Anyone service a tranny w/o a dipstick?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm thinking calibrating a dipstick, before the transmission is drained and before any leaks will work. I agree with JTK, it is a deterrent and a tool to force customers back to the dealer for service. I am going to investigate the dipstick from the 06 Liberty. Then do as demarpaint said and have my father mark it hot and cold, before any work is done.

I just want to confirm the proper way to check an AT hot for a Jeep. Is it after a run? Or do you drive it, let it idle, then with the brake on shift it through the gears and verify a level? Once I get that figured out I think all the mystery will be taken out of the equation. I'm almost positive they're using the same transmission from 06-09 in the Liberty. So maybe the tube is different but a hot fluid level is a hot fluid level +/- a few ounces shouldn't matter. In effect we'd be making our own dipstick.

Thanks for all the replies,
AD
 
Originally Posted By: ADFD1
I agree with JTK, it is a deterrent and a tool to force customers back to the dealer for service.


Wow, that's brutal. If they want to avoid having a dipstick they should just use a check plug.
 
I am certain there is a work around. I tried joining a Jeep forum there seems to be some kind of glitch.

Before its time to service my Jeep tranny I will have it figured out. With all the [censored] required just to check the fluid I bet the dealer charges about $100. LOL..
 
I am curious why you would want to service a trans with a lifetime warranty that is designed to only be serviced after a leak or other problem. not trying to be smart but with chryslers lifetime powertrain warranty why not just let them worry about it if it fails. If they spec a fluid change interval it would be well worth paying the dealer to avoid warranty issues.
 
That LT warranty is nothing more than a sales gimmick, designed to get people into the shop 4 1/2 years after buying a vehicle. Then they get a printout of suggested service to maintain the warranty, all at inflated prices. Don't have the work done the LT warranty is void, pretty basic. A family member worked for them as a sales manager, told me what I already knew.

As far as the tranny goes, its the same tranny they've used for years, it does require a pan drop and filter change. All transmissions require service, if you plan on keeping a car for a long time.
 
Originally Posted By: bradepb
I am curious why you would want to service a trans with a lifetime warranty that is designed to only be serviced after a leak or other problem. not trying to be smart but with chryslers lifetime powertrain warranty why not just let them worry about it if it fails. If they spec a fluid change interval it would be well worth paying the dealer to avoid warranty issues.


I can think of a very simple reason. Transmissions often fail at the most inopportune time.
Even assuming the "lifetime warranty" is honored, would you want to be on a trip with your family or significant other and have to get your transmission repaired/replaced?
I think the idea here is to prevent this scenario - which I whole heartily agree with!
 
Thanks, I figured there were a lot of BITOG'ers that shared the same opinions that we share!
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
As far as the tranny goes, its the same tranny they've used for years, it does require a pan drop and filter change. All transmissions require service, if you plan on keeping a car for a long time.


Does Jeep still use the old A340 trans? It's a pretty dated trans, used in 1980 Toyota cars and trucks. I assume they have a dipstick. My Tundra has a A340E (wrong trans to be put behind a V8) and it comes with a dipstick.
 
I posted my take on dipstick-less trannies in another thread some time ago, here's what I said:


Quote:
I think it might be a little bit of both cost cutting and preventing owner screw-ups. Last week a guy came into the Napa I work at and asked where the trans dipstick on his Volvo was because he couldn't find it. I explained that it may just have a check plug. He wanted to buy a quart of trans fluid for it. (I'm not sure why, since he obviously didn't even check the fluid yet, but hey, whatever.) I don't know what kind of fluid Volvo's use. He had the owner's manual, but it just listed some cryptic part number used by dealers. I urged him to call the dealer or Swedish Performance, a local independent shop specializing in well, Swedish cars, to confirm what type of fluid it uses. Our computer said it uses Dex III, which I'm 99% sure is wrong. (Any time a vehicle requires a special fluid we don't offer, the computer usually defaults to Dex III. --it also lists Dexcool for all import vehicles
shocked2.gif
) I explained this, but the guy still insisted on walking out the door with a quart of Dex III.

Perfect example of clueless owner messing with things he shouldn't be messing with.
 
Quote:
My only question is would driving it for 30 minutes and let it idle for 5 minutes be OK? Or should I sit it with my foot on the brake after the drive, then go through the gears a few times, then check the hot level?


After a 30 minute drive, I don't see it making too much of a difference. It's when you service it cold/drained that the going through the gears is more critical ..at least in my experience.
 
That's what I thought. I think a cold level reading in the morning, then mark the stick. Then drive half an hour, let the car idle a few minutes, take a hot reading mark the stick, and its GTG. Unless something magical happens inside the transmission that special stick and chart is [censored]. A homemaid dipstick should work fine. JMO

AD
 
Our Malibu dosen't have a dip stick either. It's got a plug on the side of the tranny that you have to remove, once the tranmission is warm. Then you fill it through the fill tube.
 
