Tranny problems

BennyMigs · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:26 am

SO I'm telling someone to day how I have 118,000 mile on y KJ and have never had one problem. Ten min. later I blow my tranny on the way home. Yinks.
So now I'm going to have it rebuild. What should I do to it. I am lucky tho my mothers boyfriend has a tranny shop and it may only cost me parts. Any help would
be great as far as what to get done. I do drive it everyday. :cry:

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:30 am

Well...

I would suggest maintaining the next transmission;) What does the fluid look like?

my suggestion would be to get the transmission you have rebuilt...Not much choice left.

jeepskate · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:40 am

Hope that's a fluke. I've got 142,000 on mine and can't really afford for the tranny to crap out. Did you have all the scheduled maintenance done?

BennyMigs · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:43 am

No not really> I know I should have. We still have to drop it to see what is really wrong. Anyone have any info on the tran go shift kit and APS converter?

Rush345 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:22 am

I'm not sure if your tranny is the same a 2002 but I heard that the older tranny was the same one Dodge had been using
earlier if so I'm pretty sure their is a shift kit available. Since this is a tranny shop ask him if there is any tricks to make it more solid. But once you do get your tranny right do yourself a favor protect your invesment and put Amsoil automatic transmission fluid in. my previous ride was a '95 Dakota 4x4 when I blew the tranny in that I took it in and told them that when they put it back together let me know caues I'ld have my own Fluid to put in. They said they would only use Fluids that met all the specs for Chrysler and Dodge . To which I said "well this not only meets it excedes their specs and Mercedes Benz specs also it's called AMSOIL" . They said "Oh we've heard of Amsoil, can you get some for us?" They changed their tune real fast when they heard it was AMSOIL. Just my $.02 worth. :wink:

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:23 am

BennyMigs wrote:

No not really> I know I should have. We still have to drop it to see what is really wrong. Anyone have any info on the tran go shift kit and APS converter?

118k miles is very good out of an auto tranny. My sisters pt cruiser had the trans take a stinky poo with 43k on it. I just got a salvage yard tranny for $500 with 33k miles on it. Just finished putting it in today. I have 94k on mine and hope it lasts alot longer. Really dont feel like spending money on a trans let alone putting it in. I'm not a fan of rebuilt transmissions. Would rather buy a reman unit for a litttle bit more but a much better warranty. If you can get yours rebuilt for just the price of parts thats awsome. Take advantage of it. I have the trans go shift and love it. I might get a converter when my trans goes. I'm not putting a new converter in a 94k mile transmission.

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:26 am

I don't see how 118k miles is good out of any tranny. I've never owned a car that had a transmission crap out before it had 150k miles on it, aside from the one in my CJ7 and T-bird because of outrageously ridiculous abuse.

_UnLiMiTeD_ · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:42 am

Well he said he wasnt keeping up witht he schedualed maintence so im sure that had sometime to do with it going.

Speaking of which my major tune up is coming up:

Spark plugs
pcv
tranny flush
axle fluid change
new brakes
oil change

This is gunna be pricey...lol

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:00 am

It'll take at least a copule days to pull, rebuild (correctly) and reinstall the Transmission. I'd say 2 days minimum and 3 days on average.

For an improperly maintained transmission 118K miles is respectable. For a properly maintained transmission 250K miles is respectable.

SethX9 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:17 am

I've always been pretty fanatical about engine care. Even back in the salad days when a new car was a $900 Japanese coupe with 180k miles on it I'd change oil religiously.

I just bought a used vehicle three weeks ago. Within the first week I'd replaced all the fluids, bought new spark plugs and I'm in the process of getting an Amsoil air filter from JJsKJ. A couple hundred bucks is IMHO a minor investment in a used vehicle, especially when I hear stories like this one. It's astonishing to me that someone will spend $20k+ on a machine and then not do something as simple and inexpensive as roll into a darn QuickyJiffySpiffy Lube four or five times a year and spend the equivalent of a new DVD!

ThunderbirdJunkie gave the best advice: next time take better care of your toys.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:08 am

118,000 isnt that great for a tranny. Weve got a Jeep with 162,000 and its been properly maintained since new(42re). Still shifts fine and it tows a boat.

I hope to get at least 150-200k out of my tranny.

There is a shift kit for the 42rle tranny. I got mine but I dont even know where.

If you search there is a thread on it.

