12 years in the future you are still helping people that should feel great thanks bro I didnt knew that as am looking now at my 2002 ford explorer.💯💯

This video is great nobody knew how to check the fluid in my mountaineer until I saw your video. Thanks. Make them long the more the better.

Brian, Take as much time as you think is nessesary on your videos. You are a gifted teacher. Very thorough but easy to listen to, easy to understand, and entertaining too. You give lots of the little tips and tricks that are invaluable. Thank you for making these videos.

Gotta love the 5R55W. Ford also used this transmission in 2005 and up Mustangs with an automatic. I used to work at a Ford dealership & I bought the special fill tool for them. I think I paid $20 or so for it. Keep up these vids!

Thank you for putting this out there for the "Every Man." Informative with humor. Love it! Keep them coming!!!

I am a female and that helped me out a lot because I have a Mercury Mountaineer now I understand what he's going to have to go through at the garage to take out my transmission and also I have a few more questions for the man at the garage so yes this video helped me out a lot... Thank you so very much...

Very good. It not only answered my question of how to check the fluid but a good way to fill the thing. You got to the point and showed relevant information.

I am glad you didn't do a 45 second video. You added lots of good tips.

The nut is a t-30. Get a fluid pump from Wal-Mart. The fill tool is CTA 7420 and Lubrimatic 55001. It screws into the hole and you connect the pump to the flared end. Pump fluid into the pan. Then warm the engine thru all the gears. Then remove the tubing and let it drain until it dribbles with the engine running. Remove the fitting. Install the torx fitting.

Thanks Brian for posting this. I noticed mine was shifting hard so when I got home I opened the hood to check the fluid and thought I was losing my mind. Off to the dealer it goes for a fluid change.

Very helpful! You helped me catch the Midas dudes lie to me and over charge me! It was classic! 🤣 because you were so kind to show all of this I figured I’d just take it in and they would do it but no no no... they saw lil blonde and and thought they could just get away without doing it and I wouldn’t know😳 you should have seen their faces (3 of them 🤥) when they heard me say “how did you fill it?...I mean since it’s a closed system?” They we’re looking everywhere for a dipstick and I didn’t have the heart to say “I’m looking at three of them right now!”😂I was nice🙏but I did get a complete refund from Corp! So thx so much!!! Keep it up!🙏❤️🙏

For what I needed, that was perfect. Short & right to the point. Thank you. This was a big help.

I use a 2 gallon pump sprayer I bought at Ace hardware to add transmission fluid. The tip on the wand is a perfect fit to the plug hole. I can't get under the running boards on my explorer unless I jack it up and the wand can reach it without me using my jack and jack stands.

You rambled for 8:00 and explained how to check the fluid in 00:23 seconds, but in those seconds I learned more than I have ever learned from a video. I appreciate you.

What was real slick was a drill pump,I spent 6 weeks,after work ,and my weekend's off .In my yard on stands and 2 jacks changed our my /02 explorer transmission, never want to do that again. Happy Sunday, God bless 🇨🇦

Yay! Thank you so much for posting this video! Had my 03 Explorer in the shop because the alternator went, and of course, they checked everything else. Told me "no dipstick" to check transmission fluid, that I had to take it to a transmission shop to have it serviced. Lol. Not now! My mechanic, who's much cheaper and more honest, is gong to change the fluid and the filter now. So happy! 😁

Thank you. I just bought a 2005 Explorer. Shame on the design team that thought this was a good idea.

Very informative. Internal viewing of drain/fill plug was even better. Good job brother. Keep these videos coming for old school shade tree mechanics. Dipstick would have been ALOT easier!

Thank you for posting this i have the same exact one and had to change the radiator twice i got it with 94k miles on it it needed a new radiator then i hit something on the freeway so transmission fluid leaked during the changing and haven't had the chance to add but shops wanted to charge 40 bucks saying the process is complicated lol your a life saver

Hey Brian, thanks for the information. My Mountaineer came to me used. I found the plug had been abused and stripped but also that it is very soft & I was able to tap a 3/16 "allen" bit into it to get it out. The stand pipe & plug threads are 1/8" pipe so if you wanted to get fancy you could get a fitting to go directly to your tubing. Of course they make a tool but your way is a bunch cheaper. Gotta love the "sealed unit" thinking only to find that front seal leaks seem to be common. Your pressure fill device is awesome - thank you! With the cat so close it's good to make it as easy on yourself as you can under there ("running, normal temp + level, etc.") Thanks again & keep the vids coming they are much appreciated!

