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Transmission Fluid Level Problem Maybe?

R

rkelachim

New CEG'er
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
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I recently finished up replacing both passenger side and drivers side half shafts on my Contour. When I pulled off the drivers side halfshaft, I lost a good deal of tranny fluid. So, when I finally got everything re-assembled, I added a 1/2 quart of tranny fluid (estimated that was about what came out) and took the car out for a drive and it ran great. Then I let it idle in the driveway for a few miuntes and checked the tranny fluid. I for the life of me can't tell where it is or if its even on the dip stick. But when I went to pull the car a little further into the driveway, the gear shift selector was noticibly more difficult to move. And the engine wants to stall out when engaged in forward or reverse.

Is this indicitive of a fluid level problem? Too low? Too high? Some other problem?

Thanks for your thoughts!
 
The car is an automatic transmission. And yes, the dipstick is by the brake fluid resevoir...
 
rkelachim said:
The car is an automatic transmission. And yes, the dipstick is by the brake fluid resevoir...
Click to expand...

Glad you found it. It's quite the adventure to deal with. Make sure you push it all the way back down before you try to check the level. Mine likes to get stuck and so I read that my level is almost nil :crazy: :laugh:

EDIT: Make sure you check it when the tranny is warmed and while the car is running, this is also very important.
 
rkelachim said:
Then I let it idle in the driveway for a few miuntes and checked the tranny fluid. I for the life of me can't tell where it is or if its even on the dip stick.
Click to expand...

I see where the confusion is...That second sentence. Allow me to clarify that sentence. I know where the dipstick is. The difficulty is seeing where the fluid level is on the dipstcik when I pull it out or if it's even registering on the dipstick.

It doesn't help matters that I have to work on this at night (makes dipsticks very hard to read). Hopefully I'll get a chance to look at this in the daytime..I live in Iowa and have been spending pretty much all daylight hours between regular job and flooding problems.

I hope the two symptoms I mentioned are indicitve of fluid level and not something more serious...
 
When fluid is fairly new it is hard to see that mark, I think they don't put as much dye in fluid as they used to. Also, check it while NOT REALLY WARM YET and fill to the top edge of the crossed area, NO MORE. CD4E does not like to overfill, can cause fluid frothing and bubbles which can allow clutch pistons to hammer on application from the air compressing. That can lead to clutch drum breakage which is a known problem on this transmission. Also, you fill while colder than you normally would (most trannys check when good and HOT) because this transmission has a thermostatic door that lets fluid into the side compartment. If you fill only part way, when door opens later, the level can drop a little too low when it gets really hot like 100 degree day. You need to see fluid on that dipstick, if none probably too low. Risk overfill, you can drain some back out, too low and trans replacement time. Make sure stick goes ALL the way in, the last 1/2 inch can mess with you, you think it's in when it's not.
 
Thanks for your help thus far guys!

Here's an update. This morning before work, I went out and looked on the tranny dipstick while the egine and tranny were cold (car has been sitting since last night). I can see that the tranny fluid is way past the hatched area. So it's overfilled. And that seems to make sense now - ran fine last night when it was first started up, then developed those two problems after "froth" developed in the tranny.

SO when I get home tonight, I'll work on getting excess fluid out. My thought on doing that: I have a little suction pump for bleeding brakes - I could use that to suction out fluid through the dipstick hole. Anyone see problems doing it that way or know of a better way?

Also, when I'm suctioning out the excess on the cold engine, cold tranny. Where do I want to get the fluid down to? In other words, where is going to be a good starting point for the fluid level so I can get the car started and drive it around a little to get the tanny warmed up to re-check the fluid?

Thanks!
 
rkelachim said:
Thanks for your help thus far guys!

Here's an update. This morning before work, I went out and looked on the tranny dipstick while the egine and tranny were cold (car has been sitting since last night). I can see that the tranny fluid is way past the hatched area. So it's overfilled. And that seems to make sense now - ran fine last night when it was first started up, then developed those two problems after "froth" developed in the tranny.

SO when I get home tonight, I'll work on getting excess fluid out. My thought on doing that: I have a little suction pump for bleeding brakes - I could use that to suction out fluid through the dipstick hole. Anyone see problems doing it that way or know of a better way?

