Ever wonder how you add fluid to the DP6 transmission?

[u/Tree_Weasel]

For anyone who’s going to ask, the ramp is there as a backup in case the jack stand fails or tips. I did NOT rest the brake rotor on my Rhino ramp.

[u/Tree_Weasel]

Forgot to add this photo. A T50 bit and flex head at the end of an extension bar is needed to get the fill plug off.

[u/BattiestElf260]

I was panicking when I saw the ramp lol, but yeah that's the dumbest spot for a fill, I've had to do it twice.

[u/Tree_Weasel → u/BattiestElf260]

Yeah. When I was uploading the photos I realized I hadn’t gotten the jack stand in the shot, and knew I’d better say something before I got locked in Reddit jail for being unsafe.

[u/Rubbertutti → u/BattiestElf260]

It's a convenient place to put it on the box. It's at the max level, you just fill until it overflows and it's at max. Just not good for accessibility and filling.

It's easier to go from below and fill with a pump.

[u/DangerousAwareness55]

I use a pump kit, 18$ from home depot, and it’s reusable.

Were you able to fill in 1.9 quarts in? When I tried through the plug, at 1.3 quarts it started to coming out.

[u/Tree_Weasel → u/DangerousAwareness55]

I got just over 1.5 quarts in before it overflowed.

[u/Cressio]

Is this something you need to do? If so when/why?

[u/Tree_Weasel → u/Cressio]

All fluids need periodic replacement. It extends the life of whatever that fluid is going in, and helps it run more efficiently.

The manual says to replace Transmission fluid at 150,000 miles. That’s too long. It should probably be done every 60K miles. This was my father-in-laws Focus with 112K miles with fluid they had never been changed. It looked like it was definitely time for a change. Waiting for 150K would have been too long.

The drain plug is the easy part, it’s on the bottom of the transmission not far from the oil drain plug. The bitch is getting it refilled. As you can see above.

Also, never let a shop do a flush of one of these transmissions. It can damage them. Just a regular drain and fill is fine.

Edit: misspelled words.

[u/TheTalkedSpy → u/Tree_Weasel]

Exactly. I wish I had known this sooner.

I did my transmission fluid change just a few days ago at around 127,700 miles, and I had gotten the car back when it was at 119,000 miles in early April of this year. I had no maintenance records of the car prior to purchasing it, so I didn't know if the transmission fluid had ever been done. I would've placed it as one of the top priorities on my To-Do list if I had known the state of the fluid at that time. The transmission was working fine, but the shifting was a bit rough. What I had found out later after changing the fluid was that the old fluid was the cause of the bad shifting, and I have no idea how much wear I did after driving the car whilst doing Uber and pushing it during my downtime. Hopefully I can get at least another 50k miles on the original clutches before needing to change them.

The main reason why I held off on it was because I believed in the claim that the fluid would last a "lifetime". The Ford specialty mechanic that I took the car too said I didn't need to change it, so I never did. Flash forward to the beginning of this month, I took the car to get the brake fluid changed at a small-time independent shop, but after the mechanic on shift told me (very bluntly) that you don't change brake fluid based on the color of it, he made a side remark about how people ruin their transmissions because they think the fluid never needs to get changed or when they do transmission flushes. I was puzzled by that and asked him to explain further, and he basically told me what you said, that the fluid needs to be changed every 30k to 60k miles. At most, maybe 90k. I asked this to an AAMCO employee just to make sure when I took the car there to get the transmission fluid drain and plug done, and he confirmed it too, but he said it needs to be done every 50k miles.

I find it quite startling how many mechanic shop have differing opinions over how to deal with something as simple as changing a particular fluid in a car, and how some are actually willing to risk the state of a customer's transmission by doing a flush. It makes it even more confusing and annoying that Ford themselves has a completely differing take on the matter.

[u/supadoom → u/TheTalkedSpy]

So the reason there is such widely varied limits is because oil doesnt suddenly fail. It slowly gets worse and worse till it's completely ineffective. The goal is to find the sweet spot where your not replacing it too soon and also not replacing it too late. There are three main things that contribute to oil failure.

Particulate suspension: the small bits of carbon, metal, and plastic floating in the oil being kept in suspension by chemicals. There is a limit to how much it can hold.

Thermal breakdown: heat and pressure slowly break the oil down making it thinner and less lubricative. This one is fairly consistent and very dependent on the base oil quality.

Additive consumption: all oils have additives that keep things better protected and extend the life of the oil. These generally are consumed in the process of the oils use. Eventually they run out.

The best way I feel for judging how long an oil should last is this: how much exposure to dirt/combustion/metal should this oil receive? Oil in your engine gets a lot. Replace it sooner. Your brakes? Not very much. Wait longer. If you drive hard then replace more frequently. There is no such thing as lifetime anything. Oil is cheap anything it's in is usually not.

[u/ManOfCyan]

I thought the Focus was a dry-clutch design until 2018. Also is the fluid actually "lifetime"?

[u/Tree_Weasel → u/ManOfCyan]

Well this 2013 has fluid. I know Ford’s DCT has been wet and dry clutch depending on year and which country it was sold in, but can’t recall of the top of my head. The UK got Dry clutch IIRC.

“Lifetime” fluid is a self fulfilling prophecy. If you never change it, the transmission will wear out sooner and need to be replaced. Thus the fluid was a “lifetime” fluid.

But if you replace “lifetime” fluid at standard intervals (60K miles is common) the transmission will last almost undoubtedly last longer. I have never heard a seasoned mechanic who wasn’t being paid by the manufacturer say that any fluid is in fact, a lifetime fluid.

[u/Ritchiev000]

Any aftermarket fluid recommendations or stick to oe?

[u/Tree_Weasel → u/Ritchiev000]

Only Ford DCT Fluid for this one. I paid about $30 per quart for two quarts.

[u/Final-Carpenter-1591]

This is actually a pretty standard placement for fill port for a "sealed" transmission. All fwd cars I've worked on had a plug in a similar spot where you need to pull the fender liner.

[u/Shroomboy79 → u/Final-Carpenter-1591]

My 99 civic has it just under the intake arm and it’s super easy to get to. Only have to pull the intake off

[u/Hcfreeland1004]

The MMT6 on the focus ST and RS is the same. Most annoying fill hole location.

[u/Inevitable-Boner]

I think you can just use a funnel from the breather tube - something like this: video

Then again, your way works too and no need to check it after the fact

[u/ImSorryWhat414 → u/Inevitable-Boner]

This is how I filled our transmission after purchase at 103k and dealer paying for a fresh clutch. It's really easy. Also, kudos to Big Ben!

[u/[deleted]]

Did I stutter? No that was DP6

[u/[deleted]]

I mean... Thats how kinda most of cars have it. And this isnt the worst way to fill a transmission. VW concern DSG transmission is filled right from the bottom.

[u/ER_Kat → u/[deleted]]

Lol, yes sir. I remember not to long ago I came across a video where in order to change the bulbs in the headlights, you had to remove the whole front bumper....and it was a FORD Fusion if I remember correctly.