Trans Fluid Foams Up And leaks out front seal

I have a 1996 Cherokee Country. After long trips the trans fluid starts coming out the front seal. I took it to a good trans man and he said the seal is fine but the fluid is foaming causing it to come out of the seal, drops ont the exhaust and smokes. He changed the fluid and added an anti foaming additive which solved the problem. That was the last additive he had. He said it was made for Renualt Cars but did a good job. He thinks Jeep should have something similar but my dealer has been no help. Anyone know what kind of additive I need, and where can I buy it?

I would just go with a quality DexIII fluid, most have plenty of additives already that, I would hope, include anti-foaming ones. Just about everyone will tell you not to add anything else to the tranny fluid, the AW4 doesn't care much for additives and is pretty sensitive to the fluid you put in there...

Check your transmission vent tube. I know that some Fords have a similar issue when the vent tube gets clogged. Never heard of it on a Jeep, but it's worth checking.

I just changed my tranny fluid and it was foamy. I added Quaker State ATF+4 and it works great, actually, the tranny shifts much better and no foam.

ATF+4 is specifically designed for Chrysler trannies.

AW4 isn't Chrysler though, it's Japanese.

AW4 needs Dexron 3. All other Chrysler transmissions use ATF 3 or 4, though.

Blaine B. said:

AW4 isn't Chrysler though, it's Japanese.

AW4 needs Dexron 3. All other Chrysler transmissions use ATF 3 or 4, though.

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ATF has fewer friction enhancers than Dexron does and/or ATF allows a little more slippage in the clutches (in a Chrysler tranny). The clutch (or brake) material has some bearing on which fluid works best. Dexron doesn't work well in Chrysler trannies, the converse is also likely true. It may take many miles for a problem to show up in the AW4, but any excess slippage can't be a good thing. ATF is designed to work best with the Chrysler clutch material and Dexron with the AW4 clutch material, who really knows what the long term consequences may be, when using one for the other?

I'd guess, more slipping than normal = more heat......which equals wear.

Less slipping than normal = more wear.

Putting Dexron in a Chrysler tranny causes clutch chatter which destroys the clutch facing material. There were many, many reports of Dexron killing a Chrysler tranny within months. Going the other way and putting ATF+ in the AW4 can cause excessive slippage and more heat which degrades the fluid much quicker.