6R80 Transmission Fluid Change: Here’s What You Should Know

There are a lot of important fluids and maintenance for the same when it comes to your vehicle. You have brake fluid, gas, oil, differential fluid, power steering fluid, etc.

6R80 transmission highlights

• Average lifespan:190,000-210,000 miles
• Reliability Score:High
• Prone to minor issues:Sometimes
• Price for repair after failure:$1,000-$1,500
• Price for replacement:$3,500-$5,000
• Availability of parts:Average
• Common problems: Control module problems, overheating problems, several sensors problems, fast fluid contamination.

What is Transmission Fluid Change/Flush?

Owning a car for a long time without exerting a proper kind of maintenance on it can usually get rough. You have to constantly pay attention to how your car is working so that you could distinguish what repairs it might need.

If you notice your gears are acting weird or that your car is slipping out of gears, you might need a transmission fluid change.

Transmission fluid change or flush is something that should be done to every car from time to time just to ensure that the transmission is working perfectly.

The transmission fluid acts as oil and as a hydraulic, making it very important for transmission to work properly because it lubricates the components of transmission for the best performance possible.

There is a lot of debate over whether it's best to just drain and change the old transmission fluid with the new one, or to do a complete flush. 

When doing a complete flush, the old transmission fluid is flushed out along with the contaminants and dirt that have accumulated in the transmission over time, before the new fluid gets pumped in.

You can always decide what is best for your vehicle but Ford always recommends doing a full flush instead of only draining the vehicle of old transmission oil, as claims that it's much more effective than the latter.

You might need a Transmission Fluid Change/Flush

As we've mentioned above, it is of great importance that you regularly check the fluid levels in your vehicle. As far as the transmission case, you will most likely notice that gears aren't as smooth as they used to be and that they tend to slip out of gear. Generally, the gears will feel rougher than before.

Some cars have sealed transmissions and claim that the fluid should last the life of the vehicle while on the other hand, some cars need more regular transmission fluid change/flush. 

The manual of your car will tell you anything you need to know about the subject at hand, as well as how often your vehicle needs the transmission oil change/flush.

It is always good practice to check the fluid levels yourself, especially if you haven't been driving the vehicle for some time or if you are planning on going on a road trip.

Transmission Fluid - 6R80

The 6R80 which was made available by Ford in 2009, features 6 gears and has come to be known as one of the more reliable transmissions in the market. 

One of the main properties of this transmission is that it has a rather low first gear due to it being optimized for towing situations when needed.

We might come across this transmission in many different vehicles ranging from the 3.7L V6 to 6.2L V8. 

While many vehicles use this transmission, it has been stated that the transmission is optimized to coexist perfectly with the engine it was tied to, so slight modifications and differences are depending on the vehicle.

Although Ford called the 6R80 "Filled for Life" the fluid change/flush, if you own one, is usually recommended at 150,000 miles at normal use, and 100,000 miles under extreme conditions.

While transmissions are designed to operate at high temperatures, constant heat can wear down the properties and qualities of the transmission fluid and it is a good practice to change it even though your car manufacturer may claim that the transmission has been "Filled for Life".

6R80 Transmission Fluid Change - What You Need to Know

Even though Ford has stamped the 6R80 transmissions as "Filled for Life" you should want to change your transmission fluid for a couple of reasons.

The first reason would simply be preventative maintenance. Mainly, the fluids in your vehicle, as well as the transmission fluid have certain chemical properties and qualities which degrade over time. So by changing them well before their time is due, you can ensure that your vehicle is always fresh and performing optimally.

There are also technicians and car mechanics that suggest changing the transmission fluids even as soon as 60,000 miles, as opposed to what Ford suggests. Changing the transmission fluid early doesn't hurt the vehicle but ensures that your transmission works perfectly without giving it time to lose its properties and start burning up.

There are many cases where 6R80 transmission owners found so much metal contamination and dirt after 100,000 miles or more, so it's up for debate whether you should change it earlier or not. Of course, all of this depends on the working conditions that the vehicle had been exposed to, as well as the outside temperature and climate.

Change 6R80 Transmission Fluid

If you've figured out that you need a transmission fluid change it would be a great idea to take your vehicle to a certified car mechanic that can do that for you, but if you're a bit of a DIY person, we will provide some information on what you need on and how you would go about changing your 6R80 transmission fluid.

The first step would be to find the right transmission fluid suited for your vehicle. You can purchase the transmission fluid that you need from local dealerships or even Amazon, eBay, and Craigslist.

The 6R80 transmission holds up to 13 quarts of transmission fluid so you should keep that information in mind when purchasing the transmission fluid.

After getting the right transmission fluid, the next step would be to get the cover off of your transmission and try and pump out as much fluid from the fill hole as you can. 

Some people skip the process of pumping out the transmission fluid because the fluid will inevitably drain on its own while you unscrew the bolts of the transmission plate. 

Keep in mind that if you don't do this slowly it can get messy pretty fast!

It's as good practice to measure the amounts of old transmission fluid that you manage to drain out. 

On a 6R80 transmission, there is a certain plug that you need to loosen up before trying to remove the pan because the plug creates a vacuum, so that needs to be taken care of before proceeding to the next step.

Furthermore, the first thing that you should do when dropping the pan is to loosen all of the bolts with a wrench and start slowly. After doing that you should use an automatic drill hand for removing the screws completely. 

Keep in mind, that if you skipped the process of pumping out the old transmission fluid, it will get messy while you take care of the bolts and drop the pan.

When the pan has been removed the next steps would be to clean the pan and the gasket, clean the magnets as well and you are set for moving on!

The first thing that needs to be put back is the filter. The filter will snap in place, so you just need to have proper alignment. Placing the filter doesn't require much pressure, so be sure to align it before using more force.

After you've put the filter back in you just fix up the pan, bolt it on and you're done!

Lastly, you just need to pump in the new transmission fluid which you purchased. Depending on whether you have a hand pump or an automatic pump, the 13 quarts which we mentioned can take up to 2 hours to pump in! 

As a reminder, you should always check your fluid levels after replacing the old transmission fluid before you do a test drive!

Conclusion

In this article, we've covered some basic information on transmission fluids, what they are and how important they are, as well as specific details about the 6R80 Ford transmission in question.

By now you should have a general understanding of what your transmission needs to function properly, as well as when and at what mileage you should get proper maintenance done to your vehicle.

Lastly, if you own a 6R80 transmission and you're a bit of a DIY person, we've got you covered with a few general tips and tricks on how to get around changing your old transmission fluid.

Keep your vehicle healthy and stay safe!