Tranny fluid change, HELP...

[JeepXJ93]

I'm in the middle of changing my tranny fluid and its a little darker, and smells a little more burnt than i would like, ive decided maybe i should drop the pan and replace the filter...my question is...jeep has a filter for 90 bux....auto zone has a champion filter for 20....why such a huge diff...am i asking for trouble w/ an auto zone filter??

P.S...changing the filter...is it as straight foward as dropping the pan, unbolting the 4 bolts that holds it in and putting the new one in??
Thanks for any info.

[JeepXJ93]

Need to get this done in the next hour,....any ideas?

[red91]

autozone is good for stuff on the shelf like oil. Try napa for a better quailty filter.

[JamesBond]

Hello,
I do NOT have an auto trans. in my Jeep but in my experience the "filter" for an auto trans is just a screen. I recently changed the filter and gasket on my high mileage (and 18 yr old) bmw automatic and found it to be in fine shape and I could have just left it alone. There are usually magnets in the transmission pan that get covered with finely ground metal that looks like grey sludge and it is good to clean them up but since they are magnets they hold the debris pretty well and can also most likely be left alone with little negative effect. If your fluid is old and burnt it should be changed. You can drain and refill the pan and change about 1/3 of the fluid, then run the vehicle which mixes new and old fluid and repeat the process until a majority of the fluid is fresh, or you can flush the system by disconnecting a trans cooling line and running the motor while you refill until all the old fluid is gone. The drain and refill procedure above is what I did with my car but my fluid appeared to be in good shape. What is the reason that you want to do this? Are you having transmission problems?
JamesBond

[5-90]

Here we go again...

The Aw4 filter is a metal screen, and is little more than a strainer. If you didn't see any large bits falling out thru the drain hole, there won't be anything in the filter, either.

Here's what I'd do - change the fluid now and refill. Run for about 1000 miles, then add a transmission flush. Take a nice long drive going thru all the gear ranges (manuall shift into every one) and have your fluid change stuff ready for when you get home. Change the fluid while it's nice and hot, and you'll catch nearly all the crud, varnish, and sludge you are likely to get without tearing the box down.

You'll find that you have to at least dismount the valve body for a visual inspection, and a full inspection takes somewhat more - but a god change and flush fixes most transmission problems. The AW4 is a solid box (I've had a couple apart that have been literally abused, and they looked fine inside) and you probably don't have any worries beyond that.

HTH, YMMV, TANSTAAFL.

5-90

[Atl XJ]

ditto, read my reply on Jeepboard

[Atl XJ]

I saw on Jeepboard that you put ATF+3 in your AW4. DO NOT USE AFT+3 in the AW4!!!! It will cause you serious issues. Only use Dextron III, its an Asin Warner transmission, not Chrysler.

[JeepXJ93]

Yea i replied....if you see this first just reply here...is it good enough to just drain the fluid from the plug or do i have to take the hole pan off all over again? Has anyone else ever used ATF-3 in a newer XJ?

[falcon556]

What is the correct fluid for a '99XJ?
I assumed that they all take Dexron III.

[Idiot Wind]

Has anyone else ever used ATF-3 in a newer XJ?
without the long boring explanation of why, I had ATF+4 in my AW4 for a year and a half (going by my receipt). Partially my ignorance and I assumed the dealer knew what to put in when I had it flushed. I have a 2000.

Once I found out, I went elsewhere, got another flush and made sure they put in Dex III. I wanted to make sure that when I pull the plug myself, I am not mixing fluids. At this point, I will never flush again.

Did I suffer any ill effects from the +4? Well, no but it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to not use what is recommended. None. Zero.

If you want fun, do a search on this topic, your head will spin. If you don't feel like it, take the advice given Dex III is what you want and you will not hear much otherwise.

[Atl XJ]

Did u just drop the pan when you did the change? The problem is that there are only 4 quarts in the pan and something like 12 quarts in the system so just using the drain plug will only get 4 quarts out. In order to get it all out you really need to get it flushed. Its only money right? Sorry, I know you're on a budget but its the correct thing to do if you want it to last a while.

Edit: Sorry to be brief, I'm headed out the door. Hpoefully someone can answer in more detail if u have more questions.