil pan. With the fitting in place the tranny fluid can be pumped in with a power pump that connects to that fitting. You pump some oil in then disconnect the pump, When it is full the extra oil will spill out of the fitting. Then you have to use a hand-vacuum pump that will drain any fluid trapped in the system.
It seems very complicated

At the dealers, the machine they use drains the old fluid out and replaces it with the exact same amount of fluid. This means if your fluid level is low (and there is no dipstick to check the level) it will stay low even after service.

So here's a guy that had his '04 changed and said, "Well, with the new clean fluid, my transmission really acted up. It would stay in neutral longer after the lever was put into D5 or D4 and it would not necessarily go into First (1st) gear when it did engage. A few times it would go into a gear too high to start the car moving, and the engine would die. I brought the car back in and asked the technician that serviced the transmission to take it for a test drive. When he returned he put the car up in the air and checked the fluid level. He lowered the car and added first one quart of fluid, then another quart and one half. He then asked me to test drive the car. What a difference! So what really happened was for three years I was driving the car with a 2 1/2 quart deficit of transmission fluid. On a road trip, the car performed well except for a few of those rough shifts that I had grown accustomed to, and a few times it would stay in neutral after coming to a stop. I just thought it was just a bad transmission design or at best a defective transmission that would fail some day.
But now that it is, really full, I have no more issues."

I hope some of this info is helpful

 

[JRP]

Trans Fluid

Thanks George. I bought a 2004 Thunderbird Shop Manual online. Your instructions are exactly correct. I only have 5,000 miles on my Tbird, sits covered in the garage, not a scratch and stills smells like a new car on the showroom floor. I will check with a Ford Service Writer I use for my 2013 Ford F350. Was just at the dealership a couple of days ago and didn't think to ask if there was a notice sent out. I never got one. I have never had an issue with the car at all, it has been perfect. Always afraid of having someone work on my vehicles, because of some awful things that happened to a 2006 F-350 Diesel. Took it in for its' 1st free oil change, actually it was the second oil change, I did the 1st one. Anyway they reflashed the entire computer system and the truck became a lemon. Ford eventually bought it back, after a two year battle. I will ask if there is anything like service notices that require reflash. I don't want anything to change on my perfect #10 of 1000 Pacific Coast Roadster.
Thanks again George,
Jim

 

[JRP]

So now I want to drain and refill transmission with fresh ATF. What is everyone using? MerconV. Should the old "wrong" fluid put in by Ford at the factory, be flushed out?

 

[Raymond Hubbard]

So now I want to drain and refill transmission with fresh ATF. What is everyone using? MerconV. Should the old "wrong" fluid put in by Ford at the factory, be flushed out?

So now I want to drain and refill transmission with fresh ATF. What is everyone using? MerconV. Should the old "wrong" fluid put in by Ford at the factory, be flushed out?

It is your call, but it doesn't seem to be necessary per the manual
Thunderbird Manual- Normal maintenance - Fluid change not necessary, filled for life .
Severe duty maintenance - Change the fluid at 48,000 miles intervals
Motorcraft MERCON (R) V Automatic
Transmission Fluid XT - 5-QW

 

[JRP]

It is your call, but it doesn't seem to be necessary per the manual
Thunderbird Manual- Normal maintenance - Fluid change not necessary, filled for life .
Severe duty maintenance - Change the fluid at 48,000 miles intervals
Motorcraft MERCON (R) V Automatic
Transmission Fluid XT - 5-QW

Thanks Raymond,
The transmission still has the crap fluid Ford put in it when new. I want to put the proper fluid in. It was a recall notice. I only have a little over 8,000 miles on it, and never a problem with shifting, but don't mind heading off a future problem now.
So, is this the best to use?
Motorcraft MERCON (R) V Automatic
Transmission Fluid XT - 5-QW
Dollars don't matter.

 

[biddle]

Thanks Raymond,
The transmission still has the crap fluid Ford put in it when new. I want to put the proper fluid in. It was a recall notice. I only have a little over 8,000 miles on it, and never a problem with shifting, but don't mind heading off a future problem now.
So, is this the best to use?
Motorcraft MERCON (R) V Automatic
Transmission Fluid XT - 5-QW
Dollars don't matter.

The links are already in all your posts above- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...smission-and-power-steering-fluid-xl-3.10189/

That's what you use.