Checking a 10R80 trans fluid level.

[ORRadtech]

Just buy a real transmission dipstick, 37 bucks on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6MYWGLG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Just line up the new one with the little stubby dipstick and use a file to mark where the full mark should be. I was able to bolt it to an existing hole in the passenger shock tower, I just had to find a longer 6mm bolt and open up the holes on the top bracket to 1/4" to clear the 6mm bolt.

I like it!

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[I Bleed Ford Blue]

I like it!

I bought 3 of them, first one went into my 2010 explorer with the 4.6 3v and a 6R80, I paid 70 for it from LMR.

I then looked on amazon and found the exact same thing for 38 so I put another one in my mach 1 with the 10R80. I bought a 3rd one for my 23 explorer ST with a 10R60 but haven't installed it yet.

 

[ORRadtech]

Now I have to see if I can get the stock filler cap to break free... Tried to once and couldn't get it off.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Now I have to see if I can get the stock filler cap to break free... Tried to once and couldn't get it off.

put the box end of a 19mm on it and hook another wrench on the open end and double the leverage. Or if you have room, smack the wrench with a hammer.

 

[bKennedy]

I'm 75 years old so I know exactly what you mean and I love all the improvements that you listed. Against my better judgement I even ordered the electron dash in my Mustang which I love, but when it goes bad it will probably cost me a $1,000 to fix. Thankfully Ford gave me the option of it or the standard instrument panel, and like you point out consumers, like me, like bells-and-whistles. What aggravates me, as someone who does almost all my own work on my cars, is how Ford has made it extremely difficult to drain the fluid from your transmission pan and refill it to the correct level easily. In an effort to save a few bucks, on a car that listed for around $50K, they put on a plastic transmission pan with no drain plug and a dipstick that is almost impossible to reach. In addition it takes 2 pages of instructions to give you the procedures to change your fluid. The instructions to check your trans fluid on cars for the first 50 years were on the dipstick itself, and I'm sure you remember them; it said "Check when Hot." It took 30 seconds and if you needed to add fluid you stuck a funnel in the dipstick tube and poured it in. I know I sound like a luddite but it has been 3-days since I changed the fluid and I'm still sore from crawling under that car to change our 5 quarts of fluid. I figure in 10 years I'm going to have to install a BendPak post car lift in my garage as I'll be to old to shimmy under the car.

 

[SCP440]

30 or so years ago we used to scrap cars because they had rusted away, these days we scrap cars because they have a warning light on the dash that is telling us a system is not working and is going to cost 75% of the value of the vehicle to repair.
A friend recently scrapped a 7 year old car because of an ABS problem, the parts alone were going to cost nearly half of the value of the car let along the work to fit them.

 

[ORRadtech]

30 or so years ago we used to scrap cars because they had rusted away, these days we scrap cars because they have a warning light on the dash that is telling us a system is not working and is going to cost 75% of the value of the vehicle to repair.
A friend recently scrapped a 7 year old car because of an ABS problem, the parts alone were going to cost nearly half of the value of the car let along the work to fit them.

The rust thing isn't gone. I watch South Main Auto on YouTube and it's disheartening to see all the less than 10 years old cars that are completely rusted out.
Parts, particularly electronic ones, are going to be obsolete before a car is otherwise unusable. Referring to the same YouTubeer, he often has trouble finding modules on cars that you'd think shouldn't be a problem. Programming them is a completely different problem.
And, yes, they're expensive. Especially from a dealer. My '12 Edge lost its Sync screen a couple of years ago
It was less than 10 years old at the time. Ford would gladly sell me a new APIM for $1400 + programming. Fortunately I found a company that sells used/refurbished ones for $450 that came plug-in-play programed to the car. So there may be options going forward.

 

[bKennedy]

Now I have to see if I can get the stock filler cap to break free... Tried to once and couldn't get it off.

