well... while it may be true that the AW4 is built with similar reliability as the I6 4.0..... if not properly maintained, you can literally drive any reliable vehicle into the ground.
If you have issues with the gears, then you'd know it long before a fluid change/flush.
Where most of the issues occur after doing an actual flush, is with the clutch packs themselves. When you have shavings/other particulate matter that has settled into non-turbulent areas within the trans, and then the flush stirs them up into being suspended into the fluid... when they come in contact with the surfaces of the clutch packs it changes how they make contact with each other.... and from what I've seen/read, is that it can take a trans that was shifting just fine prior, now it develops slippage.
Similar thing is true with our own bodies... more often than not, it's the little things that take us down (micro organisms) not the macro ones.
So regardless how stout the AW4 is overall, a little thing like that can bring it or any other trans to its knees.

 

If your transmission is working fine you can choose to let it be. The pump out method does not stir anything up, it just uses the transmission pump to do what it does in all running conditions. Your origin post has two options. Drain and fill+filter or (i assume) power flush at a service center. I don't like either of them.

Pumping out with a helper was my method of choice. It made absolutely no difference in the drivability of my 95. If underpants gnomes had performed it I would not be able to tell until the monthly ATF check.

 

I'll keep that one in mind too... thanks.

 

I'm on the fence about doing mine too, 220k miles. I think what I'm gonna do is drain a quart out, fill it back up, put 1000 or so miles, rinse and repeat til it slowly gets changed.

 

I've decided to go with the "pump" method. I'm not a fan of freezing my a** off in the wind and low temps here in the mountains of CO... so I'm going to take her to a trusted 4x4 shop here that specializes in doing nothing but our Jeeps.
I think that will be the least invasive and accomplish closer to replacing a lot more of the fluid in just one go instead of just a drain/fill.

I've always tried to religiously do all of the major maintenance on my vehicles on time/schedule and they've tended to last me much longer than people who don't. You know... the ones that come in saying "hey....my transmission isn't shifting right"... then you ask them, when's the last time you did an ATF service..and they just look at you with that blank "s*** faced stare"..and say "change the what?"

 

Grow a pair and do a drain and fill!!!

 

^^ I love that one... it's like... stop dipping your toe in the pool and and just dive the *bleep* in. lol

 

"**** or get off the pot" was one of Mom's favorites.

 

me too... but thought that was just too common. lol. So decided to go with something else... of course the "bleep" in mine is like Sesame Street... Today is brought to you by the letter F and the number 4. lol
just figured a "bleep" was more PG-13. lol

 

How about this?

 

^^^^ Amen to that my fellow Jeep brother lol

 

It's called analysis paralysis.

 

^^ From what I can see, I'm not seeing any leaks from the pan gasket. But I do want to get as much of the old crap out that I can, short of actually flushing it.

 

then leave the plug out and run half a quart through the filler.

 

That makes sense.
I'll have them do that... while this is a total DIY project that I would normally do myself, I don't currently have my own garage area to do this in since I literally just moved back from overseas, so I'm having a reputable 4x4 shop locally that specializes in only working on Jeeps.