transmission starting to smell.. how doomed am I

[JSVD]

auto trans in my 250 is starting to smell when pulling hills. Every once and awhile I think i feel a slip but it's nothing drastic - so it could just be in my head. It also seems to shift fine.

Not sure when the last time the fluid has been changed. The fluid looks a tad burnt but nothing terrible. It also seems to be overfilled a bit. Should I change it?

Is there anything I can do to squeeze some more miles out of it? I'm trying to make it through this winter before doing some work/getting another 4wd vehicle this summer.

Thanks.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

I would put a cooler on it if you feel like it's only when it gets really hot, a cooler is a good investment anyways and you'll leave it on after you're trans gives up the ghost.

 

[crash-harris]

If you're concerned about the fluid, do a full flush and filter change.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

auto trans in my 250 is starting to smell when pulling hills.

can you explain the smell? if you loosen the rear line,that one is the return to the trans after the cooler and start the truck,you should see it leaking a lot.if you get nothing but a dribble your cooler(s) are plugged up.

 

[riotwarrior]

Isnt thwre a temp valve in cooler line that can plug or fail to warm up trans quicker???

 

[JSVD]

can you explain the smell? if you loosen the rear line,that one is the return to the trans after the cooler and start the truck,you should see it leaking a lot.if you get nothing but a dribble your cooler(s) are plugged up.

hot burning rubber and metal

put new fluid and filter in today. The fluid was pretty bad. Decent amount of metal on the magnet. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

Isnt thwre a temp valve in cooler line that can plug or fail to warm up trans quicker???

there isn't,unless one was added.the bypass your thinking of wasn't introduced until the late model units,onced renamed to 4r100.
during a hd reman,the trans shop added one to chip trucks e4.i was going to add one to log trucks too but never did bother.i figure i'll add it when the time comes to drop in the spare reman i have.

hot burning rubber and metal

put new fluid and filter in today. The fluid was pretty bad. Decent amount of metal on the magnet. I'll let you know how it goes.

possible it could be a dragging brake your smelling instead? when a trans slips,you'll know it because the rpms will go up but it will feel like your in neutral.
fuzz on the magnet is normal.approx a tablespoon or so.so long as it's black.i suspect the engine might be coated in oil from years of seepage and this type of thing that your probably smelling instead.

 

[OLDBULL8]

hot burning rubber and metal
What do you mean by this?

put new fluid and filter in today. The fluid was pretty bad. Decent amount of metal on the magnet. I'll let you know how it goes.

A fluid change is recommended every 30K miles on a E4OD.

Do you have an Aux cooler that's mounted in front of radiator?

You did right by changing it now rather then waiting til summer.

A complete flush is posted in the IDI Tech Articles. Unless you do that, your only changing about 8 Qts, unless you drained the torque converter, very few have drain plugs. A complete change requires 14 Qts of ATF.

 

[icanfixall]

My E4OD requires an extra 2 gallons for a complete fluid change. I have the mag hitech deep aluminum pan on my trans. It will be expensive when I change the fluid. then what to do with all the fluid....

 

[MTKirk]

My E4OD requires an extra 2 gallons for a complete fluid change. I have the mag hitech deep aluminum pan on my trans. It will be expensive when I change the fluid. then what to do with all the fluid....

Clean it in a centrifuge (or with a really good filter) and add a quart to every D2 fill-up.

 

[crash-harris]

^^^ What he said.

Or take it to AutoZone. Most will have a tank in back to dispose of it in, they just have to pour it. Antifreeze is the hard part. I know no one around here takes it and city policy states to pour it down the drain with lots of water

 

[MTKirk]

^^^ What he said.

Or take it to AutoZone. Most will have a tank in back to dispose of it in, they just have to pour it. Antifreeze is the hard part. I know no one around here takes it and city policy states to pour it down the drain with lots of water

City sanitation depts. or Vehicle maintenance departments accept antifreeze in many locations, I take mine to Bozeman, MT 140 miles from my shop, but I pick up biodiesel from the only commercial supplier in the state while I'm there. I've noticed the "green" industries all seem to clump together in the same communities, usually next to a University.

 

[fsmyth]

Or send it to me, I will happily burn it in my IDI and John Deere.