20k Service Requirements

[Mr._Bill]

I'm at 25k miles. Other than the warranty replacement for the rear drive shaft and steering box, the dealer has only done six free oil changes and tire rotations. They have not recommended any other services to be done. They did offer a prepaid oil change package at the last free service, but it was more expensive than renewing the Jeep Wave package. I have replaced the air and cabin filters, and put a label on the air box with the date and mileage it was done.

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[Rubijeep]

Out of curiosity
After reading this I called the dealership here in BC, Canada.
Service adviser said the first tranny flush is @ 60,000km

cost $460 cdn

Currently my JT is @ 15000km

So confused?‍?

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Out of curiosity
After reading this I called the dealership here in BC, Canada.
Service adviser said the first tranny flush is @ 60,000km

cost $460 cdn

Currently my JT is @ 15000km

So confused?‍?

The cost is actually around $1500 cad. Give or take $100. I’d be surprised if they actually did a “flush” as a pose to just dropping the pan. Oil is $40 per quart too plus the cost of the pan, gasket and fasteners @$250.

I drew an oil sample from my tranny at 24k kms and the lab found glycol in my sample and Alerted me to change the oil. I took it to National Transmission in Calgary that did a hot flush for about $300 plus I provided them 17L of full synthetic to replace the semi-synthetic 8-9 Speed ATF “lifetime” oil.

 

[dcmdon]

Is a transmission oil change actually in the service book?

I'm not asking if its a good idea to do. I'm sure it is. My main interest is whether they could deny a transmission claim if you didn't do one.

Is there a transmission oil drain plug? If not, has anyone added one?

 

[dcmdon]

One thing I've always done with all my cars, even those that weren't purchased with a warranty is keep a logbook.

Every oil and filter change is logged along with any top offs in between changes, tire rotation etc.

Occasionally I'll track the fuel economy between fill ups to get a datapoint.

If the vehicle is in warranty I'll save receipts for oil and filters also.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Is a transmission oil change actually in the service book?

I'm not asking if its a good idea to do. I'm sure it is. My main interest is whether they could deny a transmission claim if you didn't do one.

Is there a transmission oil drain plug? If not, has anyone added one?

The Owner's Manual says there is no service required for the transmission. There's no dipstick, and no easy way to check or change the fluid. The transmission manufacturer recommends it be done, but Jeep does not.

 

[dcmdon]

The Owner's Manual says there is no service required for the transmission. There's no dipstick, and no easy way to check or change the fluid.

Thank you. I'm a big on the engineering truism that perfect is the enemy of good. Perfect is a flush and costs $600.

What about getting it nice and warm and sucking as much fluid out as possible through the fill plug. If it costs you $150 in oil and you do it every 15k miles its probably a good solution.

Provided you can get a decent amount out that way.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I don't change transmission fluids in even my classics at 15K. Even 40 years ago 15K miles was over-kill. (and most of those you could only change about 1/3 of the fluid at a time due to no converter drain and all the fluid in the servos and clutch packs)

 

[dcmdon]

I don't change transmission fluids in even my classics at 15K. Even 40 years ago 15K miles was over-kill. (and most of those you could only change about 1/3 of the fluid at a time due to no converter drain and all the fluid in the servos and clutch packs)

Thank you. I think I'll have the fluid tested and if there is anything in it that shouldn't be like in Maximus case, well I'll figure it out from there.

But if its Glycol (or anything else that shouldn't be there) I'll just leave it for 30k.

Thoughts on that??

 

[dcmdon]

I'm a little obsessive because I keep my vehicles for 10+ years.

In this case, It may get a mid life LT1 swap and get turned into a weekend car at 10 years.

I get a kick out of the guys being more obsessive than me who have 5 vehicles in their Sig, all less than 8 years old. Ha. You could do nothing to it and it would last 2 years.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I’ve seen 2 transmission pans. I live in Canada but don’t know if there’s a difference in US pans vs Canadian pans.
The first one I ordered from MoparOnLine.com took 5 months to get. When it arrived, it did not have a drain plug nor did it come with fasteners (you can’t use the old fastners). The pan came tossed around and was dirty, dusty, had shop grit in it so I sent it back and ordered from the dealership. That pan took 6 weeks to get, did not have a drain plug.

I was going to change (complete flush) a whole lot sooner than at 24k kms but waiting for the pan took too long.

