I have a 2021 Ford F250 with the 7.3 gas engine and the 10 speed transmission. It was bought new and has 20k on the odometer. Supposedly there is no scheduled maintenance on the transmission! I've always changed transmission fluid in all my previous trucks at 30k miles but the dealer says this will not need it. There is no dipstick!Also......... Is the 10 speed in my F250 7.3 gas the same as the 10 speed used in the F350 thru F550 with the 6.7 diesel engine????

It's the same transmission and you are correct there is no scheduled maintenance. That said, I've read that it's recommended you change the transmission fluid around 90k miles. I have a 2020 F350 6.7 and the transmission is starting to concern me. Aside from shifting very hard in 2 and 3 (it's always done that), the other day it shifted out of drive. I started to pull out of my drive and it just disengaged for about 10 seconds, coasted and then only revved until it banged into gear eventually. Thank goodness I hadn't pulled out onto a busy road. I've also had issues in 4WD. I was towing in some sand a few weeks ago and I put it in 4WD. it started to work fine at first and then wouldn't take fuel at all. It just died when I hit the the throttle. Of course I've had these things investigated at the dealer and they can't ever seem to replicate the issue. We are downsizing to a smaller motorhome and frankly I'll be glad to be rid of the truck. It's nice when it's working but I cringe at potential issues on such an expensive truck. I sleep better knowing it's still covered under warranty but I really worry about long term issues with it. Been lots of reported issues with the new transmissions and in most cases Ford doesn't want to step up.

yup. Transmissions are now "filled for life". My truck will be 12 years old soon and I have never even checked the transmission fluid level. I think I will change it soon though. I believe the only 10 spd trans available in the super duty is the 10R140, so it should be the same one.

way2roll wrote:It's the same transmission and you are correct there is no scheduled maintenance. That said, I've read that it's recommended you change the transmission fluid around 90k miles. I have a 2020 F350 6.7 and the transmission is starting to concern me. Aside from shifting very hard in 2 and 3 (it's always done that), the other day it shifted out of drive. I started to pull out of my drive and it just disengaged for about 10 seconds, coasted and then only revved until it banged into gear eventually. Thank goodness I hadn't pulled out onto a busy road. I've also had issues in 4WD. I was towing in some sand a few weeks ago and I put it in 4WD. it started to work fine at first and then wouldn't take fuel at all. It just died when I hit the the throttle. Of course I've had these things investigated at the dealer and they can't ever seem to replicate the issue. We are downsizing to a smaller motorhome and frankly I'll be glad to be rid of the truck. It's nice when it's working but I cringe at potential issues on such an expensive truck. I sleep better knowing it's still covered under warranty but I really worry about long term issues with it. Been lots of reported issues with the new transmissions and in most cases Ford doesn't want to step up.This 7.3 gas with the 10 speed pulls my 5th wheel as good as my old 2005 Ram 5.9 Cummins. I did not want a new diesel due to all the changes in recent years due to EPA regulations MPG is almost the same, maybe a mile or two less towing but without the trailer it gets about the same mpg.... Just can't understand why no scheduled maintenance!

way2roll wrote:It's the same transmission and you are correct there is no scheduled maintenance. That said, I've read that it's recommended you change the transmission fluid around 90k miles. I have a 2020 F350 6.7 and the transmission is starting to concern me. Aside from shifting very hard in 2 and 3 (it's always done that), the other day it shifted out of drive. I started to pull out of my drive and it just disengaged for about 10 seconds, coasted and then only revved until it banged into gear eventually. Thank goodness I hadn't pulled out onto a busy road. I've also had issues in 4WD. I was towing in some sand a few weeks ago and I put it in 4WD. it started to work fine at first and then wouldn't take fuel at all. It just died when I hit the the throttle. Of course I've had these things investigated at the dealer and they can't ever seem to replicate the issue. We are downsizing to a smaller motorhome and frankly I'll be glad to be rid of the truck. It's nice when it's working but I cringe at potential issues on such an expensive truck. I sleep better knowing it's still covered under warranty but I really worry about long term issues with it. Been lots of reported issues with the new transmissions and in most cases Ford doesn't want to step up.Sounds like a lemon. Ford is not using any new 4wd systems. And the trans? Idk. Usually when I have a warranty issue like this I try to make sure I break it good so there’s no question what the dealer goobers need to replace!

Likes to tow wrote:I have a 2021 Ford F250 with the 7.3 gas engine and the 10 speed transmission. It was bought new and has 20k on the odometer. Supposedly there is no scheduled maintenance on the transmission! I've always changed transmission fluid in all my previous trucks at 30k miles but the dealer says this will not need it. There is no dipstick!Also......... Is the 10 speed in my F250 7.3 gas the same as the 10 speed used in the F350 thru F550 with the 6.7 diesel engine????Its the same transmission but has a different torque converter. The owners manual states to change the oil every 150k miles but I would change it around 60k. As for the dealer I would never go back to that one again.

No scheduled maintenance on Ford Superduty | Good Sam Community

Groover
Explorer II
Dec 29, 2022
theoldwizard1 wrote:
ksss wrote:

Wow! That is an interesting and expensive situation. Reading that little book in the glove box is getting more and more important.

My 2022 F150 came with a "Cliff Notes" edition of the owners manual. The real one is on line, or you can request they send one to you.

