2000 CHRYSLER LHS with 20k miles

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Hello gang found a gem that will replace my concord with 110k miles on it. This LHS is a 2000 with 20k miles that were very easy and I am looking to dump all the fluids but have no idea what I should put in the trans. Would M1 ATF be ok? or is there something better and cheaper. I am going to put a hitch on it and town about 1500 lb ( two atvs on a trailer ) do you guys think that would be ok? I sold my 08 durango as just got tired of getting 13mpg.
What else would you guys recomment for service.
 
I would be sure to put in something really good. Either the best ATF+4 you can find or a really good universal like Amsoil etc. I would ignore cost. Chrysler transmissions don't have the greatest reputation in the world (to put it politely) and you're going to be towing with a fwd vehicle not really designed for that. I would seriously consider adding an aux cooler and filtration too. The cost of these items is low and with a fwd Chrysler transmission, I think you should do every preventative thing you can think of. You can get Amsoil + aux cooler + filter (magnefine or spin-on) all for $175 give or take and I would do it. I think penny pinching on this will be false economy in the long run.
 
Give Redlline a call regarding the trany fluid.

Also when you change trany fluid be sure to drain the torque converter. You will have to pull the trany to get it out to drain it. If you do not do it yourself the additional labor will be significant.

You want to be sure you get enough fluid for trany and torque converter.
 
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Does the torque converter have its own fluid?? if its just part of the trans fluid I can change it a few times in the first 6 months to get most of it out.
 
ATF+4 is an easy choice. With that low mileage and if you plan on keeping the vehicle, I'd consider Amsoil ATF or Redline C+. Good time to add Magnefines to the ATF and PSF circuits.

Torque converter shares the fluid flow loop with the rest of the tranny. Either fully exchange the ATF out or perform multiple siphon/drain & refills.

Make sure you change the antifreeze, all hoses/belts, thermostat, differential gear oil, PSF, brake fluid......

Low miles means vehicle has been sitting for a long time.

Lots of TSBs and issues with that family of vehicles. Learn them so that you don't end up with future problems as mileage 'racks' up.
 
BTW, while is is good to get a vehicle with low miles because many mechanical things degrade with miles, there are some things that degrade with age. The inside of the cooling system is one of the biggest problems that degrade with age.

Also at that age + 20 K miles I would be looking to replace the serpentine belt and tensioner, thought usually those are good for 25K or more now days, the older ones were only good for 25 K miles, and with 10 years of age I would replace both the belt and tensioner with idler pulley. Do not just replace the belt, the tensioner must also be replaced to maintain the new belt.

I would also drain the cooling system and fill with one whole bottle of Liquid Cascade Dishwashing soap in the Dark Green bottle, + water, and drive it for a couple of days, than (drain and fill with water and drive for a few hours to a day, at least twice), and drain and fill with Prestone Low-Tox (You can get it at NAPA). Be sure to have the vehicle facing down a steep hill or have the back of the vehicle jacked way up to get most of the water out, so you can get enough 100 percent antifreeze in to have the final fill consist of at least 50 percent antifreeze. The spring and fall when the ambient cold but above freezing are the best time of the year to do this because you can get by with water for a few days. If you use water only on hot days the water will not provide enough heat exchange to cool the engine. And of course water only would freeze if too cold.

Also if you want to really add some life to that trany, add a trany cooler to it, but get one that has the by-pass temperature control so it will not cool when the trany fluid is below optimal temperature. Trany coolers should be installed on the line that feeds from the trany, to the radiator cooler, so that on cold days the radiator heat exchanger will help warm up the trany fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
If you use water only on hot days the water will not provide enough heat exchange to cool the engine. And of course water only would freeze if too cold.


I really hope you meant the soapy water, because straight water actually "cools" better than a 50/50 water/antifreeze mix.

I can't say if or how much water's capacity to transfer heat is diminished by the Cascade but straight water is in fact the best coolant, it's just that it will freeze and cause/allow massive corrosion issues if not combined with another chemical.
 
While water alone does have a better heat transfer, antifreeze increases the boiling point of the coolant. Running 100 percent water, or water with soap, might boil over because of the lower boiling point, if ran on a hot day.

The best time to do this kind of flush is when people are wearing jackets, but the ambient (not wind chill) does not get below freezing any time (like at night).
 
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Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
If you use water only on hot days the water will not provide enough heat exchange to cool the engine. And of course water only would freeze if too cold.


I really hope you meant the soapy water, because straight water actually "cools" better than a 50/50 water/antifreeze mix.

I can't say if or how much water's capacity to transfer heat is diminished by the Cascade but straight water is in fact the best coolant, it's just that it will freeze and cause/allow massive corrosion issues if not combined with another chemical.


Interesting point, I do remember from chemistry class that some of the alcohol molecules will get in-between the water molecules and the total volume will be less than the two. I believe the chemistry teacher actually said that the total combined heat transfer improved because the combined final solution actually has a higher density per cubic volume. He may of been incorrect, but that is what he said when I took chemistry back in those old days before the internet was invented.

Anyhow, the increase in boiling point is significant enough to make running pure water on a hot day a bad idea, even for the short time of an engine flush. And of course no one would want to run it all the time with out some other means to prevent rust.

Getting off the OP application and expanding on cooling systems and coolants, I often wondered why with the requirements to over size all cooling systems enough to maintain proper cooling for several years while the system looses capacity from some rust and other blockage, why we don't just use an oil with its lower heat transfer ability but zero rust. One reason might be the possibility of hot oil igniting in an accident.

I recently saw something about Victory motorcycles using oil as the coolant in a radiator type system, along with air cooling.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
If you use water only on hot days the water will not provide enough heat exchange to cool the engine. And of course water only would freeze if too cold.


I really hope you meant the soapy water, because straight water actually "cools" better than a 50/50 water/antifreeze mix.

I can't say if or how much water's capacity to transfer heat is diminished by the Cascade but straight water is in fact the best coolant, it's just that it will freeze and cause/allow massive corrosion issues if not combined with another chemical.


Interesting point, I do remember from chemistry class that some of the alcohol molecules will get in-between the water molecules and the total volume will be less than the two. I believe the chemistry teacher actually said that the total combined heat transfer improved because the combined final solution actually has a higher density per cubic volume. He may of been incorrect, but that is what he said when I took chemistry back in those old days before the internet was invented.

Anyhow, the increase in boiling point is significant enough to make running pure water on a hot day a bad idea, even for the short time of an engine flush. And of course no one would want to run it all the time with out some other means to prevent rust.

Getting off the OP application and expanding on cooling systems and coolants, I often wondered why with the requirements to over size all cooling systems enough to maintain proper cooling for several years while the system looses capacity from some rust and other blockage, why we don't just use an oil with its lower heat transfer ability but zero rust. One reason might be the possibility of hot oil igniting in an accident.

I recently saw something about Victory motorcycles using oil as the coolant in a radiator type system, along with air cooling.


Yeah, Polaris (makers of the Victory motorcycle) uses that oil cooling in some of their ATV's too. It just passes pressurized oil from the sump through a heat exchanger (cooler) to help remove heat from the engine.
 
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