Before the second pan arrived, I sent an oil sample to the lab in Calgary who found extreme high copper and iron counts plus GLYCOL contamination in the oil and alerted me to change the oil immediately.
Lab Result @ 24k kms:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/attachments/transmission-lab-results-pdf.190790/

Thank God I wasn’t someone to wait till 60k or even listened to “the oil is good for the life of the vehicle” BS.

NOTE: If you were to sample that shit sludge in your transmission the day it dies and send it to the lab for analysis, you will find out that “lifetime” oil died a whole long time ago and you’ll thank Jeep or ZF or your service advisor for helping you kill your vehicle sooner for doing nothing with that tranny. They win because you normally wouldn’t know any different and you get into another vehicle.

I went to National Transmission and did a “hot flush” which took 17L of full synthetic (ZF compliant ATF) and now after 6k down the road, this vehicle is happy. Transmission runs cooler, it responds faster, gears are smooth.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve seen 2 transmission pans. I live in Canada but don’t know if there’s a difference in US pans vs Canadian pans.
The first one I ordered from MoparOnLine.com took 5 months to get. When it arrived, it did not have a drain plug nor did it come with fasteners (you can’t use the old fastners). The pan came tossed around and was dirty, dusty, had shop grit in it so I sent it back and ordered from the dealership. That pan took 6 weeks to get, did not have a drain plug.

I was going to change (complete flush) a whole lot sooner than at 24k kms but waiting for the pan took too long.

Before the second pan arrived, I sent an oil sample to the lab in Calgary who found extreme high copper and iron counts plus GLYCOL contamination in the oil and alerted me to change the oil immediately.

Thank God I wasn’t someone to wait till 60k or even listened to “the oil is good for the life of the vehicle” BS.

NOTE: If you were to sample that shit sludge in your transmission the day it dies and send it to the lab for analysis, you will find out that “lifetime” oil died a whole long time ago and you’ll thank Jeep or ZF or your service advisor for helping you kill your vehicle sooner for doing nothing with that tranny. They win because you normally wouldn’t know any different and you get into another vehicle.

I went to National Transmission and did a “hot flush” which took 17L of full synthetic (ZF compliant ATF) and now after 6k down the road, this vehicle is happy. Transmission runs cooler, it responds faster, gears are smooth.

You can add a drain plug to most transmission pans. Pick a spot where a nut brazed on the inside won't contact any internal parts, and where a hole would actually allow all of the fluid to drain. Drill a hole, find a bolt and nut the same thread as a drain plug. I try to use lock nuts - not SELF-locking nits, but the thinner nuts used to lock others in place - but often any fine thread nut will work. Put antisieze on the bolt and insert the bolt through the hole in the pan, nut on the inside.
Snug but not too tight.
Braze the nut in place inside the pan. Let it cool and remove the bolt used to hold the nut in place.
Clean up the area and put in a drain plug with nylon or copper gasket.
You now have a pan with a drain. I've done many dozens of 'em that way. The Turbo Hydromatic 350 used to come with a nice flat spot on the pan where a drain could go, but without the drain hole and plug. Those lent themselves nicely to putting in a drain. Almost any transmission that had a pan sans plug, I put a plug in it. Torque converters were a different animal but I did have more than one customer approve drilling and tapping for a drain in their converter. .

I base transmission service on not only mileage, but the sort of use it's had. To me, 30-50K is fine, even more if it's basic highway driving. But a lot of in-town, a lot of shifting, if the vehicle has been stuck or if used to tow - I adjust down from there.

 

[rharr]

The first few thousand miles is where most of the debris will be generated as things mate and friction materials bed. I agree with Maximus, it might be a PITA but nothing is life time. I changed my axel oil at 3k and it was the color of burnt coffee and smelled worst. I don't trust the trash mopar uses, these things are all built based on low cost bid part suppliers...

 

[ShadowsPapa]

And god help those of us who 30 years ago drove trucks 100,000 miles - towing and all - with the original hypoid gear lube in the differentials. (and in one case sitting in my garage stored for the winter - 160,000 miles on original lube)

 

[Maximus Gladius]

And god help those of us who 30 years ago drove trucks 100,000 miles - towing and all - with the original hypoid gear lube in the differentials. (and in one case sitting in my garage stored for the winter - 160,000 miles on original lube)

Would you say that was “best practice”?

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