Ok I cannot remember if I read it on the boards or what but which Tranny do we have? is it the 42RLE or the 45RFE? and its a 5 speed right? I need to change my filters and fluids so I am asking what others have done. which fluids to do you all recommend or prefer? and what brand of filters should I get? NAPA or stealership or? and what about the gasket? I have NEVER done this before so I am a little concerned to make sure I do it right. how much fluid do I need to buy? Thanks in Advance

ok cool anyone else have any words of wisdom?

atf +4 is supposed to be a 100k mile fluid, at witch point the add pack is supposed to have 30% life remaining.

So honestly unless your contaminated, you could go a heck of a lot further.

Also it's possible that due to overheat etc your fluid life would be shortened (aka fleet or towing service etc).

I used these

ATP18594 for the pancake/gasket 17.49
ATP18593 for the spin-on 12.90

from Napa. And napa's Valvoline atf+4 (i think i spent 70 bucks for 14 qt)

Some have said the napa filters lack the drain back, i did not check. All i really wanted was the gasket (witch fits perfectly bty)

I have and plan on, changing the filters every 30k or so, it's cheap insurance and that way you may never have to drain it (i got 12 qt's over 12 hours with the spin on removed)

My owners manual reads 62k miles until even looking at the trans fluid. And then 'only if vehicle is used for frequent trailer
towing, or fleet/commercial service.' It's not even mentioned in 'Schedule A'.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Is there delayed engagement (crank the engine, put 'r in D and no go)? Is there slipping? Is there a leak? If you pull the dipstick is the fluid pink and foamy or smell like rotten fish? (black fluid is OK)

If the answer is no to all of the above, keep driving.

If your Jeep is regularly in a scenario like in CATCRD's avatar, change fluid and filters way more than manuals state

If your jeep regularly runs one or more roads like in CATCRD's avatar, change fluid and filters way more than manuals state

If your Jeep is regularly in fleet\commercial service, change fluid and filters more often, as manuals state

If your Jeep is a commuter, and off-road means parking in the grass at the Sunday get-together, comply with manual-suggested intervals

Dust, mud, and heat is the killer

I recently changed my tranny fluid at 60k. If you drop the pan, and let it sit overnight, you will get much more than 4-5 quarts out of the tranny. I needed a little more than 11 quarts to refill the tranny after I dropped the pan. I also removed the valve body for the transgo kit, so that was probably an additional 1/2 quart (out of the 11) that may not have been drained otherwise. I used Redline C+ ATF which satisfies chryslers special ATF requiments for the 545RFE. I used permatex "The Good Stuff" gasket maker to reseal the pan. Make sure you let the gasket maker set up for atleast 1 hour after you reinstall the pan before adding any fluid back into the tranny!! Another tip: make sure you are carefull when installing the new spin on filter. It is soft enough that you can easily crush the body of the filter with a filter wrench, or even with your hands when tightening.

wow no amsoil on that list.... interesting how they say it is on they're website..

APPLICATIONS AMSOIL Synthetic Universal ATF is recommended for transmissions, hydraulics, power steering and other applications requiring any of the following specifications:

• GM DEXRON® III-H
• Ford MERCON® & MERCON V
• Chrysler ATF+4®
• Toyota Type T-III and T-IV
• Honda Z-1 (Not CVT)
• Diamond SP II & III (Mitsubishi/Hyundai/Kia)
• Mazda ATF-III, ATF-MV
• Subaru ATF
• Nissan Matic D, J & K
• Idemitsu K-17
• BMW LA2634
• LT 71141
• Audi G-052-025-A2 & G-052-162-A1
• Volvo 97340
• MB 236.1, 236.2, 236.5, 236.6, 236.7, 236.9 & 236.10
• JWS 3309
• NAG 1
• ETL-7045E, ETL-8072B & N402
• Voith 55.6335.XX (G607, G1363)
• ZF TE-ML 03D, 04D, 09, 14A, 14B, 14C, 16L, 17C
• Allison C-4, TES 389

*Not for use with CVT or Ford Type F applications