Tran fluid confusion.

I have three Chrysler vehicles. The vehicles (and owner's manual recomended
tran fluid) are:

1994 Dakota - Mopar ATF
2000 Grand Caravan - Mopar ATF+3
2003 Jeep Liberty - Mopar ATF+4

Now the questions:

The stores have ATF+, and ATF+3. What should I "feed" the various tranny's?
Do I have to pay premium price at the dealer to get ATF+4 for the Jeep?

Is there some allowable fluid that is good for all 3 vehicles so I don't
have to stock multiple varieties?

Oh for the days when you only had to worry about DexronII and Type F (grin)!

 

YOu can use +4 anywhere the others were spec'd. You cannot use +, +3, etc.
when +4 is spec'd. So one fluid would be +4.
Larry

 

Feed them all ATF+4. Its backward-compatible, and the best fluid. Last I
checked, the dealer price on ATF+4 was about the same as Quaker State or
Chevron ATF+3 at Pep Boys. QS, Chevron, and others will also eventually
start selling (heck, may already sell) ATF+4 spec fluid, so you might
keep checking if its inconvenient to go to the dealer.

Its easier now. Use ATF +(highest number) in EVERYTHING Chrysler.

 

Richard, you are partially correct. My 2001 minivan has ATF+4

This is per ALLPAR:

ATF+4 is recommended for all Chrysler transmissions (except as noted
below) except 1999 and earlier minivans. (TSB 21-06-01) You can use
ATF+3 with all Chrysler transmissions (except as noted below).
An important exception for Jeep owners
Danny noted: "The Jeep AW-4 (Aisin-Warner) transmission should use
Dexron III. Pennzoil's ATF+3 phamphlet says it is good for "1988 and
newer..<snip>..All Jeep models without AW-4 automatic transmissions".
See the Pennzoil document (PDF). We believe, based on Robert A.'s
note, that the AW-4 transmission was used as late as 1999 (possibly
later!) with the 4.0 liter engine.

Dennis Williamson wrote that Chrysler 7176 / ATF+3 fluid is no longer
the only fluid to use in a late model transmission. Chrysler TSB#
21-16-99 lists the current vehicles that only use ATF+4 type 9602,
part 05013457AA (for quart bottles). The vehicles that use this fluid
include:

Starting Model Year Car Built After
1999 Prowler 7-20-98
2000 Neon 4-24-99
2000 Minivans (11th letter of VIN=R) 10-10-99
2000 Minivans (11th letter of VIN=B) 10-18-99
1999 Concorde, Intrepid, LHS, 300M 7-20-98
2000 Sebring convertible 5-21-99
1999 Cirrus, Stratus, Breeze 9-7-98
2000 All Others 10-18-99

Robert Alderson, a Chrysler transmission tech with gold certification,
noted that 2000 and newer vehicles use 9606 (ATF+4) fluid.

 

The caution over using +4 in older transmissions was in
regard to the TCC not properly burnishing.
Since your interests are in changing the fluid on a vehicle
that has already accumulated mileage, the TCC -is- already
burnished. +4 will work fine.

All spelled out in the TSB.

 

You are totally right...people are reading the tsb wrong...I have a
1999 dodge grand caravan and am using ATF+4. I have 106,000 on
it...the tsb only warns you if you have rebuilt a tranny that you may
have a problem of shudder during break in...well after 106,000 I think
that mine is broke in already. I was told by the dealer that aft+4 is
also used for the power steering fluid now...

 

You may be accurate but I did call Chrysler's Tech people and they told me
that ATF+4 was not recommend in my 96 Town and Country under any
circumstances. That is how I read the TSB; but perhaps it has been revised.

Richard.

 

well I also called them before I used atf+4 and they told me what I
stated in my previous reply. I have over 30,000 woth atf+4 and no
trouble at all.

 

I'm venturing into the realm of foggy memory here, but I *think* that
when ATF+4 first appeared, the advice was "don't use it in ANYTHING that
originally required ATF+3." The clarification that it was indeed
backward-compatible and could fully supersede ATF+3 in all applications
came out later, and was in essence a reversal of the first recommendation.