97xjCO

I'm going to be servicing my auto transmission in my 97 xj. What kind of transmission fluid do you guys recommend or use that's easy to find. And also what's a good way of getting the dipstick from the side of the transmission pan out.

IJM

Dexron III/Mercon only for the fluid. If you can the the dipstick apart in the middle, the pan is easy to drop. That's a big IF, though. I ended up having to drop the pad with the entire dipstick in place and yank it apart later, which was a PITA. If you're just doing a fluid change, drain the pan and refill, drive a hundred miles or so. Rinse and repeat a couple of times. No need to drop the pan to change the filter. It's just a fine metal screen for debris.

97xjCO

Are you talking about cutting the dipstick in the middle and then putting a fuel hose over the cut with two clamps after I'm done?. I was gonna drop pan clean it and replace filter and give it a good cleaning.

kgm

The filter is unnecessary to replace. It's just a mesh screen, not a paper filter. Lifetime use. Drain & Fill or unplug your trans cooler line at the radiator and dump it there while turning the vehicle on & off.

cruiser54

Absolutely^^^^^^^correct.

Ralph77

The reason it is so hard to separate is because the O-Ring in there gets all hard and whatnot. Hit it with a little heat and it should separate easier. Bring both the pan and the dip stick tube to the auto parts store and pick a O-Ring that will work out of the box of loose O-Rings they most likely have for sale.

cruiser54

Ralph:

It is totally unneccesary to abuse yourself doing this!!!!

Drain and fill is all that's needed.

Ralph77

True. But when I first bought both my Jeeps I did it anyway. Wanted a new gasket on there too. Then every two years I just swap out the fluid. Nice having a drain plug. Don't even bother tapping the ignition to get more out. Just drain and fill. Speaking of which it is April and an even year. Time to do the '00.

cruiser54

Skip the trans pan unless the gasket is leaking. Every 30,000 miles do a drain and fill unless it's severe service. Then it's every 15,000 miles.

IJM

Yup, that's what I did, though my local hardware store had a much better selection of o-rings. The only reason I dropped the pan is because I had to replace one of the solenoids that crapped out. Plus, it was a new-to-me Jeep, so I was also curious to see how things looked in there. But yes, for those doing just routine fluid changes, the drain and refill method works well if you do 2 or 3 in a row.