Ford Focus Manual Transmission Fluid Change
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- This video is about Ford Focus Manual Transmission Fluid Change. In this video I show and explain where the fill and drain plugs are located, how to correctly change your fluid, what type of fluid to use, how to correctly fill you transmission, tools used and some precautions to be aware of.
The best camera work I have ever seen on an instructional video!
Thank you!
@@DaveMedicus YW
Dave , many thanks for a great video explaining WHERE everything is , i found my front fill plug 04 Focus but you showed my where the drain plug was! Thanks again.
Very welcome. Thanks for watching.
You did it right! Congratulations! A y-shaped tube and a hand pump gets it all done quickly
Thank you I appreciate it. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for making this video. It saved me a lot of time and effort. I would have never found that drain plug without your help!
+Kevin Butler You are welcome. I am glad that it helped. Thanks for watching
lol. Right!!!! my mechanic skills are pretty descent I guess, but I didnt know about the drain plug either till I watched this video. lol
Good I am glad that it helped.
Hi
Just thought I'd mention that here in the UK, Ford specify that the oil level should be between 10mm and 15mm (3/8" to 5/8") below the filler plug hole. This certainly improves shift quality compared to overfilling the gearbox.
Nice video, thanks for taking the time.
Thomas Emmett same here in U.S. Manual says to stick your finger in the fill hole & you should be able to feel it just below the hole. If it's coming out the fill hole it's overfilled.
Thanks for the info
@@DaveMedicus
Dave the above replies are incorrect. The Ford spec for North American Focus MTX75 transmission (which your 2002 has) is to fill until the level is 0-5mm (0-0.2in) below the bottom edge of the drain hole. So essentially fill it until is runs out at the fill hole (as you did).
Thanks .
That'll help me no end when I tackle the same next week .
Have a good day !!!
Thanks for watching!
Works the same for the SVT?
Thanks a lot, and your video its really help me how to change manual transmission fluid. Cause the automatic transmission fluid its different and more works. But the manual transmission it's easy. Thanks again
You are welcome. I am glad that it helped you
Great job, great video! Thanks for taking the time to do it right and get the camera's in the right spots too. Attention to detail is paramount. Subbed ya up bro!
toycar foushboy thank you. I am glad that you enjoyed my video. Thanks for the sub
Excellent idea on the hose and the old bottle for filling up. Thank you!
+Niek Hoogendoorn Thank you. I hope that helps make it easier for you to do this project.
Great Job. thank you for taking the time to post this
Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this video. I just bought a manual 2009 SES coupe and I'm planning on doing this as well as I have no idea how hard the car was driven previously.
You are welcome. Good luck
hey got a 2007 focus ,5-speed will it hurt it if I put regular trans fluid in it
Jared Schwager
I have a 2007 Ford Focus 5 speed will it hurt to put regular transmission fluid in it will it hurt my transmission
Just put what Ford recommends!
Why is that so hard to understand..
Call
Your Local Ford dealership. The extra 30 bucks you might spend on fluid is not worth 1000+ dollar transmission replacement
Great video, so very helpful especially for doing this my first time, thanks so much, I’m a subscriber now
Thank you very much. I am glad that I could help you.
Thanks, informative video, trying to find info on Volvo C30 gearbox fill. Found fill plug but couldn't find drain plug. Thanks again.
No problem 👍 Thanks for watching.
it was nice to see it done before i did it i found it very informative thank you and motor on
Thanks I am glad that I helped you.
Thanks
Great explanation and tips, thanks!
Thank you. I hope that it helps you
Dave Medicus It did, just finished it on my 2014 Focus, the transmissions seem to be the same. Super easy with your walkthrough.
Matthew M perfect. Nice job
Thanks for this very helpful video dude, saved me a huge headache 👍
No problem. Thanks for watching
Excellent, informative video. George C.
Thanks for watching.
thx buddy! you did a great job in the car and with the video edition.
I am glad that I could help.
Nice one boyo
Christopher Thomas thanks man. I hope this helps.