I don't think that very many people ever read the paper manual anyway.
Did you check to see if you can call up the full version on the screen? I had the impression that it is in the truck's memory. Lighter, less expensive and takes less space than the printed version. Plus, specific to your vehicle.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Dec 29, 2022
The whole no dipstick sealed trans thing is like said going on 20 years old.
Coincidentally or not, other than one problem work truck, haven’t blown a trans on any of those vehicles. Also maintained em. I don’t go overboard but try to keep trans fluid and filter changes to around 50k miles intervals or so.
I also always get most/all of the old fluid out not just a pan drop and refill. I’ll do a Polish trans flush if I have to. (Pan drop and refill (which is about 1/2 the fluid) 3 or 4x.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Dec 28, 2022
ksss wrote:

Wow! That is an interesting and expensive situation. Reading that little book in the glove box is getting more and more important.

My 2022 F150 came with a "Cliff Notes" edition of the owners manual. The real one is on line, or you can request they send one to you.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Dec 28, 2022
Transmission being "filled for life" is not a new thing. That has been the "spec" in many vehicles for over 20 years. I am sad they removed the dipstick tube (there is still a very short dipstick you can get to from underneath). The color and smell of ATF will tell you if you have a problem. Of course, by then, it is probably too late.

Almost all modern transmissions have a temperature sensor. This is the most important thing to be monitored.

If you are still not happy, ask to see the official "severe duty" maintenance schedule. Or drop the pan (but not the filter) every 25K-50K, measure what you took out and replace it with the exact OEM ATF.
ksss
Explorer
Dec 28, 2022
mkirsch wrote:
dodge guy wrote:
Filled for life is great for trans shops and dealerships. Fluid is cheaper than a trans. At the very least drain the fluid and refill it. I’m sure the fluid is pricey, but again it’s better than getting stranded because you didn’t change the fluid!

Except there is no place to put new fluid in!

Previous next door neighbor had a new Toyota or Nissan truck. Drained the transmission fluid on his "usual maintenance interval." Went to fill it. No dipstick! Crawled all over the transmission. No fill plug anywhere on it! Sealed from the factory.

Suffice it to say, he instantly voided the warranty. Had it hauled to the dealer. They could not put fluid in it. As I recall he had to pay for a new transmission to be installed. All his fault for not following directions.

Wow! That is an interesting and expensive situation. Reading that little book in the glove box is getting more and more important.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Dec 28, 2022
There’s about zero chance that a fluid change voided the warranty and zero chance that it’s not able to be filled. Just different methods on different vehicles. They don’t fill em by osmosis at the factory.
Yes trans service intervals have gotten much longer as both transmissions and fluid has gotten better.
And maybe most of them will last 250k miles or whatever. But there’s no magic that keeps the fluid “like new”. And especially if working it hard or planning on keeping it long term high miles, a reasonable service interval is a good thing.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Dec 28, 2022
dodge guy wrote:
Filled for life is great for trans shops and dealerships. Fluid is cheaper than a trans. At the very least drain the fluid and refill it. I’m sure the fluid is pricey, but again it’s better than getting stranded because you didn’t change the fluid!

Except there is no place to put new fluid in!

Previous next door neighbor had a new Toyota or Nissan truck. Drained the transmission fluid on his "usual maintenance interval." Went to fill it. No dipstick! Crawled all over the transmission. No fill plug anywhere on it! Sealed from the factory.

Suffice it to say, he instantly voided the warranty. Had it hauled to the dealer. They could not put fluid in it. As I recall he had to pay for a new transmission to be installed. All his fault for not following directions.
Huntindog
Explorer
Dec 28, 2022
In 1986 I had a AMMCO Transmission with their lifetime warranty installed in my 73 Blazer. One of the main features I liked about it was that I no longer had to do any maintainence on it. I just had to take it in every year for them to look at it. At first they were changing the fluid and filter, but that soon stopped. The yearly check consisted of them driving it around the block, checking rhe dipstick, and trying to sell me additional serfvices. I did not care, if they actually serviced the tranny at all. If it failed, they had to fix it, About 15 years ago, they told me that the tranny fluid and filter needed to be changed. I told them to go ahead. They told me how much it was going to cost me. I told them to read my warranty. After much hemming and hawing and some phone calls to corporate, they honered the warranty and did it for free.... And then told me that it did not need to be done very often, and that the Lifetime warranty I have is not like the one they offer now. They have not changed the fluid/filter since. And they have really backed off on trying to upsell me other services.
If one thinks about it from a mechanical mindset, tranny fluid is not like engine oil.There are no combustion contaiminents finding their way into the fluid.And the fluid really doesn't wear out. So long as it doesn't get too hot, it can last forever.
valhalla360
Navigator
Dec 28, 2022
Obviously older but on our 2008 F250, our local mechanic refused to do it when we asked. They had too many times when they changed it and 2-3k miles later the transmission crapped out.

Currently around 215k miles with no issues, so not fixing what isn't broken. I might think differently, if we had overheated the transmission and cooked the fluid.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Dec 27, 2022
Filled for life is great for trans shops and dealerships. Fluid is cheaper than a trans. At the very least drain the fluid and refill it. I’m sure the fluid is pricey, but again it’s better than getting stranded because you didn’t change the fluid!

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