tiny bubbles in transmission fluid 2003 cvpi

[matthew]

03 crown Victoria police interceptor 90000 miles i noticed a small amount of bubbles on my transmission dip stick a week ago so i changed the filter and transmission fluid(what came out of the pan area) but still a small amount of bubbles on the dipstick fluid level looks fine i put the right fluid in and it does not look or smell burnt i know Transmission Tailshaft Seal leaks a tiny bit and it always shifted a little hard around 45mph other than that nothing else i can think of
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Thanks
Fastz28
03 crown Victoria police interceptor 90000 miles

fixes and pending fixes with my CVPI

transmission range sensor status: changed(fix check engine light and flashing o/d light- OBD code p0705)

LCM status:fixed replaced LCM(head lights were going out at random)

Intake manifold status:fixed replaced(10-28-12) manifold and gaskets(was leaking by the thermostat and causing misfires)

Check engine light code p0430 status: not fixed

Parts changed since i had the car 07-01-12
spark plugs, air filter, brakes, tranny range sensor, intake manifold, intake gaskets,LCM,fuel injector O rings,fuel filter

Topic

[redfury]

Well, I’d say it’s a good reason to fix that tailshaft leak, at the very least.

Usually bubbles in fluid where no air is being introduced ( full transmission, fluid pumps immersed in fluid ) is caused by cavitation. As an example, an outboard motor with a nicked up propeller will cavitate and eventually erode the edge of the prop due to this. What happens is on the edge of the blade, a nick is causing the fluid to boil. Notice how air bubbles form at the bottom of a boiling pan of water? Same concept. The friction from the nick not slicing through the water causes it to boil in that one specific spot. Eventually that nick will be eroded away to something less sharp and more organic in shape, but the prop will be less effective.

Personally, I’d replace the leaking seal and keep an eye on the transmission fluid. I’ve had other vehicles where I’d had some bubbles in the fluid and they ran strong and never gave me problems. I think the harder shift at 45mph would be more of a problem to focus on. that could be debris in the valve body or a sticking solenoid in the transmission.

[EricTheCarGuy]

The bubbles might be normal. Are you experiencing any shifting problems? If not then you might not worry about it. It could be as simple as the filter seal is not sealing good enough. Or it could be normal. If you’re not having shifting issues then I wouldn’t worry about it.

[Author]

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