Considering doing a transmission fluid service - quotes

[sbi]

Dealer 1: $650 before tax, dropping pan, replacing filter. They don't do it any other way.
Dealer 2: Around $600 before tax, dropping pan, replacing filter. They don't do it any other way.
Dealer 3: $289.99 before tax, they vacuum and replace fluid, no dropping pan or replacing filter. That's how they do it.

All are in a 30 mile radius.

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[jkosh22]

Dealer 1: $650 before tax, dropping pan, replacing filter. They don't do it any other way.
Dealer 2: Around $600 before tax, dropping pan, replacing filter. They don't do it any other way.
Dealer 3: $289.99 before tax, they vacuum and replace fluid, no dropping pan or replacing filter. That's how they do it.

All are in a 30 mile radius.

Do you have the means to do it yourself?

What’s your mileage? And full filter and fluid change will always be your best piece of mind.

 

[sbi]

Do you have the means to do it yourself?

What’s your mileage? And full filter and fluid change will always be your best piece of mind.

Means, you have tools? You bet.
Means in terms of knowledge and capability? Probably.
Are you asking about motivation to crawl under the truck and mess with the fluid dripping all over me and my garage floor and then refill with running super hot cat next to it? Absolutely not

40K miles. I know that going the "full" way of dropping the pan and changing the filter is perhaps better, but I think I'll wait with this option until I am in a much higher mile zone.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

Means, you have tools? You bet.
Means in terms of knowledge and capability? Probably.
Are you asking about motivation to crawl under the truck and mess with the fluid dripping all over me and my garage floor and then refill with running super hot cat next to it? Absolutely not

40K miles. I know that going the "full" way of dropping the pan and changing the filter is perhaps better, but I think I'll wait with this option until I am in a much higher mile zone.

My plan is to drop the pan and change the filter and service, before 50 K

That first 40-50k miles is when the most material and debris will be in the filter.

Subsequent servicing will be done just vacuuming out fluid and replacing the removed quantity. Then verifying proper fluid level.

 

[jkosh22]

Means, you have tools? You bet.
Means in terms of knowledge and capability? Probably.
Are you asking about motivation to crawl under the truck and mess with the fluid dripping all over me and my garage floor and then refill with running super hot cat next to it? Absolutely not

40K miles. I know that going the "full" way of dropping the pan and changing the filter is perhaps better, but I think I'll wait with this option until I am in a much higher mile zone.

Yeah i know what you mean

Knowing the 10r80s flaws I do what you can when you can to prolong it. Unless you have a warranty.

 

[UGADawg96]

What's the fluid replacement quantity difference between pan drop and vacuuming ?

I'm debating doing one at 60k and then the other at 120k, just not sure which to do first or maybe I should do both, hah!

 

[jkosh22]

What's the fluid replacement quantity difference between pan drop and vacuuming ?

I'm debating doing one at 60k and then the other at 120k, just not sure which to do first or maybe I should do both, hah!

It’s not necessarily the fluid you remove when dropping the pan. It’s about the filter which is almost as important as the fluid itself. If you do a pan drop and foot change, you’ll removed I’d say about another 3/4 to a quart depending how good of a job the vacuum did removing the fluid. The filter holds fluid and when you remove it the fluid above the filter get drained also. Just a good practice. Also a huge piece of kind with how hit and miss the 10r80s are.

 

[Old Hat]

Means, you have tools? You bet.
Means in terms of knowledge and capability? Probably.
Are you asking about motivation to crawl under the truck and mess with the fluid dripping all over me and my garage floor and then refill with running super hot cat next to it? Absolutely not

40K miles. I know that going the "full" way of dropping the pan and changing the filter is perhaps better, but I think I'll wait with this option until I am in a much higher mile zone.

I'm with you on this. I'm sure I could do it but would rather not.

Presently I have only 20,000 miles on mine and it shifts fine. At 7,000 miles a year, all light duty, I may never be concerned about changing my fluid. If I keep it 10 years that's 70,000 miles. Less than half of the Ford service recommendation. YMMV.

 

[sbi]

I'm with you on this. I'm sure I could do it but would rather not.

Presently I have only 20,000 miles on mine and it shifts fine. At 7,000 miles a year, all light duty, I may never be concerned about changing my fluid. If I keep it 10 years that's 70,000 miles. Less than half of the Ford service recommendation. YMMV.

My transmission shifts fine (knock on wood), but I do have a slight vibration at specific RPM and apparently it is possible that the source is the transmission and a fresh fluid apparently fixes it. See here.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/harmonic-vibration.45158/post-749765

So, although I have extend warranty for 4 more years, IMO $290 is "cheap insurance", similar to oil change every $5K.

 

[sbi]

Local shop, the "Service" side of Express Oil Change, has two methods of transmission fluid service for the F-150:
First one - they do not vacuum the fluid from the dipstick filler but rather "flushing" through the transmission cooling heat exchanger (?), which I am not a big fan of.
Second - they drop the pan.
Cost is identical to both systems, including changing the filter.

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