I just bought my TF only a few days ago, (beautiful car, just love waking up and seeing it in my drive way :D ) and I checked the auto trans fliud and it looks a burnt brown colour, not a kinda red colour, as far as I know this means the fliud is due for a change. Im going to do the change myself, just wanted to double check is it as straight forward as...
1. warm up engine to operating temp
2. Jack front of car up
3. Remove dipstick and remove drain plug with catcher under neath
4. Remove top mounted trans fluid filter
5. Once all fluid has drained reinstall drain plug
6.Install new filter (is it necessary to apply anything to the filter gasket to help it seal? ie: oil filter u apply clean engine oil to the gasket.)
7. refill with new fluid with roughly same amount as taken out, start car go thru all gears, with car idling in park check level and add as necessary being careful not to overfill
8. reinsert dipstick and ur ready to go.

Anything I missed, or anything to be careful of?

You should really do a flush as the torque converter will still be full of dirty old fluid.
I would highly recommend getting the auto serviced as nothing can beat this.

Thanks for the advice, I just read that in an old post after doing a search about the torque converter, I think a flush is the go. Thanks again.

Got pics of your car dude???

Nah no pics just yet, at the moment its completely stock besides some fairly nice ICE and a mitsu sticker on the back windscreen, no big mods planned besides some nice 17's, lowering and basic things like tinting, colour matching skirts, verada head lights and a few other little things, and not to mention insurance :oops: . And Ive got a small loan to pay off aswell :? , but it was worth it. :D . So its pretty much just a matter of time.

Good on ya buddy for getting a Magna.

is your TF 3.0L Auto? or Manual?

Soon you'll be doing things like Air filter, Cat back Exhaust, Extractors and Big subwoofers. just you wait. HAHA... the car has a way with getting things on.

Mines just an auto :cry: , woulda luved to have got a 3.5 manual, I just didnt have enough patience and budget didnt allow it. :( . And Ive already got my sub in their kickin away, Clarion 10 inch 400 watt, and a set of pioneer balde splits up front, both running off my 1000 watt 4 way BOSS amp, along with my pioneer 5550mp head unit, dam its sexy 8) . And some jensen 6x9s runnig straight off my head unit for some rear fill, it all added up to a nice sounding and balanced system :D , with out spending too muchmoney. ;) .

man, how much was your amp? head unit? Rear 6x9s? your 10" sub? all add up to???? $1500 my guess?

my sound system needs an upgrade, yeah, at first, i didn't go full out, just got some 400W 4way 6x9s at the rear and they keep me happy, it cost me $170. my Head unit cost me $300.

as you can see from my prices, they aren't the best stuff, but they are clear and they can be loud too. not as much bass as some of your cars, but i don't really listen to heavy duff duff music. I spent the other money on filter, extractor. car is working out well

Prices for all parts....

Head unit-rrp $599, got it on special for $399 :D
BOSS Amp: $300, includes low and high pass filter, 4 channel x 250 watt.
Blade splits: $339
6x9's: $99, sound real good for the price :D
Clarion sub + suited box: $110 @ mates rates ;)

so all up about the system set me back about $1250, plus a little extra for all the wires and RCA's needed, I reckon I did pretty well for that price. And the best part is I had it all in my car after owning the car for just a week. 8) , ignoring the fact that Im now broke :( .

And the best part is I had it all in my car after owning the car for just a week. 8) , ignoring the fact that Im now broke AND A 1L CHARADE WILL STILL BEAT IT :( .

least your stereo sounds better than mine dude, and u can accelerate with more than 1 passenger in the car :lol:

still be cheaper to buy the fluid and flush it yourself... ill ask around on how to do it, i know there is aux out for where coolers can be mounted i think. has something todo withthem

Yeah could be if you have the patience, but still not a real lot cheaper :? . Does anyone know how much genuine trans fluid is from mitsu? And also the trans fluid filter? Its for my TF by the way. Any ideas turbo_hairdresser :badgrin: ?

If you can be bothered to search FordForums.com there is a guide somewhere in the forums that I can remember reading a DIY on how to flush the auto fluid in a Falcon. It should be pretty much the same... if you can find it :) The forums there have gone all whack.

ok when you notice the fluid to change color that means the oil has lost it's properties after that the belts start to burn out and you oil will start to go black... after that you will have a gearbox full of nerterals. </poor spelling>

When you change your oil MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TYPE !!! otherwise you stuff up your gearbox for a total refill you are looking at about $60 odd to refill it. (check with your workshop manual before you do anything!!!)

Ok transmission oil should be changed about every 6 to 8 months otherwise your car will end up like my sister's tarago did @ the start of jan...

I ask her 6 months pior to get the oil in her transmision changed but she woulden't (it cost to much) 2 days before I had to start on a major job the gearbox died (revirse diden't want to work and I got jack S**t power out of first) after checking the oil (what little was there was black) I declared the gearbox was toast...

Now most people I called said it would cost $2000 min and 2 to 3 weeks to fix, so I basicly called the wrecker where I mannage to source a gearbox for about $360 and got someone to fit it for another $200 in one day (I diden't have the tools to do the job)

The moral of the story is... gearboxes in older cars are fragile and they need to be treated like gold..

Ok transmission oil should be changed about every 6 to 8 months otherwise your car will end up like my sister's tarago did @ the start of jan...


Are you sure 6-8 months is right? Maybe on older cars but my thoughts were it was only like once every 2 years??? :? I spose the best way to judge it is the condition of the fluid itself, and also driving habits may mean shorter fluid change intervals i suppose.

I'd say every 50,000 Km in normal driving.. but like you said it depends on the conditions.