2013 Ford Fusion Titanium trans fluid change

[@Blast005]

Just did this at 100K and came out completely black too. I did 2 changes (both came out black) and then added about 3 more quarts while running to help clear out the old fluid. For other people, you do not need to take the wheel off. You can just turn it to the right and then take the overflow cap out. My 2013 uses a 5mm hex plug for some reason, so I had trouble finding it initially. I needed about 12 inches of extension for hex bit to make it easy on me. Make sure you can get to it before you start, if you don't want to take the wheel off(I hate using jacks on these pinch welds).

[@marcusshicashepard6608]

Thank you for sharing this video. You just helped me with finding out how to check my fluid level.

[@ChevyMalibu69]

You're welcome, glad I could help. Just make sure you change it frequently it'll help that trans last a long time.

[@marcusshicashepard6608]

@@ChevyMalibu69 most definitely will do. I thought you were going to show how to reset the shift pattern? I was looking for that video also.

[@haydenw.1529]

So what do you mean run it through the gears? Like put it in sequential mode and just have the car raised to go through every gear or just go from park down to sequential and back up multiple times???

[@ChevyMalibu69]

Well to start, it's sport or select shift, not sequential but what I mean is to go from reverse to neutral to drive. Allow the trans a couple seconds to fully engage into each gear, then switch back and forth at least 8-10 times to ensure the fluid has made its way fully into the valve body, torque converter, solenoids, actuators etc... for you to get a proper reading on the level of the fluid on a level surface at normal operating temperature in park. Make sure it's just barely dribbling out of that hole by the wheel, not enough and you'll have problems and too much will give you shifting issues as well. Good luck and thanks for the comment!

[@ibrahimalrayes5136]

Hello friend , I've Ford fusion 2014 2.5 When i change the fluid do i have to keep the car hot and second thing is while am adding and draining fluid i have to put gear on natural? Thanks a lot.

[@ChevyMalibu69]

You don't have to keep the car hot, it can be cold just after you add the fluid get it up to operating temperature and then check the level, the mercon lv fluid heats up and expands so it has to be hot to ensure you have the right level. To answer the second question no it doesn't have to be in neutral leave it in park.

[@sansaandsandisk]

Hey boss your videos are great man ive got the exact same car just wondering if you could do one with adding an amp. Having trouble with taking off face

[@kevincoughlin8087]

Did you look under the air intake tube under the hood?? I thought there was trans dip stick under there.

[@ChevyMalibu69]

No, the part you're talking about is just the trans fill and there's a cap there but no dipstick

[@Anthonythesider]

You have to keep draining and adding to get the rest of the old fluid out

[@ChevyMalibu69]

No, you don't, I have over 220k on the stock trans with no issues from doing the trans service exactly the way I do it every 10k. It works just fine this way, the way you're referring to is just wasteful.

[@1dlb]

thanks man - excellent video !!!

[@ChevyMalibu69]

You're welcome, glad I can help!

[@vertboyz]

#Craig's Channel -- will changing the Transmission oil, will it stop the transmission from switching gears so hard??

[@ChevyMalibu69]

Well it's a possibility, but I don't it unless the fluid is really old, there's a couple things that can be done but by the dealer unfortunately one is you can find out if you have the latest software for the pcm to correct any hard shifts or any issues that ford might've corrected in past years, the second thing is to have gave the adaptive learning memory reset, the transmission actually learns how you drive and it changes pressures and shift points to that style of driving. If you didn't buy the car new and someone else drove it like an animal then it learned itself to that driving style and it has to be reset if that's not the way that you want it. Me personally I do drive mine like a nut and I prefer the firm shifts and honestly the firm shifts is better for the trans when the clutches and bands engage it's better that they do it quick and snap in as opposed to slow where they slip the friction material lasts longer. I change my trans oil every 10k or so I know it's frequent but worth it if it makes the trans last longer, plus the fact that Ford in all their wisdom made the filter unservicable it's better to change it more often as well

[@zzman5306]

It can. You might try Lubegard red too

[@shaun9401]

where will the transmission filter be

[@ChevyMalibu69]

Lol...buried inside the transmission, it's not a serviceable item. That's why the fluid should be changed more frequently, I do mine every 10k roughly

[@shaun9401]

Craig's Channel wow lol thank you !

[@hotamber22]

4.5 qts is exact if i let it drain to a stop then fill. 2013 MKZ 2.0 fwd

[@garrettm7993]

Hey Fordtechmaculoco released a new vid for trans fluid changes on this transmission. The one he changed in the vid had 100k miles on it, towards the end of the vid he leveled off the fluid and it was still super dark. Just a heads up that you might wanna change it again soon to get some of the crud out

[@ChevyMalibu69]

Thank you very much, I will check it out.

[@CombatDoc54]

I agree. I just watched that one also from Fordtechmaculoco. Changing it one more time or even 2 more times might help. I just wonder if the new fluid is picking up crap from the "non-serviceable" filter.

