Transmission fluid change?

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dharvey1020

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I have a 2004 Jeep liberty. With about 103000 miles on it. Its and auto with the 3.7. I think the ****** is about to go in it. Sluggish shifts, can't seem to find the right gear when coming to a red light that turns green and i have to accelrate. I don't know the reliabilty of these trannys? I wanted to change the fluid in the ****** just to give it a shot. I am not sure what is best. Eather have a flush done and a filter or just drain the ****** from the bottom and change like 5 quarts and a filter. I have heard that the flushes are bad cause the dirt in the oil helps the seals. I got a car fax on the jeep and it said that the last ****** fluid change was at 40k. I don't know how much i can trush car fax.

Thanks dave
 

Atrus

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IMO, if you're having problems flushing the transmission will just make it worse or fail completely. I, personally, wouldn't flush it at this point.
 

tjkj2002

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IMO, if you're having problems flushing the transmission will just make it worse or fail completely. I, personally, wouldn't flush it at this point.
Actually false,a incorrectly done flush will ruin any trans.The best way is to just have a fluid exchange,basically a flush but without the chemical cleaner.Make sure the correct fluid is used,only ATF+4.

Or you can just drop the pan and only replace 1/3 of the fluid,safe but not going to fix most problems.
 

dharvey1020

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lol I get two responces and there both different I guess tha battle rages on. I did not know there was a cleaner added to flush. I am guessing that is what would mess with a dirty ******. so I can just ask the machenic not to add the cleaner. I should probly not take it jiffy lube.

thanks dave
 

kb0nly

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I wouldn't take anything for any reason to Jiffy Lube, but then i watched the behind the scenes hidden camera stuff on them and also read all the bad stuff about them online.
 

JeepJeepster

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Drop the pan and change the fluid and filter.

If you want you can drop the pan a coule times to get all of the fluid out. Only use ATF+4 fluid.

Not sure a fluid change will help an already failing ****** though. :(
 

Powerslave

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If you do a complete cycle of the Trans Fluid, the TCM needs power removed from it. That means, disconnect the battery for 10 minutes. If you change the fluid without resetting the computer, it won't re-learn anything, meaning, all values with WORN fluid would apply to the new fluid, and is not good in most cases. THIS is the reason some trannys fail after a complete cycle; they don't reset the TCM to relearn pressures and indexes. This is because the transes are electronically controlled. I, personally, have only done the "drop pan and replace filter and fluid," and no problems. I still pulled the battery each time I did the change. Others are, people used Dexron III, and that will kill the transmission.

CarFax just means, that's the last time a DEALER did it. If you take it to a regular privately owned auto place, they don't put anything in CarFax.
 

tjkj2002

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If you do a complete cycle of the Trans Fluid, the TCM needs power removed from it. That means, disconnect the battery for 10 minutes. If you change the fluid without resetting the computer, it won't re-learn anything, meaning, all values with WORN fluid would apply to the new fluid, and is not good in most cases. THIS is the reason some trannys fail after a complete cycle; they don't reset the TCM to relearn pressures and indexes. This is because the transes are electronically controlled. I, personally, have only done the "drop pan and replace filter and fluid," and no problems. I still pulled the battery each time I did the change. Others are, people used Dexron III, and that will kill the transmission.

CarFax just means, that's the last time a DEALER did it. If you take it to a regular privately owned auto place, they don't put anything in CarFax.
There a thing called a "transmission relearn" to fix that.If the flushes are done often and on a regular schedule there is no need for the relearn either,every 30,000miles is the most recommended safe flush interval.I do mine every 15,000miles and change the filters every 30,000miles and have a relearn done with the filter change/flush every 30,000miles.The biggest reason for failures after a proper trans flush is the chemical cleaner cleans to well and actually causes internal leaks or to high of line pressures that blow a trans.

Dropping the pan only and changing the filter(s) is not enough to warrant a relearn.
 

dharvey1020

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I understande that if its going then there is nothin I can do. the oil change is just a shot in the dark. the sounds of it are that my best option is to do complete fluse with no clearner and then a relearn. also what's the reliability of this ******. if it does go where do I find? is there a lot of used parts on this site.
 

Powerslave

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I know a bunch of people who has shifting problems with their transmissions, and changing the fluid helped 100%. It may not last too much longer, but, at least you get some more miles out of it...

ALSO, tjkj2002, your relearn requires taking it to the dealer. Well, you may as well get your fluid swap done there if you're going to do that! If you know anything about the law of averages, the more miles you put on, the longer and LONGER the averages take to compute, to a point where it can take MONTHS, as it LEARNES, not only the transmission conditions, and your driving habits. So, the transmission won't relearn anything fast, unless forced to, either way, dealer relearn, or removing power. You want it to learn FAST because you changed the fluid and filter, changing pressures and indexes right away; thicker fluid now, more pressure, so it don't need a full duty cycle anymore, things like that.

Anyhow, I don't care who designed the transmission, a computer controlled transmission needs to be reset once any major fluid change, or repair is done. Say you change the clutch packs, and don't do anything? You will apply the same pressures to the NEW clutches, as if they were the same ones, burning them out faster. You can ask any Cottman guy, these transmissions keep them in business. #1 cause of failure is heat, they will attest to that till they're blue in the face. Other causes are USER end caused failures, which are THESE type, when they do it themselves and just GO, without resetting the TCM after repairs or service they do. We agree, yeah, it should be reset, but how it's done? PAYING for it your way, or just removing power from the car for 10 minutes. When you change the plugs, you should do the same thing, to relearn a better idle, pull power, and wait... First start, the car stalls, 2nd start, fine, and smooth idle...

