Q: Transmission fluid

If you are having problems with your transmission, assuming that your vehicle is equipped with a dipstick to check the fluid level, first make sure the fluid level is correct. Incorrect fluid level can cause transmission problems. Assuming normal service conditions (as opposed to "severe" service which is prolonged idling, trailer towing, etc), the automatic transmission fluid on your vehicle is supposed to be changed every 60,000 miles, according to Ford. The amount of excess wear, or damage, that might occur if you don’t change the fluid as required is hard to assess without examining the transmission. And, any present difficulties you might be having could be unrelated to the fluid condition. It will be most cost effective to diagnose the difficulty you are having with the transmission, for example shift problems, before you change the fluid. This is because if, say, the transmission oil pan has to be removed to work on the valve body (a common area where faults occur) that itself will require removal of all the fluid. So, you don’t want to just change the fluid, find out that the change doesn’t fix your issue and then have to remove all the fluid again as a consequence of a belated diagnostic that might identify an internal fault. So, the bottom line is start with a diagnostic, see where that goes and hopefully you’’ll find that the transmission is repairable and you can coordinate the repair with the fluid change. A certified mechanic from YourMechanic can guide you through this whole process and hopefully get your car restored to top condition as quickly as possible.