Hi everyone,

I'm leaving for college this Sunday and have been giving the Jeep a once-over. This morning I went to take a look at my tranny fluid, pulled the tranny dipstick and found the level to be perfect, but the color of the fluid was that of fresh engine oil (a kind of translucent goldeny-brown).

Now, I've read on here that the tranny and t-case of the XJ takes Dexron III and not ATF, but not knowing the maintenance history of my tranny fluid leaves this question: is Dexron III the same color as engine oil, or is it red like ATF? I am trying to figure out whether the previous servicers put ATF or Dexron III in, how old it is, and whether or not I should give it a flush. I realize this can be a pretty intensive job.

Thanks for the help guys!
George

 

As ATF ages, the color seems to diminish(turn to that Golden Brown). Starts out Red, turns pinkish, then brown, and eventually Dark Brown. I like to do a Drain/Refill, sometimes two or three times with at least 10 miles of driving between Drain/Refills, when the Pinkinsh color comes around, just to be sure its Fresh. The AW4 Can take alot of Abuse and Neglect, such as Severely extended drain intervals, but since AW4s Love Cheap Dex/MercIII, why not follow Service manual, and Drain/Refill as Prescribed?

 

Dex III is ATF. (Automatic Transmission Fluid) Yes it should be red. You want to use Dex III and Not Dex 4. If it's brown you need to do a trans fluid change out.

 

If you have a friend to help, there is a nice how to write up on here to do the fluid change, being that you don't have time to so it the other way. Search for this write up and get someone to help you

 

If you don't know the history of your Jeep's maintenance, the PO may have taken it to one of those butcher shops that do a tranny Flush. Those animals use a "universal" ATF in their drain/refill process. It is said they can put an additive in the universal ATF to make it ATF+4 or anything you want. This universal puke has an amber/brownish look to it and it really stinks bad, unlike real ATF.

How do I know...the animals at the tranny shop that rebuilt my wife's POS 2000 T&C tranny used it. I noticed the color and smell so I took a sample of it to two different tranny shops and they both told me it was universal fluid and explained to me about the additives, etc.

OP, sniff your tranny dipstick and see if it has a skunky odor, or a burnt odor (both about the same).

Edit: I love the smell of Dex III/Mercon in the morning.

 

Just curious. Why is the universal fluid bad? When I changed the tranny pan gasket on my WJ I used the Lucas ATF that's suppose to be universal. I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary running it.

 

Thanks everyone! Stopped by my local Pep Boys today and purchased 6 quarts of this stuff:

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/secti...tentId=7027043

Castrol TRANSMAX DEX/MERC

Looks like good stuff to me. Tomorrow I'm going to start the process of draining the tranny pan and adding new fluids, driving, then repeating. I plan on using all 6 quarts by the end of this week!

Thanks again everyone,
George