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aw4 fluid

9

90xjwagoneer

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Washington, NJ
just to let everyone know, as of oct 16 2007 atf+4 is now the dealer recommended fluid in the aw4 trans. this is according to chrysler tsb #21-014-07
 
Last edited:
Well, it's STILL wrong.
 
run dexron III and NO OTHER AUTO TRANS FLUID in your AW4. any synthetic run in the AW4 is asking for disaster. I've now seen 2 AW4's blow the clutch packs due to synthetic fluid being run, and have NEVER ONCE heard of any issues with dexron III.
 
jeepcomj said:
run dexron III and NO OTHER AUTO TRANS FLUID in your AW4. any synthetic run in the AW4 is asking for disaster. I've now seen 2 AW4's blow the clutch packs due to synthetic fluid being run, and have NEVER ONCE heard of any issues with dexron III.
Click to expand...
this is skeptical....for every claim that synthetic trans. fluid caused problems there are several that run synthetic and not had any problems..(me included) I've ran mobil 1 synthetic tranny fluid for 40,000miles now and never had a problem. However, the tranny fluid does need to meet the Dexron Requirments
 
jeepcomj said:
run dexron III and NO OTHER AUTO TRANS FLUID in your AW4. any synthetic run in the AW4 is asking for disaster. I've now seen 2 AW4's blow the clutch packs due to synthetic fluid being run, and have NEVER ONCE heard of any issues with dexron III.
Click to expand...


As long as you use synthetic that meeds the Dexron III standard it isn't a problem. Its people throwing F type or people who already have a completely crudded up trannys that have problems. If you add a good synthetic fluid to a tranny full of crap, that crap ends up being broke loose in there and causing problems.
 
I once burned through a rubber transmission coller line that rubbed up against the exhaust. This caused it to leak very rapidly, and I had to pull into a hardware store to get some hose, and fluid to repair the leak.

After I fixed the leak, I was faced with a transmission that would NOT go forward in 4LO. It would go in reverse in 4LO, and forward in 4HI, and 2HI...but NOT 4LO. I later looked at the bottle of the ATF I purchased...and it was not Dexron/Mercon III. I think it was this that destroyed the transmission. Possibly this, with a combination of very low fluid levels. At any rate, I will ONLY put Dexron III in my AW4s.
 
90xjwagoneer said:
just to let everyone know, as of oct 16 2007 atf+4 is now the dealer recommended fluid in the aw4 trans. this is according to chrysler tsb #21-014-07
Click to expand...


It is interesting to know Chrysler recommended a new fluid for an old transmission????

I am running Amsoil in my AW4 and have been doing so for 100,000+ miles. If there is a problem, I have not seen it. The XJ now has 245, 700+ miles on it. :yelclap: :yelclap:
 
That TSB is an update. ATF plus four has superseded all other fluids in Chrysler vehicles since it's introduction also for power steering and the NP 231 transfer case. I have 138k miles on my 98 xj with no problems and every Chrysler that comes into our shop gets "Plus 4" except for the CVT trannies and a few others. Been doing tranny flushes and services with plus 4 for five years now and have known of no problems.
 
TwistedSymphony said:
I once burned through a rubber transmission coller line that rubbed up against the exhaust. This caused it to leak very rapidly, and I had to pull into a hardware store to get some hose, and fluid to repair the leak.

After I fixed the leak, I was faced with a transmission that would NOT go forward in 4LO. It would go in reverse in 4LO, and forward in 4HI, and 2HI...but NOT 4LO. I later looked at the bottle of the ATF I purchased...and it was not Dexron/Mercon III. I think it was this that destroyed the transmission. Possibly this, with a combination of very low fluid levels. At any rate, I will ONLY put Dexron III in my AW4s.
Click to expand...

Um - if you didn't have forward motion in 4LO, but in other ranges, that sounds like a transfer case issue to me...

If it were a transmission issue, you'd not have forward motion in 2HI, 4HI, or 4LO.
 
Last month I went to Jiffy Lube (I know, I know) to get some service done, and I asked them what kind of atf they were going to use and they said atf+3.

I said no, and told them to use dexron III.

Of course they don't listen to me (because to them they are the experts and I'm just a stupid customer) and put in some Pennzoil Multi vehicle atf.

I later looked up the Pennzoil Mult vehicle atf and was relieved to find that it is dexron III rated.

But I still don't understand why they couldn't put straight up dexron III in the damn thing. Any fluid that is made for "multiple" vehicles is certain to have compromises in it.
 
Wrectec said:
That TSB is an update. ATF plus four has superseded all other fluids in Chrysler vehicles since it's introduction also for power steering and the NP 231 transfer case. I have 138k miles on my 98 xj with no problems and every Chrysler that comes into our shop gets "Plus 4" except for the CVT trannies and a few others. Been doing tranny flushes and services with plus 4 for five years now and have known of no problems.
Click to expand...

I know this tsb is just an update but this is the first update to include the aw4 trans. or atleast its the first i've seen to include it and i get them right from chryslers dealerconnect.com
 
To answer your question about why the "Jiffy Lube" didn't use the Dextron III in your transmission you have to know what is going on in the Lubrication Industry. All Type F and Dextron III Fluids will be replaced by a partial synthetic fluid in most of the shops you go to now. The ATF+4 that Chrystler uses is covered by this, as well as the Mercon 5 used by Ford. Ford and Chevy also have thier own new formula for their new desiel auto transmissions that is totaly different from the the blended sythetic ATF that is available. It is not a big deal, its more like a differential that calls for a 80w90 GL-5 but instead you use a 75w90 synthetic GL-5. Hope that clears a little up for you. For you guys that use the Mercon/Dextron III I would strongly suggest switching over to the ATF+4.
 
Logic tells me the tranny was designed to work with Dexron (Dexron was around for at least a decade before the AW-4 was designed). Put Dexron in an ATF-3 or ATF-4 (Chrysler) tranny and the clutch packs will chatter (it's in the Chryco recall list), the converse is likely true (different friction properties). It's also likely a lower mileage tranny may not be affected as dramatically as a well worn high mileage tranny. And like mentioned, the varnish and other sludges deposited in odd corners in the tranny may be dislodged using an ATF with higher detergent properties.
The Chrysler tranny is designed to use a slippier ATF. Dexron has more friction enhancers in it than does the typical ATF-3, who knows for sure about ATF-4, anything is possible, but universal friction properties seems rather hard to achieve?
ATF-3 in my 88 made the tranny slip like beatch. I noticed the shifts were retarded and took longer to complete. After three fluid changes, the tranny has been working fine for 4-5 years now.
I'm personally not prepared to go through that again and will avoid ATF-4 for as long as possible, thinking it may be a repeat of the ATF-3 fiasco. Funny my 87 went to the same dealer for a service and the tranny started to slip shortly afterwards (just like my 88 did), I never did get to the bottom of the problem, as it was totaled before I could try and undo everything the dealer screwed up.
I imagin most any ATF will work, synthetic or not if it has sufficient friction (friction enhancers) to let the AW4 clutches slip within the design parameters.
IMO if it isn't broke don't fix it. The only down side I've ever noticed to Dexron, is once it's overheated to the point of discoloration, it doesn't work nearly as well and the deposit levels go way up. And sometimes at extremely low temperatures, it doesn't work well (late shifts) on occasion. I look for a sale, buy it by the case and change it often.
 
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