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oh no!! need help transmission fluid!!

Mtb Jak

Mtb Jak

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Seattle WA
i accidently... let all my fluid out from the bottom drain bolt..(thinking oh heres the oild drain bolt) and now i let it all come out so where do i put the new stuff in? thru the dipstick???

feel like a dumbass :doh:
 
any ideas? i needa get this thing done asap becuase my 30 minute oil change has become a 3 hour retardfest!!!

i got napa ATF DEXRON III / MECRON

that the right kind?
 
I'm assuming we're talking about an automatic here?

Replace drain plug. Remove dipstick. Grab funnel - you're pouring the fluid in through the dipstick tube.

The AW4 takes four quarts, and do not use synthetic fluids!

Regular Dexron II/IIE/III will work well. Use the same stuff in your transfer case.
 
thank you so much! NAXJA!
 
5-90 said:
As I recall, the AW4 wants Dexron II/IIE/III all the way up.
Click to expand...
Correct:

aw4_drain.jpg


Jim
 
5-90 said:
I'm assuming we're talking about an automatic here?

Replace drain plug. Remove dipstick. Grab funnel - you're pouring the fluid in through the dipstick tube.

The AW4 takes four quarts, and do not use synthetic fluids!

Regular Dexron II/IIE/III will work well. Use the same stuff in your transfer case.
Click to expand...

I hate to butt in on this post, but I have seen several of you say NOT TO USE SYNTHETICS, I have a 99 and 89 and recently got rid of a 98 all auto and all used mobil one synthetic Merc/Dex fluid. Never once have I encountered a problem. I've read several posts on the fact that the AW4 doesn't like synthetic but my experiences say otherwise....maybe I'm one of a knid....not sure...but never had a problem
 
mgreen84 said:
I hate to butt in on this post, but I have seen several of you say NOT TO USE SYNTHETICS, I have a 99 and 89 and recently got rid of a 98 all auto and all used mobil one synthetic Merc/Dex fluid. Never once have I encountered a problem. I've read several posts on the fact that the AW4 doesn't like synthetic but my experiences say otherwise....maybe I'm one of a knid....not sure...but never had a problem
Click to expand...

I'd say you were a fluke. I've heard reports from the field that an AW4 will tolerate synthetic fluid, but the reports that indicate problems from the change probably outnumber the "good" reports fifteen to one - not good odds.

Having been inside a few of these boxes, I'd say that if you break it in and switch to synthetic immediately after (say, within 50Kmiles or so,) it will "get used to the synthetic" and not give you any trouble. However, what seems to happen is that the clutches become saturated with the regular fluid, and switching to synthetic causes the transmission to try to flush it out and you get clutch chatter.

Since AW4 clutches are usually bronze, they're a bit pickier than the regular "wet clutch" (which uses a similar material to "dry" clutches.)

At least, that's my theory - and it's working until someone can give me better information from an authoritative source... Mine is mainly based upon experience and reports from the field.
 
5-90 said:
I'd say you were a fluke. I've heard reports from the field that an AW4 will tolerate synthetic fluid, but the reports that indicate problems from the change probably outnumber the "good" reports fifteen to one - not good odds.

Having been inside a few of these boxes, I'd say that if you break it in and switch to synthetic immediately after (say, within 50Kmiles or so,) it will "get used to the synthetic" and not give you any trouble. However, what seems to happen is that the clutches become saturated with the regular fluid, and switching to synthetic causes the transmission to try to flush it out and you get clutch chatter.

Since AW4 clutches are usually bronze, they're a bit pickier than the regular "wet clutch" (which uses a similar material to "dry" clutches.)

At least, that's my theory - and it's working until someone can give me better information from an authoritative source... Mine is mainly based upon experience and reports from the field.
Click to expand...
Some of the guys at the shop say that its just more proof that mobil one has switched to dino hydrocracked bases and added synthetic conditioners and called it full synthetic...not sure but as long as it breathin' I'll keep it screamin'!!
 
make it 16 to 1! The only trans I ever killer (without explaination) was roughly 7000 miles after a change to synthetic fluid. More often than not, trans failure follows overheating the fluid, but in this case, it had a relatively new cooler and no signs of overheating or abuse prior to the "routine" maintainance of filter screen and fluid change. It started slipping and within a day or so of low speed driving, it lost it's ability to do anything other than REAL low speed!
 
Shorty said:
make it 16 to 1! The only trans I ever killer (without explaination) was roughly 7000 miles after a change to synthetic fluid. More often than not, trans failure follows overheating the fluid, but in this case, it had a relatively new cooler and no signs of overheating or abuse prior to the "routine" maintainance of filter screen and fluid change. It started slipping and within a day or so of low speed driving, it lost it's ability to do anything other than REAL low speed!
Click to expand...

Sounds like a very bad case of clutch slip. Did it chatter or shudder after it failed?
 
5-90 said:
Sounds like a very bad case of clutch slip. Did it chatter or shudder after it failed?
Click to expand...

it was-- never quile failed, as I was on my way home and only went about four miles slowly-- had a spare and changed it. I will take it down and investigate if I manage to kill the one in it now and the other spare (newly remaned) that I came across a couple weeks AFTER I changed it last time.

Transmissions-R-Us would be a better name for my garage right now!:roflmao:

--Shorty
 
Hmmm... I switched to synthetic trans oil about 50,000mi ago. I backed it off the lift and proceeded to drive across Colorado. I remember it driving rather smoothly. The only problems I've had since was the front seal leaking. Since I had to pull the trans to fix it I decided to do a little preventitave maintenance. A friend who owns a few tranny shops came over to make sure I didn't screw anything up and said the whole thing looked really good. (about 160,000mi on a 2000) I've heard of synthetics making seals go but I don't know if mine went do to that or just the mileage. I don't think thats a definitive answer for anyone though...
 
Waterhammer said:
Hmmm... I switched to synthetic trans oil about 50,000mi ago. I backed it off the lift and proceeded to drive across Colorado. I remember it driving rather smoothly. The only problems I've had since was the front seal leaking. Since I had to pull the trans to fix it I decided to do a little preventitave maintenance. A friend who owns a few tranny shops came over to make sure I didn't screw anything up and said the whole thing looked really good. (about 160,000mi on a 2000) I've heard of synthetics making seals go but I don't know if mine went do to that or just the mileage. I don't think thats a definitive answer for anyone though...
Click to expand...

Synthetics can "cause" seals to leak - but that's with seals that were already on the way out anyhow.

What happens is that the synthetic base oil is slipperier than dead dinosaurs, and that tends to get past seals that have lost their pliability. Also, synthetic usually does a better job of cleaning internals - so if there was some sludge on the seal that kept it from leaking, it won't be there anymore.

But, if you switch to synthetic and notice leaks, they were probably going to happen anyhow - you just sped up the process. Replace them, and drive on.
 
Shorty said:
make it 16 to 1! The only trans I ever killer (without explaination) was roughly 7000 miles after a change to synthetic fluid. More often than not, trans failure follows overheating the fluid, but in this case, it had a relatively new cooler and no signs of overheating or abuse prior to the "routine" maintainance of filter screen and fluid change. It started slipping and within a day or so of low speed driving, it lost it's ability to do anything other than REAL low speed!
Click to expand...

Accidentally using ATF4+ can also cause excessive slippage.
 
The worst part is that many tranny shops and even dealers assume the Jeeps have a Chrysler tranny and automatically fill it with ATF4+.

Going the opposite direction and putting Dexron-II in a Chrysler tranny causes chattering and damage to the clutch surfaces. Many a Chrysler tranny has been destroyed by the wrong fluid.
 
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