Trans fluid overflow?

[barkleymut]

My '00 XLT 2WD 4.0SOHC Explorer scared me yesterday when I dropped the trans. pan, changed the filter, bolted the pan back on correctly, then refilled with 4 1/2 qts of Mercon V. After the 4 qts were in and I was pouring in the last 1/2 I heard something under the car. There was a lot of AT fluid going into my waste container. I thought I had torn the gasket or something drastic. I have always thought that an AT was a closed system but it seems they may have an overflow. Does anyone know if this is directly behind the trans pan?

 

[96eb96]

My '00 XLT 2WD 4.0SOHC Explorer scared me yesterday when I dropped the trans. pan, changed the filter, bolted the pan back on correctly, then refilled with 4 1/2 qts of Mercon V. After the 4 qts were in and I was pouring in the last 1/2 I heard something under the car. There was a lot of AT fluid going into my waste container. I thought I had torn the gasket or something drastic. I have always thought that an AT was a closed system but it seems they may have an overflow. Does anyone know if this is directly behind the trans pan?

sounds like it went out the overflow tube. 4 1/2 is a lot of fluid to replace. I believe the 2wd takes a bit less even than the 4X4 in the pan.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! You have to add the fluid with the engine on or it will run out of the overfill tube.

 

[barkleymut]

Thanks for the replies. Brooklyn, out of curiosity why would you have to have the truck running when adding AT? Seems like once you cut it off the fluid would still settle back and start flowing out.

And can anyone tell me where the overflow is??? I want to make sure this is the problem and that I haven't torn the gasket. I haven't driven her since Sunday.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The tube starts from the rear, and goes to the front. The fluid gets drawn in while the pump is working, and it spreads the fluid throughout the transmission (torque converter, valve body, clutch plates etc). Just dumping fluid in only saturates the pan, and will cause it to overflow.

 

[BrooklynBay]

This is one of the links in # 14 in my list of useful threads: Dead Link Removed. It explains how to add transmission fluid.

 

[barkleymut]

Thanks, thats what I needed!

 

[TheJackal]

I had to put 5 quarts in my 2WD to get it full. No ATF regurgitation here.