I been thinking about changing my trans fluid and filter and all that is that a good idea. I know some people say I changed mine and it stopped pulling or it won't shift right so I'm not to sure on what to do. Thanks for any help

 

Yeah change it. And when you change it, I'm pretty sure you have to repeat te process a couple times until its all new fluid.

 

Those people either had a transmission that was already shot and were trying a fluid change to see if it helped (guess it didn't....) or they had someone do a power-flush. Power flushing trans' is bad news. (reverse flush is even worse).
I don't know of anyone with a properly-operating transmission that did damage with a simple fluid replacement, unless they screwed it up or used the wrong fluid. OTOH I DO know people who never change the fluid and pay for that neglect later. It's a good idea to change it periodically. If it needs it, do it.

What you want to do is what Cherokeekid suggested- a gradual fluid exchange.
Open the drain plug, let 'er drain, replace the plug and refill. That'll exchange about 4 quarts, a bit less than half the fluid. Drive it for a while, repeat. Dexron III, not ATF+4.

 

DEXRON. Worth repeating Radi's point here.

 

Seems like there have been multiple threads lately on this topic. Yes, change your ATF (drain n' fill). Drive for a week (or a month, whatever), repeat. Continue until it is clean and red.

 

Well yeah. Seems like more and more folks get an XJ and go driving the crap out of it and never check for routine maintenance like trans fluid level and condition, transfer case or diff levels. Lube u-joints? Why do that?

Then it's a big panic and HELP ME threads about noises from the transfer case, ATF spewing out the dipstick tube, clunking into gear, rumble on deceleration or whatever.

Or, I need to replace my ECU/PCM cause it idles bad or bucks. Ever done a tune-up? Well, no, not since I got it 3 years ago.

BUT, I wanna know the best possible oil to use along with my Fram filter. My Grandpa used them for years. Goes on ad nauseum.

Rant over.

 

Fram?
Maybe in grandpas day ,
Now no way!

 

Ok thanks y'all that is the only thing I have left to change the guy before me never did **** to it so I'm just trying to get all new fluids and stuff in her.

 

YOU are doing the right thing. I wish more people would do the same.

 

cruiser54 I have seen you on alot of post so I'm going to ask you something I hope you can give me a good answer. So I seem a lot of oil build up so I asked the guys and the said the 4.0 is bad about sludge build up. So a lot of the guys said use the mmo and run it for awhile and it will start to clean up good. Well yesterday I was driving to work and I was at about 40 psi on my oil witch seems to be norm for these motors. Well last night I was coming home looked up and it was sitting at about 12/13 sometime back up to 35/40. I'm running the motorcraft oil filter for the 5.0 witch a lot of guys say use. So I'm not sure if I'm uncovering a problem or what so all the help would be awesome before I put money into it and it be something worse than I want thanks.

 

Here's the perfect oil for a Fram filter.

 

4.0 is only bad about sludge buildup if the oil isn't maintained. Even then it's pretty forgiving about it. They clean up pretty well.
It's more likely that you have an oil pressure sender problem than anything else. When mine failed, I had 40-60# at idle, but it would occasionally drop down to 12-15# (which is my actual pressure at idle, via mechanical gauge) then it'd climb back up again. Yours might be doing something similar. Could be some crud from the cleanup is getting in there too.

Eta: What does the pressure gauge read hot idle? How about while driving?

 

That could be a bad oil sender. Only way to know for sure is to rent/borrow a mecanical gauge to check it.

And, the 4.0 is NOT prone to sludging up. That's owner error. Shell Rotella 15-40 with a quart of MMO using a Wix or Napa gold filter will serve you well. Monitor the progress by shining a light into the oil filler hole.

 

Fletch: you are local to me, if you want to see what a Jeep looks like that has had Rotella in it for the last 45,000 miles shoot me a PM and you can look in the valve cover of my 97.

Darn thing looks great.

 

Which Rotella? I wanna see!!