OEM 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Transmission Pan

2003 Ford Explorer Sport Transmission Pan Parts Q&A

• Q: How to service and repair the Transmission Pan on 2003 Ford Explorer Sport?

  A: Place the vehicle into neutral mode on a hoist before beginning service or repair of the fluid pan. A transmission servo heat shield must be unclipped from the fluid pan rail when present in order to effectively remove the fluid pan. A drain pan should be positioned underneath the transmission fluid pan while draining the transmission fluid. Begin by removing all transmission fluid pan screws but keeping two screws at the front intact. Next, loosen the front screws slightly while prying the back of the pan down to finish draining all fluid before taking out the front screws. The worker needs to extract the fluid pan from the system while discarding the gasket. Unscrewing the transmission fluid filter completes the removal process before discarding it. Check that the fluid pan along with the magnet show no obstructions on mating surfaces. Flush the transmission fluid cooler and its idles. Before installing the new filter onto the main control valve body you should use automatic transmission fluid to lubricate its O-ring seals to avoid damage. You need to set the oil pan magnet inside the fluid pan before installing a fresh gasket and screwing the screws loosely onto the pan. The procedure requires a crisscross pattern for screw tightening. The heat shield of servo can be relocated before clipping it onto the pan rail. The vehicle needs to be lowered next before using the park brake while starting the engine. The fluid filling process for dry transmission should start with at least 3.7 liters (4 quarts) of fresh automatic transmission fluid followed by checking the fluid level and evaluating transmission performance. The range selector lever must be cycled through all gears before checking the fluid level once again.