[@ChevyMalibu69]

The fluid breaks down fast causing it to turn black....ford recommends changing it every 150k which is ridiculous. I've already changed mine again and obviously it was still black. There is no way to change the color unless you swap out all the fluid and obviously that can't be done unless you drop trans and rebuild or do a trans flush, which I'm not even sure that even that would do the job

[@CombatDoc54]

@@ChevyMalibu69 I was wondering also if it would be best to change over to Synthetic. I could put a Fumoto drain on it and send it to Amsoil for an analysis.

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

Like it told many people, if you want to do a true flush you need to keep adding fluid whilst the engine is running in idle until the fluid stops coming out of the overflow hole dirty. When you see clean fluid coming out you're good. What's done in this video is better than nothing, but it's not a true flush... it's a half-ass flush.

[@woek3207]

I have a question. In the video. 4m59s. Why near the cap was covered with oil? Might It's oil leak? My fusion is same sympton.. (Sorry. I dont speak english..haha)

[@ChevyMalibu69]

It's probably just from oil that I may have spilled from taking the funnel out. There was probably residual oil in funnel

[@woek3207]

@@ChevyMalibu69 thank you. I feel relieved to hear that

[@D-Major_Beats]

So about how quarts of fluid you think you used

[@ChevyMalibu69]

I started off with 4 quarts then added from there after car was hot idling in park, pulled plug by left front wheel and when fluid was just starting to dribble out I was done fluid was up to level it wound up being around 4.5qts

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

@@ChevyMalibu69 You need to run more fluid than that to get it to come out clean.

[@zzman5306]

Buy 5 qts. Add 4.5 quarts

[@zx128ks]

Craig, do you remeber how many quarts of old fluid came out?

[@ChevyMalibu69]

Yes it was roughly 4 quarts....start there then add accordingly

[@zx128ks]

@@ChevyMalibu69 thanks

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

It does not matter because ultimately you need to fill the trans with fluid until it stops coming out of the overflow hole.

[@ChevyMalibu69]

@@MrChris-bx7ss of course it matters it's a starting point, gives the person an idea of how many quarts to purchase, the fluid isn't cheap...the idea of just dumping quart after quart into the trans until it comes out clean is dumb and wasteful

[@zzman5306]

4.5 qts is about right

[@omar64rock]

friend How do you level the transmission oil? Is it when you throw oil through the screw, does it mean that it is level?

[@ChevyMalibu69]

When the fluid just barely drips out of the hole in the side of the transmission behind the drivers front wheel. It must be hot at normal operating temperature idling in park to properly check level

[@fabriziol4776]

Hello Craig. I have a Fusion 2014 2.0 titanium. What is the recommended amount of fluid? Thanks in advance. Btw, it is front wheel drive.

[@ChevyMalibu69]

Well, I don't know off hand to be perfectly honest, I would just do what I did buy about 6, 7 quarts, drop the old fluid and start with 4 quarts of fresh stuff and take it from there....most likely it be much more than 5 quarts with a drain and fill

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

Buy about 13 quarts and run it through till it comes out clean and save any extra unused fluid for next time.

[@zzman5306]

For a drain and fill buy 5 qts. Add 4.5.

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

Just keep pouring new fluid in while the engine is running until you see the fluid stop coming out black and more like new fluid. I Buy about 13 quarts and keep the fluid flowing through the trans until it comes out clean.

[@hillwood24]

I was just thinking that same thing after watching the video. It would sure make it easier than several drain and fills

[@F-16Viper72]

Nice. Got the same exact car. Same wheels and everything. A 2015, with the teracotta package (like yours). My cars got 107k miles. Engine runs real good. But the trans sucks at shifting during city driving. Doesn’t slip but surges way too much and kicks hard for lowering gears. Ive done a few software things using fords ids software and fords vcm. I cleared the table and it shifted real smooth right after but started to kick super hard from park to drive and park to reverse. A few hours later went back to how its always been. So my next step is a flush. Wish ford could do their transmissions like they do their interior quality.

[@johnsheets2976]

Did a flush ever help you? I'm at about 90k and I thought clearing the tables would help because I have the same issues, just really hard shifts in lower gears with slight surging. If clearing the tables didn't do anything this was my next step

[@Bulgie]

@@johnsheets2976 wife has same car. They all shift the same. I had the trans relearning reset and a few days it was back to shifting hard again. I doubt new fluid will fix it. I'm at 73k. I am curious if new fluid improve on the hard shift though. LMK If it works for you. Tnx.

[@knockywigglesworth1909]

Yeah, ask a transmission guy about 100_150k trans fluid changes😅

[@Deucealive75]

You may be overfull. You should drive the car a few miles of stop and go to heat it up, then check it. If you are right on full cold you will be overfull when hot.

[@MrChris-bx7ss]

Good idea you can easily check the overflow drain hole while the car is parked on level ground after you have driven the car a few miles.

[@zzman5306]

4.5 qts added is about right