So even with it jacked up, to figure out if you have the right amount of fluid you just fill it then open the drain plug till it stops running out to have the proper fluid level?
Thats how I have always done it and never had an issue.
Nice job well done
Thanks! I appreciate it.
So i just did this, i found out that just synthetic 75w-90 gear oil is the same as ford stuff. there was a guy on focaljet that posted all the specs of the ford manual transmission oil. I had bearing noise and sticky shifting for a long time. i thought it was just the way it was, then one day i was bored in a parking lot and opened my manufacturer's owner's manual, and it says if the trans is making those noises you need to replace it. well i was also reading on some forums that ford techs would put automatic transmission fluid in there because there was a shortage of the ford specific stuff. so long story/short, i just replaced my fluid which was brown burnt atf for mobil full synthetic gear oil 75w-90, and to my delight, after 10 years, the noise is gone and it doesn't stick. It feels brand new to me. plus its only 10 bucks a quart. you will need 3. it took a little digging but if you guys learn a little about oils and fluids, you will know that most fluids are compatible with each other and as long as something is in there it should be fine, but gear oil and atf fluid are very different and have different problems, but sometimes companies like ford produce something with a fancy name and spec just to make profit.
Yup!!!! I knew this, and I’m even using a better grade of viscosity than that. Companies are greedy so you don’t have to believe that you need their products in particular. You just need to know the resource they used to name their product and which brand is better! Of course there has to be research done for most foreign vehicles, but for the most part oil is oil and the viscosity (the thickness) of the oil is what dictate its purpose of durability, to prevent oxidation in the 2nd cycle (RUST). The objective for using gear oils is to retrieve an electric signal from the appropriate transmission solenoid. The solenoid is empowered by an alternating current that sends amperes to a retriever located on your vehicle’s computer, each location on this circuitry dictates which gear is active (using your fuses) but the driver controls the alternating current as he or she switches gears. The solenoid directs fluid through a complex series of passages in the valve housing to engage the correct gear.
You can hack cars with generators that supply more voltage to the solenoid, you can supply more amperes to the solenoid and distribute them to more gears just using programming.
The original Manual transmissions have programmed driver settings on the ib5, you have to literally download a program and reset the driver settings using a Ford software application so that you r car won’t drive as harsh as the previous drivers settings.
The dealership printed out a list of fluids to go along with their transmissions. Some of them called for 75w90 but mine called for the motorcraft fluid so that's what I stuck with. It lasts about 30k
Very well explained. Much appreciated Dave!
Jonathan L no problem. Thanks for watching.
Couldn't find the drain plug...found it with your video. Difficult putting it in gear when cold..so drained out and went with synthetic 75/90.
I am glad that this video helped you complete the job. Thanks for watching.
Great content and instruction! The owners manual said nothing about manual transmissions even having fluid!
Thanks I am glad that I helped. This is a really easy job once you get the bottom plug loose.
My manual does. 2005
Dave Medicus stupid guy
Very well done, extremely helpful and informative. Thank you very much for this video, I look forward to seeing future videos on this vehicle.
I am glad that this video helped you. Is there anything in particular that you want to know more about with this vehicle.
Sorry for a newb question here, but is the differential sharing the same fluid or is this a separate procedure in this car? Having trouble finding info online. Many thanks.
This vehicle doesn't have a "differential" like on a truck or rear wheel drive vehicle. The transmission does the work internally. That would be why you can not find any information on it. Thanks for watching. I hope that this helped.
muy buen video saludos
Gracias por mirar.
Good video. If I may add one small note, I would warm up the oil first by taking it for a nice drive.
That would make it a little easier.
Use a Siphon drum pump - Uline - S -178 to pump in the fluid
Thanks.
Great video! Thanks man! I had no idea how to do it until now! Can you post a video of how to remove and manually clean EGR valve on focus! Thanks!
I will post a video eventually dealing with the egr. Subscribe and you can see all of my new videos. Thanks again
Great video. Did this make a difference to your gearbox?
