AW4 fluid? ATF4 or Dex??
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Alexandria Virginia
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 97
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
AW4 fluid? ATF4 or Dex??
I know this is a beaten subject. But, all my searches are clutterd with loud personal opinions and very little facts. Anyone have any FACTS on this?
#3
CF Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SD
Posts: 1,395
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
The facts are that Chrysler didn't recommend ATF+4 until all of these units were out of warranty, and that the mfr of the trans has never recommended anything but Dex III. Draw your own conclusions.
#5
CF Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Hamburg, NY
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
#6
CF Veteran
Dex/Merc II and/or III only. No ATF+4 in AW4.
I don't care if people have done it with no short-term damage. Why would you take the chance? It's not like ATF+4 is half the price or boosts horsepower by 50% or makes the rust disappear from your floor pans.
I don't care if people have done it with no short-term damage. Why would you take the chance? It's not like ATF+4 is half the price or boosts horsepower by 50% or makes the rust disappear from your floor pans.
#7
CF Veteran
Trending Topics
#8
::CF Moderator::
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Prescott, Az
Posts: 43,870
Received 1,526 Likes
on
1,238 Posts
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Dex/Merc period.
#10
CF Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: In the middle of Minnesota!
Posts: 5,805
Received 99 Likes
on
88 Posts
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Dex/Merc III compatible only (true licensed Dex/Merc III is no longer available). Check the fine print on the bottle.
To summarize my position, SOME with the AW4 can get away with using ATF+4. But others experience slippage. Which has been proven to go away when these unlucky individuals switched back to Dex/Merc fluid.
Why would you want to take the chance, when Dex/Merc fluid changed at a reasonable interval has been proven to give you a very long transmission service life for the AW4. And Dex/Merc is still the fluid that the transmission manufacturer recommends for this transmission.
So, do you feel lucky? Do you? Or do you want to roll the dice and go with what Chrysler decided (conveniently for logistics reasons) to recommend.
Sorry...I couldn't resist the Clint Eastwood reference
To summarize my position, SOME with the AW4 can get away with using ATF+4. But others experience slippage. Which has been proven to go away when these unlucky individuals switched back to Dex/Merc fluid.
Why would you want to take the chance, when Dex/Merc fluid changed at a reasonable interval has been proven to give you a very long transmission service life for the AW4. And Dex/Merc is still the fluid that the transmission manufacturer recommends for this transmission.
So, do you feel lucky? Do you? Or do you want to roll the dice and go with what Chrysler decided (conveniently for logistics reasons) to recommend.
Sorry...I couldn't resist the Clint Eastwood reference
Last edited by tjwalker; 09-18-2013 at 06:24 PM.
#11
CF Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SD
Posts: 1,395
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Exactly...and this is why I always recommend to go with a name-brand fluid. Since Dex III is not licensed anymore, there is technically no Dex III; only compatible, like tjwalker said. Anyone could say their fluid is compatible, but since the license is no longer valid, there is no one to police it. A company like Mobil, SOPUS, Ashland (Valvoline), etc. is not going to stick their name (reputation) on a bottle of sub-par ATF. Now, when you see a bottle of Joe-Bob's Super-Duper Dex ATF...
#12
::CF Moderator::
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Prescott, Az
Posts: 43,870
Received 1,526 Likes
on
1,238 Posts
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Exactly...and this is why I always recommend to go with a name-brand fluid. Since Dex III is not licensed anymore, there is technically no Dex III; only compatible, like tjwalker said. Anyone could say their fluid is compatible, but since the license is no longer valid, there is no one to police it. A company like Mobil, SOPUS, Ashland (Valvoline), etc. is not going to stick their name (reputation) on a bottle of sub-par ATF. Now, when you see a bottle of Joe-Bob's Super-Duper Dex ATF...
I think these guys may be expanding into the ATF market. So beware!!