Also, when I'm suctioning out the excess on the cold engine, cold tranny. Where do I want to get the fluid down to? In other words, where is going to be a good starting point for the fluid level so I can get the car started and drive it around a little to get the tanny warmed up to re-check the fluid?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't suck it out through the dipstick hole. Personally, I would just drain it and refill it. The only reason I say this is because the dipstick hole can be really dirty. I know mine is really dirty...:shrug:
 
I used to use the 4 quart rule myself until I checked once and realized that maybe they don't put a full quart in some bottles, level was low. Look at the logic, you are now trusting your multi-thousand dollar transmission to the guy (in China?) who fills the plastic bottle. If you can afford to throw away cars like that fine, otherwise check it yourself. Fill to top edge of the hashed (crossed) area, no more. If the money is tight, you can just pull the drain plug and drain out a wee bit, save some cash. However, the standard 4 qt. drain only changes about 1/2 the fluid, you usually drive it around an hour, a day, or so to mix it up and drain again. That nets you a lot more fresh new fluid, instead of half changed, you'll be at 75%.
 
You DO have the engine RUNNING in park when you check it, right??? That is a MUST.
 
In tractorbynet.com forums there is a lot of controversy about putting teflon tape on hydraulic transmission system connections.

It is possible for little bits of it to get into delicate parts unless you are very careful in placing the tape on the threads. There are name brand paste sealers specifically made for hydraulic systems which lots of people prefer.

Mike
 
Thanks for your help guys! Got everything back together and the tranny fluid at the right level (it’s less difficult to see the reading on the dipstick during the day – though still not easy). Car has been running just fine for a couple of days now.
 
mrutkaus said:
In tractorbynet.com forums there is a lot of controversy about putting teflon tape on hydraulic transmission system connections.

It is possible for little bits of it to get into delicate parts unless you are very careful in placing the tape on the threads. There are name brand paste sealers specifically made for hydraulic systems which lots of people prefer.

Mike
Click to expand...
The instructions for the teflon tape on the ATX drain bolt is from the 1996 Ford CD Manual.
 
for future reference

for future reference

For future reference for others. If you have any transfluid leak out during an axel change you have too much fluid in the trans.
 
I say bully for Ford and their instructions. Anyone who uses that tape will know that because it cuts so much friction it's much easier to overtorque the drain plug and crack the casing. Sounds like a good plan to sell spare parts to me. Having said that, you can get no problems by putting the plug on a rachet extension as a holder, hold it in your left hand, take the tape roll with your right hand and run the first wrap over the top of the plug away from you and on around it. Make sure you start a couple of threads into the plug so none gets cut loose to enter trans or other. The direction you wrap that way (CCW as viewed from top of plug) will serve to keep tape from balling up as plug is tightened. Next time use no tape at all, the tape remainder in the thread grooves will seal fine, much less chance of tape getting loose. When you pull the plug just look in the hole, if any previous tape in there hanging "out in the wind" just pull it out. That's bull about having too much fluid in trans, some must come out when you pull an axle, read the freakin' manual. Every Ford atx I've worked on did it. Also, no paste sealer in the world is going to work for squat with the drain plug hole all oily. Boy, where do all these ideas come from??
 
The teflon tape helps with removal of the plug the next time. I have put it without the tape and with the tape. Your chances of overtorquing is higher with out the tape. And removing the plug is much easier with the teflon tape in, as opposed to without. That is my experience anyway.

In any case, my attitude is, if the Ford CD instructions and my experience confirms it, that is what I will do and advise on this forum. You may, of course, advise otherwise.
 
I don't see how you can think teflon tape does not allow overtorque to occur. Take a torque wrench and torque a plug in dry hole and then put teflon on it and do again. There is no comparision, the teflon just never seems to tighten up. We were shown that exercise when building heat exchange equipment, they were showing us how not to overtorque and thusly crack expensive stainless end head fixtures. Maybe overtorqueing to some people means it draws up tight, with teflon, it never gets tight to where you feel it "pull up" all at once, that's the danger to me. The fact that plug comes out much easier shows that it could be tightened more, once again that's the danger. Hmmmm.
 
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