Noise yes. I change it about every 20K when I start to hear it on acceleration.
I had the fluid changed out with valvoline 75w90. It shifts fine and noticed an improvement. My mechanic has it now as the throw out bearing is about gone. I figured with 100k on this clutch so getting it replaced.
+SAM DOMINO Yeah I replaced mine at 104,000. Make sure that they do the flywheel correctly. Some of or vehicles have a dual mass flywheel which can not be machined and needs to be completely replaced. It cost more than the actual clutch. I had mine replaced by AAMCO and they screwed me really bad. They charged me for resurfacing but never sent it anywhere and now the car has like a missing feeling when I hit certain RPMs in specific gears. The flywheel is unbalanced. I went to the BBB but they already had 8 negative cases on them.
I've found it does NOTHING to go to the BBB. I've never been helped by it. Just got madder.
Yep the location I had an issue with already has 8 complaints so I didn't bother.
Works the same for the SVT?
I believe it's the same procedure but you'll want to double-check your service manual. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching
Hi how much oil goes into the 1.8tdci ford focus
I do not know. Thanks for watching!
Hey there,
Is this the IB5 gearbox from Ford?
Exactly Thanks
Very good video. I have a 2001 zx3 manual . I have a clunking sound while in gear going strait. Also when I turn the wheel. There is play when I have the car on jacks but it seems that the play is more near the transmission. Any ideas?
Thank you
Probably and axle shaft going bad.
Hello Dave,
Nice video. I have Ford Focus Zetec 1.6 year 2009, it looks like i will have the similar procedure to change my transmission fluid. However, I was wondering how to change the transmission filter.... well if it has one?
Thanks
This one doesn't have a transmission filter. The closest thing to that is a magnetic drain plug. Thanks for watching
Hi Dave, my gear shifts have become hard recently specially when downshifting to 1st gear even at low speeds. The car has 60,000 Km on it but I'm sure this has nothing to do with clutch plate. The clutch presses fine and smooth. It's only the shifts have stiffen up to an extent that I'm afraid applying sudden push to the stick will break it.
Does changing transmission fluid help with this issue?
+Amox Some people on here have reported that changing the fluid will help. Normally you do not want to downshift into 1st while moving forward you want to do this at a stop. But if you must sometimes letting out the clutch pedal just a little will help it slip into gear. Also in cold weather is when people notice if they are using ford trans fluid or not. I do have some issues in the cold since I had my trans rebuilt and they put in mobile. I am not hating on Mobile I am just saying everyone who spends the money on the ford trans fluid is happy. Hope that this helps somewhat.
just use a synthetic 75w-90 gear oil, it help so much.
Im tryin to figure out the difference in transmission fluid and engine oil fluid. The yellow dipstick is engine oil fluid orrr? And and what color is the other fluids dipstick usually in a 2002 ford focus? My car didnt have a manual so Im at a loss.
The transmission does not have a dipstick. It is also a yellowish in color shown in the picture. This should make it easier to figure out. The yellow dipstick up top is the engine oil.
Good man, helped me a lot cheers 👍
Good I am glad that you liked it.
Gread video! I am going to do the same job, too. However, I don't know which transmission fluid I should use. I have a 2001 ford focus zts with zetec engine. In the owner's manual, there are two types of fluid for the 5 speed manual transmission, IB5 and MTX75. Do you have any suggestions which type I should use?
Its the same one as mine if it is manual.
would the steps for the focus be the same for a 2000 escort se. its a 5 speed as well. i been trying to google and all i get is steps for the focus. also i went to auto zone and they said their computers say that for the escort the trans fluid is the mercon v auto trans fluid.
SReyesonly Don't trust Auto Zones computers I used to work there. Go through your manual or go to the dealership to find out what will work for you. As for how to change your fluid the ideas are basically the same. If your transmission is not exactly like mine you will still have a drain plug and a fill plug. Most likely since its a ford its in the same places. The best thing to do is to just get under your vehicle and see if you can find the drain and fill plugs. If so then you are good to go just remember to make sure that the fill plug will come loose. I have seen it a few times that people will drain their transmission and can't fill it because its stuck. Let me know if your trans is just like this one. Thanks for watching
How often do we change the transmission oil. Is it the same as the motor oil, every 3,000 miles?