I didn’t read through all the comments yet, so this may have been covered in one of them, but I have a 2007 Mountaineer with the 4.6L V8. I was trying to follow your video on filling the transmission fluid, but wasn’t getting very far as I couldn’t locate the drain plug to save my life. This may apply only to models build before or after a certain date, but there is actually a yellow plastic plug that screws into the upper side of the transmission that has what you might call a dipstick. I found this out when I broke down and took the car to a Ford QuickLane service location. Apparently the car has to be up on a lift to locate it. In my case, the dipstick part of the plug had actually broken off at one time and was long gone. The dealership had one on hand, so they just gave it to me. Anyway, I thought that was interesting. Loved the video anyway, and love your channel!

Very nice and it was helpful showing the disassembled oil pan and plug. I couldn't wrap my mind around how one hole was for drain and fill but after seeing it, I now understand.

Video is informative and helped me do the job. Taking the pan off and showing whats inside helped me see what I was working with. Appreciate the time you took to make it.

Great description of how the valve backflows. Now understand it. Thanks

Your Videos are very good and you dont miss one detail Now I own an Explorer 07 eddie Bauer Super clean and I just cant seem to want to get rid if it!! So my constant Maintenance is a plus but I never understood Why a sealed system was ever invented The only thing its good for is so the Dealerships can Rake customers over the coals and charge A big amount of money to service them …. So guys like you and I do it ourselves and You deliver easy step by step instructions So once again Thanks and ill keep going to you vids when i have a grey area on any repair or maintenance issue!!

Sounds like a regular garden type pump sprayer would be easier to service the trans. You can easily pressurize it and it already comes with a trigger and a small hose.

I appreciate the response no matter the time lenght. After researching the web about my Ford, I have determined that it was a mistake buying this truck!! The transmission fluid Ford original chose to use with this truck's trany seems to be what is causing the problem from the start. Someone figured out that the Ford's tranny fluid causes the solenoid responsible for the gears to be able to shift to burn out. 1st time at 33k miles/2nd at 95k $800 x 2=$1600. I'M NEVER BUYING A FORS EVER AGAIN!!

Thanks for the video. Wish you were in MD I'm dealing with transmission problems now and my mechanic can't find anything wrong yet! I looked for the dipstick and couldn't find it figured it was something weird - you confirmed that at least.

Hey there Brian, I had an idea close to what you thought of with using the jug and hose and air-pressure to fill the transmission. But your idea is better, my idea was to put the filler-hose at the bottom, but putting it through the cap to the bottom of the jug is better. Thanks for showing your idea on youtube.

“A Gay Design” Legend

Took my daughter out to see Tangled again last night- she insisted on charging the screne and unabashedly dancing her lil stuff off at the end. I thought I'd loose her in the crowd!

I was afraid of this. Thanks for posting. Very well spoken.

dont forget the vehicle needs to be level too, i like the longer vids, more detail the better. thanks.

Thank you this helped a lot I was trying to figure out how to check on my vehicle and my uncles called me crazy that I couldn’t find it so they tried looking for it too and they could t find it either so I seemed less crazy

Worked for Ford dealerships over 20 years. Been told by a few Reps that Ford didn't want people to add and overfill transmissions for the Explorer/Mountaineer. I can understand that overfilling a automatic transmission is bad but did Ford really think that these transmissions were never going to leak?

This is truly unbelievable! I was told 4 out of 6 guys that looked under the hood when I asked, "where's the dip stick to check the tranny fluid?" The answer was got to take it in to be served. Yeah right, $$$$$ To check fluid?!? What really? ! Well mechanics, yeah, you took this blonde for a $$$$ ride many times, but not this time! By the way the only answer I ever got, take it in to be served. Please! I'm learning computers without guidance and finally it pays off. AND THANK YOU U-TUB! HATES OFF!!!!

right on for the info they dont like to tell you these things when you get the vehicle

@MikesFitnessGoals You're welcome- thanks for the feedback.

Man.., thanks for taking your time and give us that very helpful explanation and instructions. Thanks again!

Very explanatory,thank you very much...I'm learning a lot from you...

Thanks for the extra explaining and showing. That helps so much.

I thank you so much for this video. I know I would have never of found how to check my damn transmission fluid if I hadn't of found your video. I don't know who come up with the idea to do it that way, but what a moron. I will definitely check in with you on different things that I might need answers too. Just bought my Mountaineer and love it. Used vehicle so there is always going to be little things I'll want to replace and fix. Just to make sure that I take care of my vehicle. Thank you so much.

Can you actually show the filling of this. We are plagued with issues, so this was most helpful. Thank you

First off thank you for making this video. I learned some new tricks. Very informative and great detail. Terry

Your vids are a good length right now, I wouldn't shorten them. I've watched many of them over the last few days and I haven't been bored yet. Hey, could you do a general ed vid about working with jacks/jackstands and safely working under cars without a lift? Thanks.

'I know alot of eyebrows are getting crinkled in the middle...' I was doing that exact same thing as you said it. Had me laughing out loud. Keep it up man! Cheers!

Yeah you should Skip previous experiences with other makes of cars. And other irrelevant information. But thank you for answering how To check and top off transmission fluid. Very helpful.

For sure. Plus they want to service it- more money and then you're there looking at the new stuff on the lot.

@counkev They're all switch'n it up. I did an Acura MDX 2005 today that did have a dipstick, but you checked it with the engine off and it had a separate fill plug in the top.

Thanks, this really helped me 'cause I have a 2003 Ford Explorer and their is no dipstick. Now I know what to do. I'm happy ... Thanks

Thanks a lot. I was scratching my head when I looked under my hood for the ATF dipstick.

Mercedes new 7 speed transmissions(722.9) and some Audis are exactly the same way and filled from the bottom. My 02 Explorer is the same way. This tool helps with all of them provided you have the fittings. Assenmacher Drive Line Filler System ATF1004-5MB

Glad for the video. I have used several of your videos, and it's always good to see it before you do it. Thanks

After replacing the filter I tie-wrapped a gallon jug to the driver handle and ran a small plastic hose up threw the fill plug hole from the jug and let it siphon into the pan overnight - slow but cheap & easy. BTW You'll need to push enough hose up through the hole to keep it from falling out.

You gave a good description

@djmincer The fluid in the case is DEX-MERC I believe (looks the same though) and yes you could theoretically crack it from over tightening, more likely it would leak from lack of teflon tape on the threads or being too loose.

Just a few tidbits of info on this particular vehicle. First off, the exhaust around the transmission comes factory with a Y pipe that does bolt out of the vehicle if yours does not then either the exhaust has been modified. Next you can actually buy an adapter plug that goes in the transmission where the torx bit goes. for about $10 to $15 at most parts stores. Also if the drain plug is damaged most parts stores carry replacement plugs as well. His jug idea however, is a great idea and pretty much what is used at most shops by professionals that do not use a big expensive machine. A word of advise for injecting the air into the jug go slow as to much pressure on a homemade jug can make plugs blow off the jug and make a huge mess. This design is by Ford is so crazy as on some models have a dipstick tube and some have this style it just varies by model and transmission also it is either a four speed or a five speed not a six speed. The four speed is a 4R44E and the five speed is a 5R55E the difference is on the back of the transmission by the output shaft is an electric sensor that adds an extra gear between 1st and 2nd. Hope this helps some people as this is definitely not a do it yourself kind of job as the vehicle has to be level and not easy to do in your driveway with jacks and jack stands.

Great video. Really like the idea of the improvised pump.

How many quarts does this Job take?

Another weird thing with this gen. of Explorer/Mountaineer is the engine will shut down if you use the cruise control at low speeds. I can make my Explorer do it at will. When there's a slight elevation change, the trans doesn't shift in time to accommodate. So it's like doing 30-mph in 5th gear and suddenly going up a steep incline without shifting or engaging the clutch.

I guess my question is: why would you push transmission fluid through that nut looking hole when you can add transmission fluid through the pipe where the transmission stick goes ? Am I missing something here ?

good video, to fill the transmission with new oil I used an old fuel pump, it works just fine but have to let the fuel pump cool off for a bit and then again, tried a hand pump too but im abit lazy!

Great info... Got the same situation with my 2003 Ford Explorer. Mike in LA, Calif

Strange design, but I like how you designed your filler!

i gotta support mikesfitnessgoals it was a really nice vid full of details

My 5r55 has a dipstick. 2010 model year. Don't know what the deal is with this one, but it's not the way god intended.

Thank you very much. I liked and subscribed. Very informative and very appreciated.

This is the craziest shit I've ever seen just to refill the transmission fluid..

Depends who's doing it. I recommend getting some quotes from local places that do this work near you.

You bet- thanks for saying so.

Glad that you discovered, otherwise I would have gone bananas looking for it on top! Very inconvenient Ford in comparison with most vehicles I've owned! Anyway thanks for sharing!

When you add and check the fluild level, is the vehicle running and in park?

I would think that tube on that bolt would be longer

Awesome man thanks for the video I was in the same boat looking for the dipstick and so funny about the crinkled eyebrow comment I didn't realize I was doing it until u said something then I started rolling 🤣🤣 ive never seen anything like this and am starting to regret buying my 07 awesome video tho thank u

@ronnyfry89 Thanks for the feedback. It seems that's the popular vote.

I have 2004 ford explorer and I was at least trying to put transmission fluid in but I don't see that part anywhere under my hood

@84W150 Thanks for the heads up on the Mustangs.

great advise now I know how to check the fluid,keep up the good work

I think the vehicle has to be cranked up to check the transmission fluid was that a allen wrench or was it a star-shaped I got a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer

brian there is another fill plug on the 5r55w transmission on the driverside toward almost to the top by the cross member Take a look you will see it there

Great explanantion and macguyver tool. Thanks.

this video helped me a lot..thank you for the help

I like the longer vids. And your opinions Mainly because I think alot of the same way as you LOL

Glad I could help out- take hope.

Awesome video, it just answered our question! Thanks!

Thanks for info looked half hour for trans stick void was great

HAHA you are 100% correct my eyebrow did crinckle when you said you fill the transmission fluid from the small hole! And so are all the new cars like this now, because on my 2001 Camry Automatic there is a dipstick also for my cousins 2005 Camry and for newer cars I can't find them.

@mack11223 Search OTC 303-D104 Oil Suction Gun around $40-50 and worth it. You could also use brains set up, but i recommend using the transmission fluid adapter (search OTC 6604 transmission fluid fill adapter) The suction gun is just less messy and more easy. None the less brains set up is pretty smart for a home made set up.

Very helpful I have a 2006 mountaineer 4.6 v8 AWD and it's shifts hard

I'm so glad I don't have the Explorer with that transmission. I have a 95 with the 4r55e which is way more reliable then that 5r55w or whatever the hell they used.

Just got one of these 04 Explorers. (Exploders) Trans does not work, went to check the fluid and it brought me to you...ha. It would seem that maybe I bought a car that had a leak of trans fluid and trans stopped working...I want to add fluid and see if it works...(previous owner to lazy to get fluid into it I hope)...now, having watched your video, it would seem that the trans pan was so deep that you could "pre-fill" it to a level just above the tube height and then take care to install it. Would that be possible or is it an exhaust-in-the-way-frame-too bitch to get out? Also would be nice if when you had it off to install a oil drain plug of sorts at the uppermost level and then just fill it like you would rear-end diff fluid. Seems you could install a clear tube as you have and wrap it around the outside of the trans to seek/find true level of fluid in the thing as I'm sure tranny fluid as with water will find its own level in the tube where we as mechanics can see it.

Great Vid Brother! So Glad I don't have that model Mercury!

U use a hand pump to fill t30 with access tube. To clean remove pan.

I like that you make it easy for me thank you.

Which seal? The car was sold- I don't have it now.

I have a 2002 Explorer and just had transmission fluid and a new filter done today at transmission garage. Cost $130 due to the filter being changed at my request. Adding fluid only without changing the filter would have cost about $30.

nah make em long. That thing with peoples' short attention span don't apply if you're about to do the job..then you wanna know all. It's mainly about removing the fear factor, for the job is pretty obvious. It's a comfort to see it can be done tho...

You're welcome Rory!

@bristolfarms1 I don't know much about the GF brand. I use Edge and love it!

This video is yet another example of why I hate ford, and you said it PETA!