I have an ef2 fairmont wagon and my auto is playing up .I live inTaree and there is only one auto tranny repairer here.
He wants to charge me $500 to change my S5 solenoid and to give the tranny a full service with a total oil change etc .Is that expensive or is the price okay?
The ford dealer told me not to bother changing the solenoid as i would be wasting my time and I should replace the tranny all together.
The gearbox has done 270000 kms .Is Ford service right .
Any advice would be appreciated

My transmission was starting to play up real bad, and was told it was the s5 solenoid. So I went down that path and got it replaced, and a service done on it. When i got the car back it did definately drive better, but was still crap.

I then took it somewhere else and just told them I want it rebuilt. And when they ripped it apart they told me it was amazing the thing was even going! Apparently the solenoid the other mob put in was the wrong one, and they didn't do the service on it. So it was a waste of $400 for me.

So $500 does sound alright, if in fact they do actually service it, but i reckon with that many k's on it, you will need a reco one...

The price does seem ok as the soleniod from Ford is $460 RRP or trade from a transmission place around $370. I had the same symptoms as a S5 soleniod in my EL. All it needed was a fluid change as the old fluid was burnt from when the S1 soleniod went and i only replaced the pan fluid. When changing the S5 the fluid is dropped anyways and you didnt ask for a service so they wouldnt have done one especially if the fluid was clean and not burnt. Now i have heard that a cheaper Holden soleniod can be used which will give you firmer gear changes but really..... i dont want holden in my ford it would be like cancer!!
I would get a quote from a transmission place as Ford would only send it there anyways.

That Holden auto is nothing but trouble in Holden's, shifts whenever it wants to, poor to shift, shifts early on the smallest of inclines (so I heard). Whatever causes it I wouldn't want anything branded Holden in my auto!

Haha the holdens shift early cause they simply have no torque! thought that was common knowledge...

Considering he's supplying the new solenoid, and all the tranny oil (and a lot is used in a flush not to mention the 14L to refil it, and TQ95 is not cheap),plus the labour, $500.00 ain't bad at all in myu opinion. When I did my tranny I spent over $150.00 on the fluid to fill it and the new filter.

to remove the S5 solenoid you have to loosen all the valvebody bolts to allow the solenoid to be removed/replaced so there is some extra labour and burning of the fingers by hot oil and screws (experience!!)

depends on the s5
whether or not you have to loosen the valve body
on ef/el if they the later solenoid(shorter body then all you have to do is loosen the solenoid torx

I speak from 12 years experience