 

[Strokerswild]

This must be by design so that their service department can have jobs. What engineer decided to eliminate the old school transmission dipstick tube that was in the engine compartment? I mean, how much more would it add to the cost of the car to put in a dipstick tube and dipstick? It's all a ploy to generate more revenue for their service department. Of course, some cars don't even have a way to check it; I believe the newer Tacomas don't have dipstick tubes either (don't know if they have one like the Mustang underneath the truck).

I would gladly pay $100 (or more) for a transmission dipstick as an option. It's beyond frustrating not to be able to easily check or add fluid. Especially when the manufacturer can't be counted on to fill them entirely at the factory.

You know eliminating the stick was a combination of the bean counters doing their thing, as well as to generate income at the dealer.

I'm not crawling under any vehicle, running, at operating temp, to check fluid. Dumb for anyone, including a dealer tech.

 

[bKennedy]

Y
You will laugh when I tell you my story about getting that filler cap off for the first time. About 2 years ago I decided to change the transmission filter, this was at about 40K miles. Now I have more tools than 95% of the people on this planet but I could not get a socket, box end or open ended wrench on that cap that allowed me enough space to break it free. I believe the cap is made of cheap aluminum and after almost stripping it, from not being able to get a good bite on it, I lost my mind; this was about 2 hours into the process. I then ripped up the carpet on the passengers side and drilled a hole above the cap so I could get a socket through the floorboard and onto it. That worked fine and it make it easy to refill from the top. Now I just tighten the cap snugly and an open ended wrench is able to get a good enough bite on it to get it off. I'm somewhat embarrassed at my solution but extreme problems require extreme solutions.

 

[Joe Gonsalves]

Y

You will laugh when I tell you my story about getting that filler cap off for the first time. About 2 years ago I decided to change the transmission filter, this was at about 40K miles. Now I have more tools than 95% of the people on this planet but I could not get a socket, box end or open ended wrench on that cap that allowed me enough space to break it free. I believe the cap is made of cheap aluminum and after almost stripping it, from not being able to get a good bite on it, I lost my mind; this was about 2 hours into the process. I then ripped up the carpet on the passengers side and drilled a hole above the cap so I could get a socket through the floorboard and onto it. That worked fine and it make it easy to refill from the top. Now I just tighten the cap snugly and an open ended wrench is able to get a good enough bite on it to get it off. I'm somewhat embarrassed at my solution but extreme problems require extreme solutions.

Did you find the right size rubber plug to finish off the hole you drilled? I like the Idea, I think you have the solution to checking it hot as well!

 

[bKennedy]

Did you find the right size rubber plug to finish off the hole you drilled? I like the Idea, I think you have the solution to checking it hot as well!

When I got done the hole was pretty ugly and not exactly round, I should have put a metal plate over it for future access but I patched it with some fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin. My biggest mistake was not buying a metal trans pan, to replace the plastic one, with a drain plug in it when I had the plastic one off.

 

[bKennedy]

Just buy a real transmission dipstick, 37 bucks on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6MYWGLG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Just line up the new one with the little stubby dipstick and use a file to mark where the full mark should be. I was able to bolt it to an existing hole in the passenger shock tower, I just had to find a longer 6mm bolt and open up the holes on the top bracket to 1/4" to clear the 6mm bolt.

 

[bKennedy]

Just buy a real transmission dipstick, 37 bucks on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6MYWGLG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Just line up the new one with the little stubby dipstick and use a file to mark where the full mark should be. I was able to bolt it to an existing hole in the passenger shock tower, I just had to find a longer 6mm bolt and open up the holes on the top bracket to 1/4" to clear the 6mm bolt.

 

[bKennedy]

I like the idea of buying the dipstick you installed but when I look on Amazon it says it is for a truck. I assume it works OK with your car since you have it installed. Do you find that it a high enough quality to withstand the heat it will get from the catalytic converter right next to it? Is the little dipstick on the end long enough to go into the transmission and give you pretty good readings?

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