Regardless, these are the things I do, and my power-trains have NEVER, EVER failed for ANY reason. Maybe I'm lucky? Really? With twelve+ cars in my history (5 of them Chrysler product), not ONE had a drive-train failure? So, either I am doing something right, or am just one lucky ****** There was the CIRRUS, but, the car was not taken care of PRIOR, once I got it, and had the one input sensor failure after I got it; no failures... The woman who had it NEVER changed the fluid and filter, nothing, so it began to slip at 89k miles, yet my Avenger, with the SAME EXACT drive-train, was strong at over 100K, and at 153K, was still fine at trade in ALL ORIGINAL parts. In fact, I saw my old Avenger in South Side last week... Was strange to see it... Anyhow, all other card I have had, well over 150K miles on them when I got rid of them, and there was not a thing wrong with the power-train...

Oh, I bought a VAN with a bad motor, so I had that replaced (motor with 50K on it) with 140K on the transmission, but, I put another 34K on the body and trans, was fine at 174K+ miles... So, what do I do that is different from most people? I pay attention to what the pro's tell me, and I do it.

Actually? Any repair procedure of this magnitude always starts with - Disconnect Power (in one form or another). You know? Most people just do it with power, and, with Chrysler products of this day and age, is not wise.

My sisters boyfriend, a FrontWD car, with not going into gear, AT ALL... Changed the fluid and filter, got about three weeks driven before it failed again, but for good. He didn't disconnect the battery... It was a Chrysler... It was on it's way out, no doubt, but the simple change of fluid and filter got 3 more weeks out of something that wouldn't move otherwise? He may have gotten more, had he removed power for 10 minutes...

Well, there's another book written...
 

JeepJeepster

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The 42rle thats in your kj is a decent ****** but its by all means not awesome. I wont be surprised if mine didnt last till 150k but Ive taken really good care of it so I hope it does.
 

Powerslave

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If it never overheats, it should last quite a while. I remember, on the trans dip, the temp reading said Max 170 degrees, and I was like, huh? No way... The trans will get hotter than that, so I added the AUX cooler, and was fine, and that was when I bought the Avenger I had...

My KJ got the separate cooler, and that's not enough really, and I plan on towing later, so I will have to add another one.

If they are well taken care of, and that's above and BEYOND the call of duty, it will last. They are rated to take 400+ Horse Power, no problem, and that was before the Mercedes redesign. These are at least a LITTLE easier to change than a front wheel drive model...
 

dharvey1020

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Ok so what do you mean buy the above and beyond the call of duty. if it will help it last. Maybe its just but i have terrible luck with automatic ******. had one go in my explorer to. So i should take it to the dealer for the change. How do know the dealer relearned the tcu, all dealers are not created equally. As this is my first chrysler product i have no relationship with a dealership that i would just trust.
 

JeepJeepster

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He means if you take care of the ****** and dont ask it to do anything out of the ordinary then it should last a long time. I believe that but that doesnt mean all trannys will last much over 100k. I know a guy over on lost that had his rebuilt at 68k but he has a lift, bigger tires, and offroads a lot.

If you bought it used you dont really have an idea on how the previous owner treated it. I am surprised they had the fluid changed at all though, thats more than 90% of the people out there would do.

I would not assume the dealership would do a quick learn on the ****** once they change the fliud.
 

dharvey1020

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the previous owner was a leaseing company and might explaine why it was changed at 40k
 

tjkj2002

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Any shop with a Genesis scanner or the higher end MAC or SnapOn scanners can do the relearn which is safer then just unplugging the battery.I always have my flushes done at the dealership,yes it cost's more but the right fluid is used,the right filters are used,and the best it comes with a 12month/12,000 warranty if they mess up which is worth every cent.
 

Bikeflyer

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So, you say I should reset after a plug change too? I just did my plugs last night and it was smooth before and smoother after, but I come from an old GM 4.3 V6 background. Can a home/garage grade scanner do the reset also?
 

tjkj2002

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So, you say I should reset after a plug change too? I just did my plugs last night and it was smooth before and smoother after, but I come from an old GM 4.3 V6 background. Can a home/garage grade scanner do the reset also?
No need to relearn anything from a plug change,those cheap code pullers($1000 or less scanners) will not do a transmission relearn.
 

Powerslave

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Above and Beyond the call of duty is:
1. Add an Aux Filter
2. Add an Aux Cooler
3. Change Fluid & Filter Every 32k (I only have ever done Pan & Filter, never did a CYCLE)

On the recet ECU thing on spark plug changes: You know, I changed the Exhaust on my Motorcycle (Gutted stock mufflers, cut Xover pipe and sealed), which is EFI and no adjustments are; "Necessary". It was pinging a little on hard throttle, I noticed, sure back pressure changed and so on. Well it just so happened the battery died on me Monday, 'cause I left the key in with the lights on, Doh! Guess what? Now that the ECU has lost power all day? Apparently, it changed the timing, because NO MORE PINGING, and I got more power! This is why I reset the ECU in a car, even when I change the Plugs, Exhaust, or Intake System. Is it NECESSARY? No, but it seems to work for me.
 

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