Transmission fluid and filter service / Coolant flush / Brake flush (30,000 miles)

[KayaPayaPigDog]

I was at the dealer getting my state inspection done and I swung by the parts department to get some costs on transmission fluid / filter and pan gasket along with a quote from the service department for them to do the work... the results:
Parts alone about $260 with tax included (12 quarts of ULV fluid, Gasket and filter but I'm pretty sure for a drain and fill even with the pan dropped it will only need 6 quarts since the rest is in the lines and the torque converter)
Service quoted 270 for drain and fill (basically swapping out 6 quarts) or 785 to swap the filter and do a full flush of all 12 quarts.

Also quoted 280 for a coolant flush and 270 for brake fluid flush.

Of all of these, the only one I'm considering doing at the dealer is the coolant flush, brake fluid flush is pretty simple (just time consuming and gotta be careful to not let any air in the lines) and dropping the transmission pan and swapping out the filter looks like something I can do in my garage... I understand the procedure of checking fluid level through the fill plug up under the truck (pretty close to exhaust while the truck is running) and it seems like a little bit of a pain, but not sure it's worth $500 in labor over the price of the parts. What are all of you thinking about these maintenance items?

I know some will say it isn't necessary at 30,000 miles and I say do what you are comfortable with but I'll be doing all three of these things for preventative maintenance purposes and piece of mind. The coolant is surprisingly dirty and brake fluid looks good but there is a bit of debris in it... the transmission is something I have done on all of my vehicles every 20-30K miles with a drain and fill and filter because transmissions are expensive to repair or replace once they break.

Cheers,
Kyle

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[PAW]

30k trans fluid change? Absolutely. The coolant and brake fluid? No way. Guess you could make argument on coolant that there might be contamination in coolant from casting but you way early and probably not helpful at all. Beyond overkill. If you wanting to spend money think I would do front dif, rear dif, and transfer case fluids in addition to transmission fluid.

 

[KayaPayaPigDog]

30k trans fluid change? Absolutely. The coolant and brake fluid? No way. Guess you could make argument on coolant that there might be contamination in coolant from casting but you way early and probably not helpful at all. Beyond overkill. If you wanting to spend money think I would do front dif, rear dif, and transfer case fluids in addition to transmission fluid.

I did transfer case and both diffs at 20k… diffs didn’t need it at all, transfer case was a little dirty. Cooling looks dirty but brakes will probably be fine like you said. Cheers

 

[stemplar]

30k is a good interval for transmission fluid, and personally I think not flushing the torque converter is just doing a half assed job; it’s all the same fluid so why leave half unchanged?

fwiw a drain sample can be analyzed the same way engine oil can be, including an optional tbn measurement to analyze the remaining life of the fluid.

 

[Buellsox]

30K all day! Get ahead of the game. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. It’s YOUR truck! YOUR investment!

Think that sounds crazy….I’m planning on doing mine at 10K. But I like to change out the trans pan ASAP to the aluminum PPE model that holds 2 extra quarts & adds a drain plug for serviceability for the next time(s). Figure get that break-in filter out of there early and start fresh again. And why not add a more robust pan with extra capacity, cooling fins, and that ever so useful drain plug.

It’s the same setup I ran on my previous ‘19 F-150 w/the 10R80 and I did the same thing at 10K & changed it every 20K. Trans never gave me an ounce of trouble during ownership. But that pan was a pain with the crossover pipe on those 3.5 Eco’s coming across the back of the pan. Not sure if you’ve been under your RR, but this trans pan is an absolute breeze to access! None of the bolts are horribly blocked or hidden and there looks to be zero interference to drop the pan. Couldn’t ask for an easier driveway/DIY trans service on a newer truck.

Just something to think about but maybe look into those PPE (or others) 10R80 pans if you’re going to go through the process. Or re-use the stock pan. Either way I think 30K is the perfect sweet spot!

 

[superj]

i did the trans around 5 or 7k since its new. i didn't want assembly particles messing anything up. well, i let ford do it for 500 bucks. they also did my son's 24 ranger two weeks ago at 20k since he was home visiting. same price, 500 bucks and since i was already doing one kid's, i had them to my other son's 22 f150 which is at 88k and it was also 500 bucks.


the guy said all of the fluids looked great so next trans will be at 30k from these ones.

the coolant i will have to keep an eye on but will probably be done at what the book says, same with the brakes since those are all fairly easy changes.

i have to be careful with automotive work. my wrists don't flex the way they used to so i try to stay away from work that has lots of ratchet or wrench turning. if i don't, no amount of pain killer will let me sleep that night. the wrist only bend to about 45 degrees now and i don't want it to get worse because i still plan on 30-40 more years of needing them

 

[superj]

30K all day! Get ahead of the game. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. It’s YOUR truck! YOUR investment!

Think that sounds crazy….I’m planning on doing mine at 10K. But I like to change out the trans pan ASAP to the aluminum PPE model that holds 2 extra quarts & adds a drain plug for serviceability for the next time(s). Figure get that break-in filter out of there early and start fresh again. And why not add a more robust pan with extra capacity, cooling fins, and that ever so useful drain plug.

i was just looking at those yesterday. i think those are a very useful upgrade

 

[pablo94sc]

30k trans fluid change? Absolutely. The coolant and brake fluid? No way. Guess you could make argument on coolant that there might be contamination in coolant from casting but you way early and probably not helpful at all. Beyond overkill. If you wanting to spend money think I would do front dif, rear dif, and transfer case fluids in addition to transmission fluid.

Coolant and brake fluid also have service lives, and those numbers are in line with that (avg 15k miles a year). Brake fluid is every two years, regardless of miles, unless it's DOT 5. Coolant is roughly the same, depending on the type.

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