mpatilla

Had auto transmission fluid and filter changed yesterday at the local Ford dealership. Today, I have noticed that when I am accelerating from a dead stop that there is a medium/high pitch whine that increases in pitch with acceleration up to about 15-20 mph then disappears. Noise reappears at same speed when I am slowing down to stop and decreases in pitch as I slow down and then disappears when I completely stop. Did they screw something up, or does this sound normal? Car has about 43K miles.

Noise is definitely coming from the trans area.

Thanks!

Joshspony

Is the fluid level good? Maybe take it back to them. My car has about 34k on it and I had the trans fluid and filter changed at 30k and never heard anything like that.

chronos

There should be no noises coming from the transmission. Any noise is a bad thing from that component. The fluid level may be low. Take it back pronto and have them check it out.

tx_zstang

Not good, not normal, especially since it didnt do that before!

bobs184

I'm going in for mine tomorrow, at 32,000 miles exactly. Hopefully I won't have any problems. I'm looking forward to sharper shifts again, and no noise hopefully.

mpatilla

Thanks for all of your responses. I enjoyed looking at the pictures you guys have in your sigs. I need to do the same.

I'm hoping it is just low fluid level. The bad thing is that, with my work, it is hard to have time to take the car in. It has been sitting in my garage since the day after the trans service. I drove it tonight just for a few minutes hoping the noise had gone away. It was still there but really intermittent, sometimes it did it, sometimes not. It only seems to happen when I have gotten up into 5th, and slowed back down to a stop. The noise is kind of a whistling sound, like a bomb dropping from the sky on cartoons, you know what I mean?

When I drove the car tonight, it didn't do it on acceleration, only when slowing down. Have any of you guys ever experienced that before?

mpatilla

Update on the trans situation...

I took it in today and they looked at it and said that it was one pint low on fluid. After they filled it, I drove it and it seemed fine, so I drove it on an out-of-town trip (about 100 miles from home). Then, it began howling a little at around 60 mph, particularly on deceleration, coming to a stop sign or whatever. That sound got quieter and less regular as I drove more. It is shifting fine with no problems there, but it is weird that all of these noises have started happening after they serviced my transmission.

satur9poet

If that were me and the noise/problem persisted after taking it twice to the same dealership, I'd take it to a different Ford dealership if possible for another opinion. Changing the tranny fluid is a BASIC maintenance component; they should've added the correct amount the FIRST time.

Joshspony

Amen ^^

chronos

I agree they should have gotten it correct the first time, but that is exactly why I don't trust anyone to do work for me. They claim to be trained professionals, and they are barely a grease monkey. This problem is created because they eliminated the dipstick on the tranny making it more difficult to judge when it is filled. When you do a tranny drain, you have to fill it, run it, and add more as needed. It takes time for the fluid to get pumped around to all the proper areas. They probably just put in the required amount until it dripped out, said "It's looks full to me." and shipped it out the door. That is why even though it is more trouble than a regular tranny, I will certainly be doing mine myself when that time comes along.

Trannys are very funny animals and you have to know the temperament of each one. For example on my truck the Dodge trannys (46RE) don't pump in park. So you have to know to read the level in Neutral. It will read full in park, and low in neutral. Ford I'm sure has it's little oddities which is smart to learn so you can understand your vehicle better.