No I believe the owners manual says 120,000miles. That seems high to me so I would change it around every 60,000 max. If you go with the dealership fluid it's about $25 a quart. I used to change my dodge fluid every 15k because it only cost me $10. The more you want to change it won't hurt anything. I will probably be changing mine again in 30k just to be safe.
Note: Am about to change the transaxle fluid on my '03 Focus and for no other reason than there being 175,600 km on the clock. You did a great job with this video, so thanks. My Focus looks and runs like the day I bought it. We are on the west coast of Canada and don't experience harsh winters or summers so take that into account when considering 'need-to-change' fluid.
My 2002 Ford Focus ZTS usually shifts fine, but I had just bought it this summer and never realized a problem with it shifting. But now that it is winter, I have to let my car warm up a good 25-30 minutes before I can shift it into gear. Do you think this could be because the fluid is bad? It's getting very frustrating!
It is possible that the fluid could be causing an issue. Even with mine changed when its cold it is a little harder to shift into gear for about a mile. I just drive mine nice and easy in the beginning. I ended up having my transmission seals replaced after I made this video and I know that they did not put in the factory gear oil. It could be that the fluid in your transmission is too thick for the cold weather that you are in. It wouldn't hurt to check your manual for the type trans fluid they call for and change it.
I have 2004 ford fucos SE, what kind of transmission fluid you use or what brand it's better? 1st time changing transmission fluid.
Manual transmission fluid I used the motorcraft fluid from the dealership. It's about $25 a qt but you really only need 2
What type transmission fluid do i use for 2003 ford focus 2.0. Maule
Paul Garcia I believe it’s the same but check with the dealership
This Home Depot sounds like a great place to shop ?
Haha I spend way too much money there.
Hi, thanks for your video, I have a 2005 focus 1.6 motor with manual shift, the location of the drainage is the same as the video, thanks.
No problem I am glad that I could help.
couldnt u just put the new fluid in through the master cylinder reservoir?
or is that something different? i thought manual focus's shared fluid reservoirs for brakes and trannys??
+Steven Barragan No the master cylinder is used for your brake fluid. The transmission is a sealed unit requiring you to use the fill plug on the side. This is the only way to get fluid into the transmission.
Not Om this vehicle. We have a separate reservoirs or at least on mine they are different.
The brake fluid and clutch master cylinder use share the same reservoir and use DOT 3.
Same for 2008?
Thanks for watching
Did you notice a difference in shifting after you changed the fluid?
Shifting was a lot smoother after changing the fluid. I really noticed the difference when downshifting it did not make any noises after the change.
Thankx
You are welcome. Thanks for watching!
What type of transmission oil does a 2005 Ford 2.0 engine have?
Sorry I do not have this information for you.
I have about 177k on my 2000 SPI Focus. I understand the 2.0 SPI uses the IB5. Your video is for the IB5 correct? The last time it was changed was when I have a new clutch kit put in at 70k. In the past few years the noise level has drastically increased when in 4 and 5 gear. Do you think changing would/could help with this issue or does it sound more like a bearing fixing to fail?
+Sam Domino I have heard that changing it will help with the noise. That is a major complaint with owners especially when its cold. Mine got a lot more quiet when I change my fluid.
+Dave Medicus excellent. I think I will try in the next 2-3 weeks. I am either going to use Valvoline or Mobile 1 75w90 as it seems to be 1/2 compared to Motorcraft. Any luck with Valvoline or Mobile 1?
+Dave Medicus Also you think with the Valvoline or Mobile 1 the bottle design should allow just straight pumping into the refill port? Other thought was Amazon has a 1qt pump attachment I was thinking of purchasing to make it as easy as possible.
