Harsh Shifting after fluid change

[Calson]

A transmission flush should never be done - ever. I screws up the internal seals of what was a perfectly good transmission.

Ford recommends in the owner manual changing out the transmission fluid every 150,000 miles. Ford does not recommend flushing the transmission fluid as this will damage the transmission.

I always make up a cheat sheet from the owner manual of when maintenance is needed. That way I avoid getting screwed by some greedy person at a dealership or quick lube place.

Time to contact Ford customer care people about the situation as the transmission is going to need work to fix what the dealer did to it. You also can get an estimate from an independent transmission shop for the cost to tear it down and replace the seals and then file a claim in small claims court against the dealer (been there and done that).

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[lrequa92]

I always prefer to do a drain and refill. On the older 6R80 and 6HP transmissions, I often found that the filter o-ring wasn't sealing well, the tube seals between the valve body and the case would start leaking, and the adapter seal would leak/crack. Obviously there are other o-rings and seals that could also fail, but replacing those seals and getting fresh ATF into the transmission has fixed more than one 6HP/6R80 that was written off as a lost cause.

On those transmissions the big issues were delayed engagement, slipping, and TCC shudder. I had vehicles come in that couldn't move under their own power, nothing but neutrals, and they left driving great with no codes after just doing a service and replacing some seals. I always want the opportunity to inspect and replace any seals that are easily accessed while the pan is removed, especially before jumping to a full rebuild.

That all being said, the CDF drum bushing issue on the 10R80 does make me question how much time and money I want to invest into maintaining mine. I might be better off saving my money for a new 10R80 with all the updated parts, but I'm still debating it.

What model year has the updated CDF drum parts?

 

[SALEEN961]

What model year has the updated CDF drum parts?

Right now it looks like 2024 and newer models shouldn't have the CDF drum issue, but Ford loves to slowly expand the list of vehicles and model years on TSBs. The vehicles that they currently say have the old CDF drum design are:

- 2017-2023 F-150
- 2018-2023 Expedition/Navigator/Mustang
- 2019-2023 Ranger
- 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator/Transit
- 2021-2023 Bronco

 

[Calson]

Flushing transmissions have caused serious problems for car owners for decades. It is a great money maker for the garage as the equipment costs very little and a great way to generate more profits.

It is like the tire stores that are selling nitrogen fills for the tires to make more money from gullible customers. It is fraud but laws that are not enforced provide no protection.

 

[foofoodar]

Well right now after working with my Ford dealer and the warranty company I have to pay about 2,700.
The dealer will only use new parts from Ford, so I will be getting basically the 2025 model transmission with new hybrid part included, total cost is around 7,500 so at least I had the warranty!
I may talk to Ford directly about this but I do feel the dealer did work the price down for at least my portion.

 

[UGADawg96]

why do you have any out of pocket costs due to their negligence ?

 

[foofoodar]

Well they, like any other dealership, will claim that flushes don’t do any damage, so it’s me against them, so I would have to get a lawyer, and by the time I go through that hassle, I’ll probably spend more than 2,700

 

[SALEEN961]

A transmission flush should never be done - ever. I screws up the internal seals of what was a perfectly good transmission.

Ford recommends in the owner manual changing out the transmission fluid every 150,000 miles. Ford does not recommend flushing the transmission fluid as this will damage the transmission...

Modern flush machines don't cause damage when they are used properly, but getting people to do things properly can be a challenge. The big issues that I have seen are people filling transmissions with the wrong fluid, and people failing to verify the fluid level. Far too often people don't know what the machine is filled with, don't know what fluid the vehicle takes, and don't know the proper procedure for checking the fluid level.

Ford currently has eleven different transmission flush/exchange machines that meet their requirements and are sold to their dealers through Rotunda Service Solutions. I still prefer to drop the pan and replace the filter, but transmission fluid flushes/exchanges are far from being a forbidden service.

 

[foofoodar]

I have now been told my new transmission is on national backorder...great...waiting on an ETA at the moment...

 

[SALEEN961]

I have now been told my new transmission is on national backorder...great...waiting on an ETA at the moment...

Hopefully your luck will be similar to mine and your parts will show up in just a few days despite their back order status.

 

[foofoodar]

So I have my truck back, all fixed now, drives and shifts like it used to with that quirky 10 speed.
The dealer claims they ordered the newest part number version of it that is in their system, so I’m not sure if it’s the latest updated transmission or not, and it has me so paranoid about it that I almost want to trade it in for a Tundra hybrid, but I read they have a 10 speed as well, but I do believe it’s a different manufacturer…

Also thought about tuning it with the livernois tuner, heard the 10 speed runs a lot better on their tune.

 

[RaiderSmiley]

Good afternoon. Would you please send over a private message with your VIN and dealer info so I can look into this shifting concern on my end?

Man, I have been having similar issues after a fluid change. 2023 Powerboost with almost 60K on the clock. The last oil change, the Ford tech “highly recommended” all F150s to do the tranny fluid change at 60K so at this oil change I did it. About 125 miles since the change and in the city I don’t notice anything off, but on the highway, it slips, shifts hard, especially around 65-80 mph it jumps around between 7th-10th gears. One time, I half-ass floored it, and it downshifted to 5th and would not come out of it. Was doing about 55 mph at that time and I tried changing drive modes from Normal to ECO and Sport, but it would not come out of 5th. Ultimately, I had to pull on the shoulder and put it in Neutral then Drive. I have never experienced any of these issues prior to the fluid change.
Lastly, i also hear a new “whining” sound when accelerating that I also never heard before. A bit concerned. Waiting for the tech to get back to me. Fortunately, I have the “Triton VSC Ultimate Wrap” hopefully I’ll be covered if it needs a new tranny.

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