Another mixing question

[55Test]

Could any harm come from mixing ATF+4 with Dexron III? My 92 Dodge Spirit with the 3 speed auto had it's original transmission (at 304836 kms) just kinda get lazy and die over the past month. It wasn't shifting right at first, then it was hesitating between shifts. It evolved into slipping between shifts, then not shifting at all, then just dropping out of gear constantly. I had a couple of unlicensed but knowledgeable and honest mechanics replace the bad tranny with a JY unit that had 186000 kms on it. They had it done in less than a day, that included taking the replacement tranny out of the donor car, then taking the one out of mine and putting the replacement one back in. Total cost to me was 325 bucks, that included the tranny, labor and an ignition lock and key that also needed replacing. The replacement tranny works great, except I think they left the speed sensor unhooked because I now have no speedo, odometer, cruise control or TC lockup. Now my main question is this, I want to change the fluid and filter, what fluid should I use? The A413 can use either Dexron III or ATF+3/4. I don't know which fluid is in the tranny and I don't know if it's safe to mix the 2 types. I assume the tranny has Dexron in it. I'd like to use ATF+4 as I hear it makes for smoother shifts but I don't know if it's safe to mix the two fluids. Help?

 

[-Clayton-]

I believe that ATF+4 is needed for proper TC lockup.

 

[SMB]

Play it safe and replace all the fluid in the transmission with the same type. Somebody else here can tell you which type is better than the other. I think Dodge needs ATF+4 in the tranny.

 

[PT1]

I would go with the ATF+4 and not mix with Dex.

 

[ewetho]

Stick with ATF+3 or +4 in that trans.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

+3/+4 is the best. Mixing with Dex is not a problem. I hope your friends at least dumped the old oil. Better would have been to drop the pan and clean it, replace the filter, pull and drain the TC.

History lesson: The mopar 413 is the FWD version of the old RWD 904. A golden oldie, so to speak. Original 904/413s called for DEX, then DEX-II, Then DEX-III. I have had several that had "used dex-II only" stamped on the dip stick, including my 89 Turbo Dodge Caravan.

Sometime around 1990/91, when Chrysler started installing lock-up TCs, a problem developed with TC shudder, when driving right at the lock-up speed. A good part of the problem was in the computer code that controlled the lock-up solenoid. The shudder was aggravated by a very authoritative lock-up clutch. IE: It worked too good. A work around was to unplug the control wiring. They reformulated DEX-II and called it Mopar Type 7176, Then Mopar ATF +2 Type 7176, then Mopar ATF +3, then Mopar Standard MS-9602 ATF +4.

All of these changes helped, but I think when they finally fixed the computer "learning code" the problem went away, or maybe it's just that the engineering outlasted the problem.

As far as DEX-* goes, I wouldn't be afraid to run it in any old used 413, and in fact I have run it a number of 413s. After all, that's what it was designed for.

Have fun,

Wayne

 

[widman]

I would go for a flush with the ATF+4 or a Universal Synthetic that covers the +4 spec.