Originally Posted By: wirelessF
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
As far as the tranny goes, its the same tranny they've used for years, it does require a pan drop and filter change. All transmissions require service, if you plan on keeping a car for a long time.


Does Jeep still use the old A340 trans? It's a pretty dated trans, used in 1980 Toyota cars and trucks. I assume they have a dipstick. My Tundra has a A340E (wrong trans to be put behind a V8) and it comes with a dipstick.


I'm not familiar with any Jeep transmission referred to as an "A340." Jeeps did use the Aisin-Warner AW4, which was almost identical to the transmission used in RWD 'Yotas, for most of the 90s and at least to the end of production of the Cherokee in 2001. The AW4 was a 4-speed, electronically controlled, bandless/spragless automatic transmission and was very reliable and well-suited to offroading, although it shifted like it was full of oatmeal instead of ATF. I suspect it may have been used in the Wrangler until the last 4.0 rolled off the line, although many Wrangler models used the even older Chrysler 43RH (basically a Torqueflite 904). But now Jeeps all use various Chrysler automatic transmissions, usually variants of the 545RFE.
 
It was even a A341-A350 in the 'ota/Lex line

http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/A340.html

The Wranglers may have had some AW4's at one point. I've only heard of the 904 evolutions in the TJ's and most of the YJ's

I was more surprised that the XJ got a different trans. It's lighter than the Wrangler and otherwise has an identical drive train (except the rear in most cases) to the Wrangler. Dana 30 ..t-case ..rotors and brakes. I guess the wheel base afforded more options.

909, 999 ..etc. This evolved the the 30Rh and 32Rh for the TJ's The differences between the 30rh and the 32rh are some minor valve differences and one more clutch disc in there somewhere (probably the rear clutch used in all forward gears).
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
It was even a A341-A350 in the 'ota/Lex line


I thought that might be the deal.

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan

The Wranglers may have had some AW4's at one point. I've only heard of the 904 evolutions in the TJ's and most of the YJ's

I was more surprised that the XJ got a different trans. It's lighter than the Wrangler and otherwise has an identical drive train (except the rear in most cases) to the Wrangler. Dana 30 ..t-case ..rotors and brakes. I guess the wheel base afforded more options.


Barely- the XJ rear driveshaft gets pretty short with the AW4 and NP242 combination. But yeah, still longer than a Wrangler.

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan

909, 999 ..etc. This evolved the the 30Rh and 32Rh for the TJ's The differences between the 30rh and the 32rh are some minor valve differences and one more clutch disc in there somewhere (probably the rear clutch used in all forward gears).


Yeah, I don't know why I typed "43RH," that's actually a 4-speed A-727 derivative (previously called the A-518). The A-998/999 series was just an A-904 with a deeper first gear ratio. Chrysler used the deep first gear ratio and a very tall rear end ratio (like 2.45) instead of going to a 4-speed OD transmission in the 80s. Probably an OK decision in hindsight since the 998/999 were out there being reliable while the GM 700R4 was going through all its infamous problems about that time. At the time the automotive press pounded Chrysler for sticking to a 3-speed in the rear-drive cars. The A-999 also has the extra clutch plate(s) and was originally used in copcar M-bodies. They became the 30RH and 32RH when the standardized tranny names came into use. I think they were the last of the hydraulically-shifted Chrysler Torqueflite automatics ever sold, and were in continuous production from 1960 through at least 2005.
 
Originally Posted By: Anduril
There was probably a high incidence of people servicing their transmissions themselves (especially Jeep people), so Chrysler decided to remove the dipstick in order to get them to pay the dealer money to have it done.


and they probably used Dexron fluid
 
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Originally Posted By: Anduril
There was probably a high incidence of people servicing their transmissions themselves (especially Jeep people), so Chrysler decided to remove the dipstick in order to get them to pay the dealer money to have it done.


and they probably used Dexron fluid


It could very well be the reason, or one of them. But for the people who actually know how to read and service a transmission they're almost SOL.

I think the home made dipstick from the 06 Liberty would be the ticket here.

AD
 
Originally Posted By: ADFD1
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Originally Posted By: Anduril
There was probably a high incidence of people servicing their transmissions themselves (especially Jeep people), so Chrysler decided to remove the dipstick in order to get them to pay the dealer money to have it done.


and they probably used Dexron fluid


It could very well be the reason, or one of them. But for the people who actually know how to read and service a transmission they're almost SOL.

I think the home made dipstick from the 06 Liberty would be the ticket here.

AD

switching to ZF trannies is a more likely reason...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
2015 rav 4 atf fluid change from cooler line, tips and tricks?
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
apollo18
NibbanaBanana
E350 Trans Dipstick Rusted in Filler Tube
Replies
4
Views
1K
NibbanaBanana
92saturnsl2
Chrysler oil dipsticks breaking off
Replies
5
Views
718
proveitwithdata
rvsarch
Acura Oil Consumption
Replies
12
Views
795
Drew7a
S
Oil leaks on Chevy LS engines
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
Snagglefoot
Back
Top