Sam Domino About 2 weeks after making this video I found out that I had a transmission seal leaking. When they replaced it they put back in Valvoline. To be honest with you I noticed that the vehicle was not running the same as with the factory motorcraft stuff. Its just a personal preference but if you can afford the more expensive stuff I would use it. Also you will not be able to just squeeze it in. I just got some clear hose from my local home depot and attached it to the bottle. It worked just like in the video. Stick it down between the radiator and you will be able to fill it easily.
Damn you waited way to long to change the oil. Any damage has already been done
Technically you had it right at 2.1qts the manual says it needs to be 3/8” below fill plug.
Thanks for watching.
I have a 2001 Ford Escort ZX2, which I hear is pretty close kin to the Ford Focus. Do you follow the same procedure?
Yes. All manual trans have the same basic concept.
very good very helpful
Thank you. I am glad that this helped you.
Was your transmission the MTX-75
I think that's the one I have.
Ty
No Problem. I am glad that it helped.
Have focus I 1.8 tdci (manual) same position of the drain plug and control plug? Thank you :)
Ulan Ude I am glad that this helped
Ulan Ude I am glad that I could help you
If it's 2.1 dry then 2.0 should be fine if it has residual fluid still in there.
This is a freaking brilliant point, particularly if the fluid change is done with the transmission cold. Also, as a professional scientist with engineer friends, I doubt very much that being 5% low on fluid will compromise the longevity of the transmission at all.
agree.
I have found that over the many times I have done this its more like 2.25 qts. I have also been low because of a leaking seal and it worked perfectly on an 1800 mile towing trip.
I presume this is an MTX-75 box. Mine is the 1.8 Zetec and it has an IB5, and from what I've read (I've not had a chance to look myself), it has no drain plug... It's going to make changing my fluid... Erm, fun.
I also have the IB5, do you happen to know the capacity?
*****
From what I've read, about 2 and a half litres. Or just fill it up until it can't take any more.
A simple hand pump should help get most of the fluid out.
Does the car hav to b idling while refillin ?
No you would want to drain and fill the transmission before removing the jack stands. Once the vehicle is on the ground check the fill plug to see if you need to add more fluid. If not you are done Start the car and take it for a test drive. I checked my fluid levels again the next day but that is really not necessary
Hi, quick question: Would you suggest if there is a good way to open the fill plug to "check" if the current fluid is ok (not black and old) ? I cant remember when the last time I had this done, ( by a mechanic) and if I could "check " it first, rather than drain and purchase it in vain, it would be great.... Perhaps I can open the fill plug and just put something ( like a feeler gauge, or not really but something a few inches in length ) to "see" the color of the current fluid...? Thanks if you have a better suggestion... Im hesitant to do anything b/c Ive recently learned that cars with 200k+ miles sometimes aren't the best to change this fluid, as if the new fluid would "shock" the system... ( Im also not getting a flush, for the similar reasons) .... thanks!
You can open the fill plug to check it. you shouldn't get any overflow unless its hot.
New seals or old ? thanks !
I do not understand your question? If you are referring to if I put new seals in then yes they are new
Nice mach edition focus!
+nmattcar Thanks. Its not perfect but its a nice vehicle. So far its still getting 30 mpg when using the suggested shifting in the owners manual.
+Dave Medicus not a problem.i have a 2003 centennial focus.im co creator of wisconsin ilinois focus owners it's a forum on facebook.and love the mach headlights they are amazing.i added them not long ago
+nmattcar Awesome I will have to check it out. My headlights need some TLC here shortly. They are getting really faded and need restored. Other than the the HID lights are still working awesome.
+Dave Medicus yea I have to wet sand and restore my machs.passenger side is a tad hazy
Do a headlight cover tlc vid, plz.
I thought the whole car was supposed to be level when filling? Please correct me!
t238 yes. What I did was filled it up while it was jacked up and then once the car was on the ground I opened up the fill plug to drain out the excess. What I found was that I still needed to add more fluid. I showed this towards the end of the video. I hope that this helped you out.
