jeeplover321

today I was stuck at a green light, when I pressed the pedal my jeep would wouldn't move and my engine would rev up as if it where in neutral, i got out and started pushing and jumped back in. my Cherokee was going slow and it was making a weird buzzing type of noise but i was still able to get to 30 mph even though the engine was reving much faster then that. i was stuck again at the next red light this time i turned off my jeep and started it back up when the light was green, it was going for a little bit then started losing speed. i don't know anything about cars. im not sure why this is happening. i have a 1998 2wd jeep Cherokee se with an automatic transmission and a 4.0 liter engine 138,00 miles i looked at other forums and ive been told to check the transmission fluid i did and it was brown and the stick was kind of dry, i bought it used so im not sure what kind of transmission fluid the previous owner had put in it like atf or anything what should i do? drain it all and restart with fresh dexcronIII\merc? im not sure if i need to drain the pan can i just drop in the new transmission fluid? or is it bad to mix it?

salad

Oh there's plenty more fluid hiding in the rest of the system, mixing is inevitable.

Drain everything in the transmission using the plug on the pan. No need to remove it. Then fill it up with Dexron III/Mercon (sold as D/M). It's about 3.75 quarts if memory serves. The proper way to check fluid level is with the transmission in neutral and the engine running and up to temperature.

Hopefully not too much damage has been done to the thing! These transmissions are pretty hardy.

F1Addict

I agree with Salad. I would replace with D/M, drive it for a couple days and replace again. I might even do it one more time depending on results. That way you've cycled the good stuff through the torque converter and trans cooler and flushed out most of the unknown.

jeeplover321

what is the best brand of dexroniii/mercon to use? im not sure theres so many! and its confusing! some say things about slip and lube ect, and if there is no transmission fluid will it cause the transmission to make that weird sound? if its not the transmission fluid what other problem can it be?

salad

Whichever brand you like. A lot of people are big fans of the Valvoline Max Life.

Let's work on the fluid first.

jeeplover321

is this the transmission drain plug? found this pick on the internet ill see if my Cherokee has one in the morning. once I drain it do I have to replace the filter? and how do I refill it with the good stuff?

MindBlown

I won't vouch for that being the plug, simply
Because I can't see the whole thing. Sounds dumb, but anyway, replacing the filter isn't a bad idea if you plan on pulling the pan anyway. Make sure you have a new gasket handy. Most transmissions are filled by the dipstick tube, I usually dump 2 quarts in with the vehicle turned off, then turn it on; check/fill/check/fill and so on until complete.
If this doesn't fix your issue... You may want to look into torque converters.

jeeplover321

what is the most proper and most simplest way to drain the old transmission fluid? this is what I learned from youtube so far. just unscrew the bolts and take off the transmission pan and drain it out, then scrape away the old gasket and buy a new one then clean up the pan insert gasket and bolt it back on, insert dexroniii/mercon in through the dipstick and let it run, then im finished is this correct?? not very good with mechanics and I don't know how to change the filter so ill just leave it alone.

MindBlown

Most of the time, if you crack that pan open, you're going to get a tranny facial... Lol. And by that I mean a face full of transmission fluid. You could crack all of the bolts loose, totally remove the bolts towards the rear, and let it drain out. But if that picture was in fact the plug, do that first; and you'll have very little fluid left when you remove the pan itself. Don't be discouraged in replacing that filter. It's the big rectangular piece staring you in the face when you pull that pan off. Probably held on by two bolts. It's simple, and can be replaced in less than 5 minutes. Don't neglect it and skip over it, you have no reason NOT to replace it.

jeeplover321

just found out that plug is an aftermarket plug that's been drilled in. I don't think my aw4 transmission has a plug so ill have to unscrew the bolts does anyone know the size of the bolt heads? they look kinda small and hard to get too what would be the best tool to use to unscrew them? tomorrow im buying all the tools and parts I need so let me know (:

MindBlown

10 or 12mm I'd imagine. Get yourself a 3/8" ratchet, 6" extension, and a socket kit.

belvedere

Yes, that's an aftermarket drain plug. You just want to remove the small plug in the center. You may want to HOLD the large outer one with a wrench to keep it from turning while you loosen the smaller one, because if the larger one loosens from the nut inside the pan, you'll be dropping the pan to tighten it.

Either of the ATFs in your pic will work fine. As mentioned above, drain-n-fill, drive for a few days, and repeat as needed until the fluid is nice and red. Follow the procedure in the manual for checking the ATF level.

belvedere

I believe the aftermarket drain plugs are SAE rather than metric.

MindBlown

Maybe 1/2" then. But I was referring the the pan bolts, not the drain plug.

salad

No need to drop the pan yet. The "filter" in the AW4 is just a screen to protect the transmission's oil pump should a gear explode. It's not there in any way to keep the fluid clean or trap contaminants. The factory service manual doesn't even mention cleaning it unless the transmission is in really bad shape.

Drain with the weird plug thing there (someone probably stripped the OE plug out in the past) and fill it up through the dip stick tube.