_UnLiMiTeD_ · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:39 pm

should only have to do a tranny flush every few years, its not an expensive maintence. every 30k you should do it

xm15e3 · **Joined:** Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:11 am **Posts:** 7

BennyMigs wrote:

What should I do to it. I am lucky tho my mothers boyfriend has a tranny shop and it may only cost me parts. Any help would
be great as far as what to get done. I do drive it everyday. :cry:

Mopar Rebuilt 42rle is $2900 from the dealer, and comes with a 3 year 80K mile warrenty. Ours died at 98K miles. How often did you have the tranny fluid and filters changed? And did you let anyone put in anything other then ATF +4.

Ours died immediately after having ATF +3 (supposedly) and the lubegard viscocity modifier added....wife let them do it. However, we didn't change the filters for 90K...our bad.

xm15e3 · **Joined:** Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:11 am **Posts:** 7

"What does the fluid look like?"

ATF +4 apparently can't be judged by color or smell, it's not a perm. dye...and it smells funny. Apprently Chrysler trannys will last forever if oil and filters are done every 30K.

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:03 pm

I know what ATF looks like, I meant how is the color/smell. I don't care if he's got Dex3 or ATF4 or pink Kool-Aid in the transmission...the color is a dead giveaway as to how well a car's been maintained. If there are black chunks in the fluid, she's toast. my $500 XJ's trans fluid is still pinker than Elvis's Cadillac.

Also, Dex3/additive will not hurt your transmission as long as it's been purged of all the ATF4...AKA a flush, not just a drop-the-pan-and-refill. I run my KJ hard with the Dex3/additive...the only reason I can see your transmission failing is because of lack of proper maintenance (like you said) Until somebody can give me a very convincing speech on what Dex3 and ATF4 contains and the differences in chemical compositions and what they do, my mind won't be changed...especially as long as my 45RFE keeps shifting nicely and doesn't slip.

Hondas require the same fluid, and as many as I've known to have the additive and Dex3 and not have an issue...well, long story short, they wouldn't use it if it didn't work. The larger corporations shy away from things that would break stuff and cost them money...and it's what they use.

At any rate...if the transmission just quit working (and I'm not an auto trans expert...I've never opened one up aside for maintenance, because I don't know what's inside and I don't care to find out) rather than gradually getting crappier and crappier, couldn't it be a pump or some other minor failure?

xm15e3 · **Joined:** Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:11 am **Posts:** 7

http://u225.torque.net/cars/tech/trans/982674.pdf

ATF +4 is a full synthetic ment to be backward compatitble with ATF +3, so they have the same viscocity. Who the hell knows what lubegard black does to the viscocity. Mineral based oils will not make the service interval..they also smell different, and change color when burnt. ATF +4 changes color without being burnt.

ThunderbirdJunkie wrote:

Until somebody can give me a very convincing speech on what Dex3 and ATF4 contains and the differences in chemical compositions and what they do, my mind won't be changed

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:52 pm

well, at 120k, back to ATF4 I go!

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:34 am

Been using Mopars ATF+4 since new. I've flushed the Transimission once at 30K and again at 60K.. I still want to go into the dealership and have the filters changed, I just haven't made the appointment yet. I've got a long way to go before I get to my 250K mile goal.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:30 pm

ThunderbirdJunkie wrote:

I don't see how 118k miles is good out of any tranny. I've never owned a car that had a transmission crap out before it had 150k miles on it, aside from the one in my CJ7 and T-bird because of outrageously ridiculous abuse.

Guess you've never worked for ford. Chrysler isn't know for good trannies either. Ever hear of the A604 thats been around for 500 years. They updated it so many times and changed the name to the 41te because it had such a bad reputation. Same tranny that's in the neon and pt cruisers. Remember it has mechanical parts and it can just fail at anytime weather it's been maintained or not. I had a bmw with 175k plus on it with original tranny before i sold. My mom and dad bought a brand new mazda mpv back in 89' trans took a stinky poo at 15k miles, luckily it was warranty.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:47 pm

1995 Cherokee , 265000 miles and has never had the fluid changed, shifts better than the Liberty ever did. . Once had a 88 Olds 98 that I bought from a little old lady, yes she was 78 years old, 79000 miles on it, changed the fluid and filter, two weeks later tranny went out, Trans guy gave me heck telling me I should never of changed it at those miles due to the new fluid flushing out all the old crap and ruining it. Then I have had them that I changed every 50000 and never a problem so....I am still on the fence! Some think change it at 25/30000 and then again at 100000???

OH AND BY THE WAY I USED TO BE A CERTIFIED FORD MECHANIC, would spend my winters rebuilding trannys from stupid people who got hung up and just burnt the he** out of them.

Tranny problems

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