Dave Medicus so kind of you to reply! So once level - it drained excess then you topped up while level? Sorry if questions a bit dumb lol thanks again from UK
If its full when level it will drain the excess, but if it doesn't drain anything then you need to add more fluid like I did.
OK i understand now thank you so much!
2.1 quarts according to the manual. Just do that & doesn't matter if it's level
My fill plug is not there
What year make and model do you have?
After changing with Ford full synthetic, my first and reverse synchros take a few seconds to sync up so I can shift. Anyone have an idea why?
Are you filling it with the ending turned on. I am assuming that you are talking about an automatic transmission and not a manual transmission.
Dave Medicus Nope, manual.
It seems like my input/layshaft is taking too long to slow down so the gears can mesh.
Sorry way above my head.
CAUTION: THE FILL PLUG MAY NOT BE THE CORRECT HEIGHT FOR THE PROPER VOLUME OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. SOLUTION: MEASURE THE AMOUNT YOU REMOVE AND ADD THE SAME AMOUNT BACK INTO THE TRANSMISSION.
its a gear box, there is no combustion chamber for hydraulic lock. you can fill it up.
If you over fill it the rest will just drain out the top.
Drain plug you need actual Allen key. Which is hella dumb. Which I don't have or can't find.
Most transmissions or transfer cases require Allen keys. I would recommend buying a hex key socket set from harbor freight. They are nice and cheap and easy to put extra torque on them. I have put over 1100ft lbs on them with out them breaking.
Ford says 1.9 QT 2002 ZX3 MTX75 trans.
Thanks for the info.
GOOD JOB - Kudos & Thanks Some might say Over-Kill BUT I say W o n d e r f u l & P e r f e c t !!! Nothing to add...
Thank you. Good luck
DAVE, After your reply to my comment I did a ReRun of your great video and wondered about the LUKAS Transmission Fix Bottle that U used as part of your Fill-Contraption [As U Called It]..... I Googled Lucas and found that Walmart sells a bottle for a tad less than Ten Bucks. Wondered why/why-not about using the Lucas for the 1/10 quart instead of $25 for the small amount of Ford Transmission Oil ??? . I am going to use an 8 oz ProLong Transmission Treatment in mine for the 1/10 or whatever it is... Regardless, I am
Hoping U get A Million Hits..... Budd
I actually just bought the 3rd bottle so that I could have some spare oil sitting on the shelf if I needed it. You could probably even get away with 2 qts. After I changed the oil I found out that the transmission seal was leaking and I had to get it rebuilt. lol Just my luck but it only required a new seal since I caught it in time.
$25 qt???? It's only $12 Canadian (about 10 cents in USD)
Oz Media it depends where you get it. I have bought it as low as $21 but I have never seen it for $12 for the OEM fluid
RockAuto.com has it for $14 qt but with shipping it still comes out to about $20. Although the shipping cost is the same whether you buy 1, 2, or 3 quarts so you'll still save a few bucks anyways.
$25 a quart! Lawd.....
Yep. When I moved to South Carolina it was like $12 a quart. Stupid dealership markups
GOOD VIDEO,BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO ALL THAT TROUBLE WHY NOT DROP
THE TRANSMISSION PAN AND CHANGE THE FILTER TOO..JUST SAYIN.....
Like Chris said manual transmissions do not have a drain pan or filter they are sealed units. (Normally) You only have access to a fill and drain plug. There is no need for a filter on manuals because gears don't wear down like plates in an automatic. Thanks for watching.
Lol
Paid mine 7$ a Quart...
What this at the dealership? When I looked up my pert number even on Amazon it was $22
Dave Medicus No at my autopart store...
+gabmasta wow autocorrect really got me on that last response. I used the factory specific fluid which was why it was $25. I was able to buy the cheaper stuff too at my local auto parts store. I had heard that people were having issues with using aftermarket oil when it got cold so I just went with factory.
i hope you didn't use atf or type F fluid, using these will cause noise and ford says to replace the transmission when you have noise. just use synthetic 75w-90 gear oil. it will work so good.