Mercon V Use in Mercon Transmissions:
Effective 6-29-4, Ford is discontinuing Mercon ATF licensing and manufacturing. Mercon V is now approved for use in all transmissions specifying Mercon.
True, except for the typo in the date. (It should be 7-01-07). The date of the TSB is 6-29-06.
But that's only part 1 of the song and dance. Part two is that the major oil companies are thumbing their nose at Ford and their licensing requirement for using the trademarked MERCON® and MERCON® V names. Let's take Pennzoil, for example.
PENNZOIL® TRANSMISSION FLUID
Notice the weasle-wording in the following quote:
"Pennzoil® Multi-Vehicle ATF... meets the requirements of transmissions requiring DEXRON® -III, MERCON®, MERCON® V and Allison C-4 fluid. "
It does
not say it meets MERCON® or MERCON® V requirements. Instead it says it meets the requirements of certain
transmissions.
It doesn't say it's rated MERCON® V, but it must be, because only MERCON® V now "meets the requirements of
transmissions requiring either MERCON® or MERCON® V".
And it doesn't say it's rated MERCON® V because too many uninformed folks want MERCON® , not MERCON® V, because of the words in their obsolete Owner's Guide.
I don't buy such weasel-worded products. I use Mobil 1 ATF, for one reason because it says loud and clear that it meets MERCON® V specs. And although my obsolete Owner's Guide says to
not use MERCON® V, TSB 06-14-4 amended my Owner's Guide to say MERCON® V is the right stuff for my 4R100 tranny.
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TSB 06-14-4
MERCON ATF IS BEING REPLACED BY MERCON V ATF AS A SERVICE FLUID.
Publication Date: June 29, 2006
FORD:
1981-2004 E-Series, F-Super Duty
2000-2005 Excursion
This article supersedes TSB 01-15-7 to update the vehicle application chart.
ISSUE:
MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid is being replaced by MERCON® V as a service fluid.
ACTION:
Beginning immediately all automatic transmission / transaxle applications requiring MERCON® can now be serviced using MERCON® V or MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid or dual usage fluids labeled MERCON® / MERCON® V. After July 1, 2007, MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid will no longer be manufactured, therefore, availability of this fluid will only continue for however long it takes to deplete what remains in inventory.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
Service automatic transmissions requiring MERCON® with MERCON® V or MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid or dual usage fluids labeled MERCON® / MERCON® V
For proper fluid application on current and past model vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions / transaxles refer to the fluid usage chart. (Figure 1)
CAUTION: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS / TRANSAXLES THAT REQUIRE MERCON® V SHOULD STILL ONLY USE MERCON® V OR DUAL USAGE FLUID LABELED MERCON® / MERCON® V.
CAUTION: MERCON® SP, MOTORCRAFT PREMIUM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID AND MOTORCRAFT M5 ATFS ARE UNIQUE FLUIDS AND MUST BE USED IN APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDING THAT PARTICULAR FLUID. USE OF ANY OTHER FLUID MAY CAUSE REDUCED FUNCTIONALITY OR TRANSMISSION DAMAGE.
CAUTION: THE FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FLUIDS FOR CVT TRANSMISSIONS ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN THOSE OF OTHER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUIDS (ATFS). USE OF A FLUID OTHER THAN MOTORCRAFT CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE CHAIN TYPE TRANSMISSION FLUID OR ONE LABELED AS MEETING MERCON® C WILL CAUSE FUNCTIONALITY CONCERNS AND INTERNAL TRANSMISSION DAMAGE.
CAUTION: DO NOT USE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID SUPPLEMENTS, ADDITIVES, TREATMENTS OR CLEANING AGENTS.
PART NUMBER PART NAME
XT-2-QDX MERCON® (Quart)
XT-2-DDX MERCON® (55 Gal. Drum)
XT-5-QM MERCON® V (Quart)
XT-5-DM MERCON® V (55 Gal. Drum)
WARRANTY STATUS:
Information Only
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The "Figure 1" attached to the TSB won't copy over to this editor. It is a quick reference chart to show which transmissions this TSB applied to. One was our 4R100 automatic tranny.
Notice the "®" by the MERCON name. That means "registered trade mark", and folks are not allowed to use it without meeting the requirements of the owner of the trade mark. Ford doesn't allow anyone to make or market MERCON®, so when you see something like the weasel-worded Pennzoil product on the market you can bet there is a lawsuit already filed by Ford.
