Today, I dropped pan and drained some of the old ATF fluid out and refilled with new fluid. Detailed maintenance steps can by found: http://www.taurusclub.com/forum/98-solutions-common-problems-how-articles/134193-how-change-transmission-filter-your-gen-3-taurus.html
Of course, before start working, the car needs to be jacked up and securely supported by jackstands and wheel chucks.
First, remove all but the screws on drivers side. The bolt specification of my car is unknown. 5/16″ socket fits best. M6-1.0 x 16mm hex flanged cap screws works too. There are 19 bolts on my pan, try not to lose them. I lost one and that experience is maddening… I eventually found the lost screw. Next time, I will either put that back or replace all of them with the M6-1.0 x 16mm screws.
Let the ATF fluid drain for a bit. When the draining stops, remove the pan completely. Be aware that there are still considerable amount of the fluid in the pan at this point. Try to spill at little as possible, as it will not only make a smaller mess but also provide reference to the # of Qt that needed to be added back in.
According to the transmission fluid pan, mine tranny is a AX4N. The pan is equipped with a reusable gasket. Since this gasket is sort of bolted on the pan and looks much nicer than the king pro disposable one I bought, I decided to reuse the old gasket. I suspect to replace the gasket, one will need to just buy a OEM pan.
Once the pan is completely off, pull down to remove the ATF filter. Don’t forget to also remove the filter o-ring. A small flat-head screw driver and a pair of needle nose pliers will make the job significantly faster. In the mean time, try not to damage the inner surface of the aluminum tube inside which the o-ring is located.
The feel the slury the bottom of the pan and inspect the magnet. Mine feels smooth and there is no small pieces of metal. There are ~2mm thick fluffy impurities on the magnet. Not sure if this is a normal accumulation over two years or it’s because the previous owner did not drop pan when flushing tranny fluid. Clean the pan and magnet with Break cleaner. One can is most likely enough. I bought two on the safe side.
While waiting for the pan to air dry, wipe the mating surface on the transmission side to make sure it is smooth. Then bolt the pan back on. First get the bolts finger tight, then tighen in cross pattern until it is snug. If a torque wrench is available, torque to ~6-8ft*lb (9ft*lb max).
Since the collected old fluid measures ~6Qt (probably ~0.5Qt to 1Qt more including spill), replace 6Qt of new fluid. Checking underneath the car to make sure there is no leak. Don’t be fooled by the spilled ATF fluid flowing down the outside of dipstick tube.
Lower the car. Start the engine, let it run for a few min while pay attention to dashboard lights and car sound. Run the shifter from P to 1 and back a few times, then check fluid level. Add more fluid as needed.
Go driver around then come back and check fluid again.
Keep an eye on fluid level in the next few trips for leaks and levels.
