I have searched far and wide and can't find squat! Does anyone know how much transmission fluid the FEH FWD will be needed to do a service? I can't find a capacity listing anywhere. Also what is a good synthetic transmission fluid to use? Royal Purple, Redline, Mobil1?

I work in industry, and I know "Royal Purple" is not recommended for any industrial grade applications. It is joked about frequently. "Pump making noise eh? Whacha do? Use Royal Purple?" and similar comments.

Also, I do not think you need to change the transmission fluid unless you know there is a problem, had the car under water, or have an ungodly high number of miles on it.
-John

Mark Smith is our professional mechanic. He previously stated he would change his transmission fluid around 60,000 miles even though it is not specified in the Ford mainetance manual. You should note our transmission does not have a torque converter. Send a private e-mail to Mark Smith on this topic.

2005 AWD Escape Hybrid
Best Interstate tank trip MPG 39.02 (scangauge II) for 402 miles on I-70, 10.3 gallons used over mostly flat terrain.

Best Interstate tank trip E30 MPG 34.6 for 271 miles along I-80 in Indiana and Ohio.

Best multiple road tank trip E30 MPG 36.2 for 202 miles in Southwestern Pa.

I sent him a message. Thanks...

Look in your owner's manual. My 2006 says the refill capacity is 5.3 quarts of Motorcraft MERCON (red) ATF.

There is a note: "Indicates only approximate dry-fill capacity.Do NOT use Motorcraft MERCON CVT (blue) ATF. This vehicle uses only MERCON (red) ATF."

There is also a note: "Using any transmission fluid other than those that meet the recommended specification may cause internal transaxle damage. Do NOT use Motorcraft MERCON CVT (blue) ATF. This vehicle uses only Motorcraft MERCON (red) ATF."

There is no mention of the eCVT in the maintenance schedule. The instructions to check the fluid level are on pg. 285 of my manual and it doesn't tell you how to drain the fluid, only how to pull the top plug and check the level.

Anyone done a fluid change yet? I have 55k on my FEH and I'd like to change the fluid at 60k. All I really need to know is what bolt needs to come out on the bottom of the engine - this should totally be a DIY job.

Remove the shield on the bottom LH side and the drain plug is readily apparent. Drain the fluid, reinstall the bottom plug, then remove the plug on the side and fill till it just reaches the level of the side plug. Replace the side plug and you're done. Should take even less time than a motor oil change.

Is there a crush washer that needs to be replaced when the bottom drain plug is removed? I went to a Ford dealer today and the guy in the parts department brought up a picture of the transmission. It seemed like the drain plug and washer are only sold as a set and he didn't have any in stock. (Of course, I could probably just use the aluminum kind I have on my Honda...)

Just changed my CVT fluid today @ 55k miles on my 06 FEH:

The MERCON 'red' ATF specified in the owner's manual is no longer manufactured, so I used MERCON V as recommended in the Ford lubricant catalog.

To access the top bolt, I had to cut away a softball sized section of the inner splash guard in the wheel well. It's marked with a circle embossed into the plastic and can be removed with a utility knife. Make sure to turn your steering wheel all the way to the left as suggested in the owner's manual. The bottom bolt is clearly visible without removing anything but you'll have to crawl under the car. Small ramps might help here but I didn't use anything.

The oil check bolt and the drain bolt both have 10mm Allen heads and I had to make an extra trip to Autozone to pick up the tool. The bolts were magnetic and had a very small quantity of metal fuzz on them, nothing to worry about. They also use aluminum crush washers and this time around I just flipped the washers when putting everything together. I don't know the Ford part number, but I noticed that my Honda crush washers fit perfectly! The Honda parts are readily available online, search for "Odyssey Transmission Drain Washer." You could probably get by without replacing the washers, especially for the top bolt since no oil is even in contact with it.

I replaced the bottom bolt and poured in just less than 5 qts of ATF even though the official fill is 5.3 qts. I used a long oil funnel and the tube from a turkey baster on the end. Anything will do as long as you can get the oil in there.