lawsoncl said:
The Cherokees don't have a Chrysler made tranny, which is why the tranny is actually considered reliable.
Hmmm, I see more posts about transmissions problems on this board than over on the Chrylser Mini-Van board I also belong too.
Chrysler "USED" to have the most reliable tranny's in the world, when they went to FWD on all models and adapted the old RWD tranny's to FWD the reliability dropped some, then the whole A-904 debacle came along. For a decade Chrysler failed to provide the extra cooling this tranny needed, so even all the improvements to address the high failure rate still did not yield enough results. The latest chyrslers have bigger coolers and the new Synthetic ATF+4, with internal improvements has seemed to do the trick, because it seems the hondas are now having tranny replacements far more often than the Chryslers. The biggest cause of failure for the Chrysler Transmissions was the Dealers/Mechanics using the wrong fluid, like what happened to the Jeep.
Right now, chrysler tranny failure rate doesn't seem any worse than any of the other manufacturers. But, modern tranny's are failing more often than the old tranny's, that is for all manufacturers. IMHO, that is because of the trend toward more efficiency, taller gearing, smaller lighter tranny's, demands on quiter and smoother shifting, it forces to many compromises in the design that won't stand up to abuse. Thru in the general public and service people failure to adapt, and still think of transmissions as the bullet proof box that never needs servicing and the attitude that trans fluid is trans fluid, just use what ever is on the shelf.
Every guy I see complaining about their mini-van tranny failing at 80k miles, they always seem to tow/live in the mountains/city, and when you ask did you take the tranny out of OD and change the fluid like is required in the driver's manual, the answer is always NO. Usually followed by something to the effect that their father never did that with his cars. As well, there are still reports always appearing about suppossededly reputable tranny shops and chains, still only stocking Dexron II in bulk and using it in every tranny, if your lucky they'll use a bottle of additive that suppossededly changes DexronII into ATF+3 or what ever fluid they were suppossed to use.
Personally,
I've just followed the driver's manual recommendation on Operation/Service/Fluid Specification and put more than 7 Chrysler transmissions over the years thru severe usage and never once suffered a failure or malfunction.
Have to totally agree with Dealers/Mechanics using the wrong fluids in vehicles. Can you really call yourself a professional when ameatures have a better understanding than you?
Modern tranny's are extremely demanding on the fluid and have specific fluids engineered to address the needed properties of the tranny. I.E. its crtical to use the right fluid. Some tranny's more than others.
The morons put the wrong fluid in your tranny, from what I gather the AW auto trans are NOT that finicky about their fluid. Since the ATF+4 is a superior synthetic in many ways, and judging from some other peoples experience, you probably have no damage and just changing the fluid to the correct should suffice.
Thanks
