Tranny filter change issues

[Cottontail]

Although this is on an '04 WJ, I am posting it here because I am certain that the issues would be universal for all the Jeeps of this era. Mods, please feel free to move if necessary.

I used an extractor down the filler tube to empty the pan. Pulled the tranny pan down and replaced the filter. No issues there. Put back in about 2 quarts of fluid and it was showing full to the cold line.

Backed out and ran through the gears a few times and then took it about 1/2 mile to the next cul de sac and back. Everytime the Jeep needed to catch a gear it would rev to about 2000 RPM before catching.

I got it back into my garage and pulled the dipstick and smoke came out the filler tube. Hoping maybe I just need more fluid. The manual said to replace about 2 quarts and I hope maybe it just wasn't enough.

HELP!! Thoughts?

 

[xjsnake]

When I did my filter change a month ago I replaced the pan and exactly how much fluid I pulled out then warmed it up in neutral before checking the level. Once I was sure it was safe I drove it around. After driving it the level dropped a bit and I had to add more. She's great now except that today I discovered I hadn't torqued the drain plug (idiot = me)

 

[Cottontail]

I confirmed that I extracted 2 quarts with the extractor, but didn't factor in for the stuff left in the pan or what drained out after the pan was dropped.

A half mile couldn't have hurt anything....could it?

 

[Cottontail]

Ok...I put in a 3rd quart, to compensate for what I missed the first time. I took it outside and let it idle a couple minutes. As the manual suggests, I engaged the parking brake, then put the truck at a fast idle as I ran the gears from P to 1 and back a couple times. At one point in D the truck started pulsing and the rpms would bounce up and down. It even killed itself once.

When I put the e-brake back off and put it into D to pull it back into the garage, it pulled for a moment, but then wouldn't pull the truck at all. I sat with my foot off the brake and the truck in D and it didn't move.

I looked at the dipstick and it was registering empty.

 

[Cottontail]

Think I may have figured it out, thanks to the guys in the SEC Monday night chat. I'll know tomorrow if Jeepgeek2002 diagnosed it correctly as a loose filter, or if UNCC_XJ99 (or whatever Tim goes by - never remember how he strings his letters and numbers together) was correct with a suggestion that I knocked loose a sensor connection.


Still taking suggestions and potentional cause/solutions....just in case.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Maybe you left off a filter O-ring seal, or it was cut
during installation.

I can't explain the dipstick showing empty...???

 

[Pelican]

If you have only put in three quarts, it looks like you are still a quart low. You say that your WJ manual says to replace about two quarts. I'm certainly no expert on all XJ years but my 93 owners manual says about 4 qts. is required with basic maintenance including pan drop and filter screen change and this is generally the figure I've seen in Forum threads relating to this. Approximately what mine took the one time I replaced the filter. I don't have a clue as to whether the MJ is different.

If you haven't seen this thread, it has some pertinent info. Note especially Kastein's point in post #21: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1031061&highlight=aw4+atf+capacity&page=3

 

[Talyn]

Its should take 4-6 qts. And use ATF +4 as well.

 

[Cottontail]

Its should take 4-6 qts. And use ATF +4 as well.

I'll try that tonight. I am going to pull the pan again tonight to confirm that the filiter is nice and tight.

I know I don't have a leak, so I shouldn't have lost any fluid. I know for certain that I didn't pull 4-6 quarts out of the tranny pan last night, so it is curious to me why I might need to put in 1-3 more quarts than I pulled out....but I'll give it a try!

 

[ParadiseXJ]

If you have only put in three quarts, it looks like you are still a quart low.

When I drain & fill I get 3.75 qts. Almost dead on, everytime.

Not including whatever is in the filter, if anything.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Think I may have figured it out, thanks to the guys in the SEC Monday night chat. I'll know tomorrow if Jeepgeek2002 diagnosed it correctly as a loose filter, or if UNCC_XJ99 (or whatever Tim goes by - never remember how he strings his letters and numbers together) was correct with a suggestion that I knocked loose a sensor connection.


Still taking suggestions and potentional cause/solutions....just in case.

Close, that's UNCC_99XJ. Slightly dyslexic at the end lol.

I was thinking more about it last night after you left the chat, and if it were the solenoid you should have a check engine light very quickly...like within a minute or two. Still wouldn't rule it out, but i'm leaning more towards that not being the problem if you don't have a CEL yet.

 

[Cottontail]

I pulled the pan again tonight and the filter was tight and nothing was disconnected. When I pulled the pan and the filter I got 3 qts of fluid out...which is exactly what I put in last night.

I filled it with 5 fresh quarts and it seems to be doing just fine. I took it out on a mile run and it shifted fine. I'll let it sit overnight, check the level in the morning, check for leaks, and then button it up.

Looks like my issue was just that I was running it a little light on fluid.

 

[Talyn]

You need to check the level while hot and the engine running.