Dmende15

I recently purchased a 1998 jeep Cherokee XJ classic and drove it the first day i got it on the highway and it was struggling to do 60 miles per hour and I tried accelerating from that speed and it felt like the trans just slipped very badly. Then I limped the jeep home let it sit and took it out the next morning drove it 20 minutes and when I would try to accelerate it would just not move like the 4.0 should. Foot to the floor the top speed was 30 mph. The jeep is a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic Automatic transmission. Just wanna see if it is actually the trans that needs to be replaced so I am not out a lot of money for something that doesn't have to be replaced but I am going with it does.

dzywicki

If you don't know the history of the fluids, change them all, especially the trans fluid.

Dmende15

The fluid is burnt as hell so replacing it is just gonna screw it up because it's used to the old burnt fluid so probably replacing it is my best bet correct?

cruiser54

That's absolute bull****.

Let's say you crapped your pants and couldn't change them for a while.

Should you leave it in your pants because your butt is used to it?

Dmende15

No if the fluid was never changed to begin with the fluid is broken in to the transmission that has 165k on it and changing it 3x the amount of miles after is actually worse for it.

Dmende15

And that's two totally different things because crap in my pants was never good since it came out my *** lol but the fluid was good the first time it was in there

cruiser54

You are absolutely wrong. Pull the plug. Drain it and put 3.8 quarts of Dexron ATF in it.
Drive it a bit and do it again.
Where are you getting your info from?

Dmende15

I brought the jeep to 3 mechanics one being a trans specialist and said that and the other two did the same

cruiser54

And transmissions don't "get used" to fluid anymore than you would the crap in your pants.

It was fresh food when it went in, wasn't it? Until you used it up?

cruiser54

They are WRONG. This transmission is probably one of the hardiest trannies ever built in the world.

cruiser54

Here. Educate yourself by reading this link.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/tra...2/#post3203079

And, what are tranny shops in the business of doing? Oh yeah. Rebuilding trannies....

And what are the folks on Cherokee Forum in the business of doing?
Oh yeah, helping other members of the community for free and keeping them from getting ripped off........

Martlor13

change the fluid

00t444e

The AW4 is different from other auto transmissions you should change the fluid in it if it is dirty or burnt.

Rogue4x4

Listen to cruiser on this one, your "shop buddies" are dead wrong...several drain and fills of Dex3/Merc and you're good. IF that's the problem. Any other issues not brought up here? CEL's, or otherwise?

jordan96xj

If a transmission is already internally damaged, namely, if the friction material has been worn from the clutch plates due to temperature and abuse, then sometimes....just sometimes...putting new fluid in can bring this type of problem to the surface. Because some of the friction material floating around in the fluid will be removed with each drain and fill. This is where you get the stories where new fluid caused a transmission to begin slipping. However, the metal parts of a transmission, unless already seriously damaged, aren't going to react to the fluid being changed.

However, what is absolutely guaranteed, is that old burnt fluid can not protect and lubricate well when it gets hot. Which can lead to serious, permanent, and sometimes catastrophic damage to the transmission. This is the main function of fresh and properly performing transmission fluid. This is also why fully synthetic transmission fluid is objectively better than conventional. It can deal with higher temperatures for much longer before degrading.

Long story short. Drain and fill the fluid 2-3 times over the next 1000 miles. Just as advised by the posters above.