2003 explorer transmission, no dip stick!

My brother recently purchased a used Explorer and asked my to show him where the transmission fluid dip stick was, guess what,, there is not one.

Then read handbook and it mentions that, just to service it.

My question is, how do you add fluid if you pull the pan and change filter???
My guess would be you need a pump.

No wonder Ford will be out of business in a year of two.

You are correct. There is a plastic tank and an adapter that you need to add fliod. Also need an air compressor to pressurize the container to force it into the trans.

i use a 1 gallon plastic weed sprayer. put in 3 quarts at a time. the drain plug is a stand tube with a plug in the bottom. you pump up till it starts to run out backwards thru the stand tube. this is the new 5 speed automatic.

I see the plug in the bottom of the tranny pan, is that the stand tube you refer to ?

I suppose you could change the fluid w/o changing the filter that way. Is that do-able?


i use a 1 gallon plastic weed sprayer. put in 3 quarts at a time. the drain plug is a stand tube with a plug in the bottom. you pump up till it starts to run out backwards thru the stand tube. this is the new 5 speed automatic.

I found out that is does not require service until 150k miles. (according to ford)

the fluid should be changed in any transmission every 50,000 miles no matter hwat the dealer says.--- the plug in the bottom looks something like a 3/4 inch bolt two inches long with a 1/4 inch hole up the center. pipe plg in the bottom. take out the bug plug and everything drains out. put the big plug in, take the little plug out and pump the 5 quarts of new oil back inside. it willl fill up the two inches (about), and will run out when you remove the pump hose, if the level is above that. you are suppose to warm the truck up, then crawl under with transmission in park and running, and pull the little plug and see if the level is full. --- what i did is drain 5 quarts, remove the pan, clean sediment and install new filter, reinstall pan, then pump 5 quarts back in. dont have much ambition to pull the plug under a running truck. weed sprayer works real good.

No offense, but if I could only change 5 qts, its not worth the trouble. If I change it, I want to change it all. Maybe even leave the old filter it. I've dropped pans before and unless the tranny was broke, the filter always looks ok. Its not like an oil fiter. Its rather course compared to paper.

By pulling the tranny oil cooling line, and running engine till it pumps most out, I could get it all, but then the idea of handpumping it back into a small plug UNDER the truck sounds crazy. (Pump some, start engine to fill torque converter, stop, pump some more, stop, start....etc.)

With a top fill, after the first 5 or so, fluid could be added with the truck running until I was down to the last qt and check level.

No wonder Ford is going out of business with stupid ideas like this!

Lee, take my word for it, it is worth the trouble. its not that bad a job, take about 90 minutes. the pan normally has silver crud plated on the bottom of it, the magnet has particles covering it. the filter does appear somewhat course, but it will have a layer of deposits on it also. i have drained the converter on my F150 an did does not hae near the crud that is in the transmissioon area. i always drain the initial fill ( 5 quarts in the pan) at 30,000 miles, then change the 5 quarts again at about 70k then again at 125k miles. you would be suprise what you get out and how much benifit is does to the shifting. i have never had a transmission problem. you really dont need all tlhe oil out, just get most of the crud and a refrresher 5 quarts. you only have to crawl under the truck and pump once since you only drained the pan. it really goes pretty quick.