Ford Explorer: 30,000 Mile Service on 2003 Mountaineer

Look in the Specifications section of your owner's guide (near the back
around page 280). There is a chart telling you how to decode the
certification label and determine which transmission you have. I think
you have the 5R55E. If it was my car I'd change the fluid at 30,000
miles whether the book said to or not. Just be sure you use the right
fluid. Mercon and Mercon V are not interchangeable (no matter what the
bottle may say).

Regards,

Ed White

"D.D. Palmer" wrote: 

I would check at the dealer...I believe your car has a sealed
transmission. I think ford says its good for 150000 miles, without a change.

C. E. White wrote:
 

I checked the Ford Service DVD. It had the following statement for the
5R55S (note that the transmission is a 5R55S, not 5R55E):

Normal maintenance;
Fluid change not necessary, filled for life.
Severe duty maintenance;
Change the fluid at 48,000 km (30,000 miles) intervals

The transmission requires Mercon V Fluid equivalent to Motorcraft MERCON
® V Automatic Transmission Fluid XT-5-QM. The only way to add fluid to
this transmission is to use a flush and fill machine or to use a pump to
force the fluid up through the fill hole. It looks like a pain. I can
only imagine how badly Jiffy Lube could screw this transmission. THis
might be one of those things I let the dealer do.

Regards,

Ed White

Robert DeSimone wrote: