How hard is it to change and replace the transmission fluid and filter on a front wheel drive car (Taurus)? I usually do my own oil changes and radiator flushes etc, will it be any harder or more challenging? Should I just take it to Midas? Thanks
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R I D E R E D - AJR
It's not that hard, just have to have a big enough drain pan...
for the trans, just loosen the bolts around the pan a bit.. I would leave one on each side snug, then once you get the rest out, start on the ones furthest away from you, loosen them a bit at a time until the fluid starts to run off into the drain pan..
Careful, there's quite a bit of fluid in there.. It can be messy...
Once most of the fluid is out, take the remaining bolts completely out and take off the pan.
It's been a while, but I think the Taurus has a silicon gasket.. You may not need to replace it. Unless it's damaged.
You certainly can do it yourself, it's just potentially messy.
Well if its standard its easy, just a drain plug but im guessing it's an auto which in that case ya you have to pull the whole pan off. Just do what indy said but loosen all of them just a bit then almost take out the bolts on one half of the pan. This lets the pan tip to one side draining most of the fluid out. You need one of the big square drain pans otherwise your in a for a mess. Then once its off you just pop the filter off and push the new one in. Refill and drive.
Actually they did on some 4 cylinder and the SHO models.
------------------------------------------------------------------ « t a g » ----- "I ride, therefore I crash." - Patman ~~~~ "Do or do not, there is no try!" - Yoda
Some of the instant oil change places have a cool idea where they don't actually remove the pan, but use a pump to flush the entire system and put in new fluid. You don't get the filter changed this way though. I pull a heavy trailer w/ my truck for work, and although Ford recomends a filter change at 60,000... I'll do a filter (w/ the little bit of fluid) at 30,000... and let the oil change place do the flush at the next 30,000. 142,000 on my truck, pulling the trailer for most of it, no tranny troubles.
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"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
C S Lewis, The Problem of Pain
Mine is just the 1996 GL base version and is automatic. I would of liked to have a SHO but the newer ones (96-99) had issues with cam failures. The older SHO's (before 96) did have a manual transmission opposed to the newer ones which were just automatic. The newer ones did have the Yamaha 3.4 V8 but were very heavy compared to the old ones which were fitted with either a 3.2 or 3.0 V6 engine. Thought I share some SHO knowledge
Come on. Who wouldn't want a sleeper out a a grocery getter?
