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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / October 2006

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Are Dexron and Mercon the same thing?

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Masospaghetti - 22 Oct 2006 18:24 GMT
My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
applications, or Mercon V?

2000 Ford Explorer, 96,000 miles.

Thanks
-J
DeserTBoB - 22 Oct 2006 20:38 GMT
>My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
>manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Thanks <snip>

Dexron/Mercon is backward compatible, so yes.
Steve - 23 Oct 2006 14:48 GMT
> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Thanks
> -J

"Dexron" and "Mercon" are sets of specifications, not a fluid per se. It
turns out that most Dexron-III automatic transmission fluids can
simultaneously meet the Mercon-V spec, so as long as you use a fluid
that says "Dexron III/ Mercon V" you will be fine.
mandtprice@gmail.com - 23 Oct 2006 17:03 GMT
> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Thanks
> -J

Usually that wouldn't be a problem, but:

You might want to check with the dealer on this.  There was a BIG
glitch with the Mercon V spec and the old Ford Mercon transmissions
that made them NOT backwards compatible.  Ford was supposed to reissue
the specs and formulations to the manufacturers to make sure that the
new fluids remained backwards compatible, but that wasn't that long ago
and it is possible that some of the stock could still be out there.

Call a dealer and talk to the parts desk to make sure.  There was an
issue with this with the SuperDuty transmissions that caused some folks
to get bitten when they assumed that the old backwards compatibility
rule held.  Better safe than sorry.
C. E. White - 23 Oct 2006 17:48 GMT
>> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
>> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> to get bitten when they assumed that the old backwards compatibility
> rule held.  Better safe than sorry.

Ford recently issued a TSB (TSB 06-14-4) saying that Mecon V could now be
used in all Mercon/Mercon V applications (this was a change from the past).
This doesn't apply to Mercon SP, the special CVT fluid, or Premium Automatic
Transmission Fluid. Transmissions filled from the factory with those fluids
must continue to use those fluids.

Ed
mandtprice@gmail.com - 23 Oct 2006 18:24 GMT
> Ford recently issued a TSB (TSB 06-14-4) saying that Mecon V could now be
> used in all Mercon/Mercon V applications (this was a change from the past).
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Ed

Yep, and what changed was the fluid/spec, not all the existing
transmissions that were covered by the original TSB in 2001.  This TSB
came out in August, so make sure you aren't using old stock fluid and
you should be okay.

Matthew
Masospaghetti - 23 Oct 2006 19:49 GMT
>> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
>> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> to get bitten when they assumed that the old backwards compatibility
> rule held.  Better safe than sorry.

Well, I called the dealer...

...and they told me to use TYPE F. (wtf?)

But I believe my owner's manual + you guys more than one service person.
Thanks for the replies.

-J
mandtprice@gmail.com - 23 Oct 2006 20:10 GMT
> Well, I called the dealer...
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> -J

Wow, okay so scratch the dealer.  Get a bottle from some place that
does a lot of volume and you should be fine.
BSAKing@hotmail.com - 23 Oct 2006 20:24 GMT
I happen to have a Ford escape and there is a web site called
http://www.escape-central.com/1forum/ and there are threads and threads
on that very topic. It apparently is not a cut and dried topic at all
from what I can gather... Many folks have had issues after changing
fluids in the tranny....

> > Well, I called the dealer...
> >
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Wow, okay so scratch the dealer.  Get a bottle from some place that
> does a lot of volume and you should be fine.
Mike Romain - 24 Oct 2006 15:25 GMT
> >> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
> >> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
> -J

Why would you want to use a GM fluid in your Ford?

With all the pickieness that those Fords have with even their own (type
F) or Mercon fluid, trying to use Dexron or GM fluid seems pretty silly
to me.

My Jeep calls for Dexron in the power steering.  I would disconnect the
belt and just not use it until I got to the proper fluid before I used
Ford fluid in it.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:  Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Masospaghetti - 24 Oct 2006 15:44 GMT
A previous post mentioned that synthetic Dexron helped quiet down their
power steering pump, or lubegard red. This is why I was posting about
the subject.

>>>> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
>>>> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Mike Romain - 24 Oct 2006 16:27 GMT
I have been bit by 'compatible with' fluids so now just try to use the
correct ones....

Mike

> A previous post mentioned that synthetic Dexron helped quiet down their
> power steering pump, or lubegard red. This is why I was posting about
[quoted text clipped - 47 lines]
> > Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
> > (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
C. E. White - 24 Oct 2006 15:57 GMT
>> >> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
>> >> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
> belt and just not use it until I got to the proper fluid before I used
> Ford fluid in it.

Many brands are label to meet both Mercon and Dexron specs. Read the can.

Ed
Mike Romain - 24 Oct 2006 16:27 GMT
> >> >> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
> >> >> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
>
> Ed

Yup, 'compatible with', eh.

I found out really fast that that doesn't hold for transmission fluid
for my Jeep.  I used a 'compatible with' gear oil and my synchromesh
promptly failed requiring at the best a double shift and at the worst a
stop to get it into 1st.

I changed to the 'proper' fluid and bingo, my transmission started and
has continued to run perfectly.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:  Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
DeserTBoB - 24 Oct 2006 17:15 GMT
>> Well, I called the dealer...
>>
>> ...and they told me to use TYPE F. (wtf?)
>>
>> But I believe my owner's manual + you guys more than one service person.
>> Thanks for the replies. <snip>

Type F??  HAHAHAHA!  There is NO application for Type F that's been
built in the last 25 years or so.  In fact, Type F is getting hard to
find on the retail level, almost as tough as the old Type A.

Call your dealer's owner and complain about this idiot.
Steve - 24 Oct 2006 21:42 GMT
>>>>My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
>>>>manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> Why would you want to use a GM fluid in your Ford?

Because there's no such thing as a "GM Fluid?" Chrysler used the Type
A/Dexron family as far back as GM did, and only stopped in the early 90s.

> With all the pickieness that those Fords have with even their own (type
> F) or Mercon fluid, trying to use Dexron or GM fluid seems pretty silly
> to me.

The Dexron spec is THIS CLOSE >< to the Mercon spec. Its no great trick
to meet both, but Ford did have to clarify the spec. As others have
said, using a current production (not old stock) Mercon V fluid should
be fine.

And remember, the original question was for the power steering- which is
 a LOT less picky than the transmission would be!
mandtprice@gmail.com - 26 Oct 2006 21:58 GMT
> My vehicle calls for Mercon ATF for the power steering as well as the
> manual transmission fluid. Can I use Synthetic Dexron in these
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Thanks
> -J

I needed some info on the Motorcraft motor oil and noticed that they
have two different ATFs listed on their site:

http://www.motorcraft.com/products.do?item=15

They have a Mercon V that they say is ONLY for where Mercon V is
indicated and a second Mercon Multi-Purpose ATF that is indicated for
use everywhere else.  See if you can find the Motorcraft Mercon
Multi-Purpose and you should be home free.

Matthew
 
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