If its lifetime fluid why is this needed?

[Viper501]

https://www.fcpeuro.com/blog/how-to-change-the-oil-in-a-zf-8-speed-transmission

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[Stan H]

https://www.fcpeuro.com/blog/how-to-change-the-oil-in-a-zf-8-speed-transmission

Great tutorial!!! Great share!!!

 

[g2020]

https://www.fcpeuro.com/blog/how-to-change-the-oil-in-a-zf-8-speed-transmission

Agreed. Great video on the process. Thanks for sharing.

As for the mileage & duration guidance in the article/video, it has been replaced by the guidance in the ZF LifeguardFluid 9 PDS. See doc #2 in ZF docs. Although this PDS was first published in July 2021, ZF reposted it to their website earlier this year (2025).

I could say that the mileage & duration guidance in the article/video conflicts with ZF guidance because the article/video was released after ZF first published the LF9 PDS. Then I remind myself that FCP Euro wants to sell more fluid and kits. I'm not going to let a promotional oversight take away from what otherwise is a very useful video.

Here's the date of the article (and video) from FCP Euro:

 

[Viper501]

Another interesting side note about FCP Euro is they warranty everything for as long as you own your car, even ’wear’ items like brake pads and rotors.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/page/lifetime-guarantee

 

[GladiatorPilot23]

The transmission behind the 3.6 is made in USA. The reason is ZF couldn't keep up with the demand. So FCA licensed the rights to make it here.

The diesel version is made in Germany, as well as the 4xe version. (even though Jeep EXPERT and master tech Scotty Kilmer says they are made in Austria)



Seriously? I guess you have no idea how that licensing and the rights work. FCA has to follow strict design parameters and manufacturing methods. They are required to contact ZF with any proposed changes before they were made. Since FCA used a plant that already had equipment to make transmissions, they did have to make some changes to the case to allow FCA equipment to work with that design. Otherwise, they are restricted to what ZF says.

People get hung up on that term "lifetime". The transmissions and fluids today are far superior to what we had in the past, and unless you get it HOT or abuse it, it's going to easily handle over 80K miles without effort or issues to be concerned with.
Towing, off-roading, any time you get it hotter than typical or normal, or if you are in hills and stupidly allow it to constantly hunt instead of using manual mode, then you will reduce the lift of the fluid.

but the idea with a semi-sealed unit is that unless you do something out of what a typical driver might do - it's going to last a very long time.

Do what you want - it's your rig, but I've done a lot of transmission work over the years and have seen vastly inferior transmissions go a "lifetime" without constant maintenance as long as they don't get hot and aren't abused.



If it's black, it's probably been hot. But dark isn't necessarily bad in reality.
You can also tell by smell. Clutch materials have a very distinctive odor to them when they've been hot.
The dyes also degrade with time and heat - so black may not mean a lot.
(those people are also selling services..........)

Hot and also clutch wear make it darker. Which you don't want to see. Also, the worn particles from clutches, plates, drums etc. Any of the worn particles will accelerate wear the longer they are left in. Also, in a very warn trans that was not serviced that is black, you do a fluid change there is the possibility that it will start to slip. Which you probably know, It's a double edged sword.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Hot and also clutch wear make it darker. Which you don't want to see. Also, the worn particles from clutches, plates, drums etc. Any of the worn particles will accelerate wear the longer they are left in. Also, in a very warn trans that was not serviced that is black, you do a fluid change it can start to slip. Which you probably know, It's a double edged sword.

So we either forget about it or find “your own” regular change intervals you think the clutch plates would perform better with (early or let’s say yearly oil change) and there won’t be this problem.

 

[JTGuy]

Lifetime trans fluid,,, LOL mine has the reverse thunk at 25K that will probably eventually take it out. Lifetime fluid sure, that trans will need repair before the fluid wears out.

 

[Stan H]

So we either forget about it or find “your own” regular change intervals you think the clutch plates would perform better with (early or let’s say yearly oil change) and there won’t be this problem.

I think there is a defect in the design of the D-Clutch it isnt the clutch plates themselves that have the bad design. It is the pistin design in the D-Clutch it hangs up. There is also a design flaw in the TCM i been doing alot of video watching not shade tree mechanics but transmission shop guys and have ran into several that were working on iterations of the 845 and 850 who stated that the TCM was not sending anything to the PCM .
If one was to rebuild these transmissions IMHO option it would be lucicris to consider reusing the TCM . I do believe they are designed to burn out . Planned obsolescence!
Now this is all opinion take it for what you will but there I said it at any rate.
And I will also state this transmission was never really real smooth always was rough shifting 1st to 2nd at first then 3rd to 4th ..

Lifetime trans fluid,,, LOL mine has the reverse thunk at 25K that will probably eventually take it out. Lifetime fluid sure, that trans will need repair before the fluid wears out.

Agreed no such thing . If that was true then they would have developed engine oil that was lifetime. Every fluid will wear . FCA they did not count on anyone keeping these vehicles as long as we are keeping them . The "covid" thing happened and people kept their vehicles. I have 121K on mine many others have that many or more and these transmissions aren't holding up. They are designed like everything else these days with planned obsolescence at its core.

 

[NC_Overland]

Lifetime trans fluid,,, LOL mine has the reverse thunk at 25K that will probably eventually take it out. Lifetime fluid sure, that trans will need repair before the fluid wears out.

How would a reverse clink take it out? Mine has done it since new. Dealership wouldn’t fix it. Said it’s normal. It’s always shifted like a dream. I just put it in drive before reverse and it doesn’t clink.

 

[Stan H]

How would a reverse clink take it out? Mine has done it since new. Dealership wouldn’t fix it. Said it’s normal. It’s always shifted like a dream. I just put it in drive before reverse and it doesn’t clink.

It gets worse trust me Bud, it just keeps getting worse.

 

[NC_Overland]

It gets worse trust me Bud, it just keeps getting worse.

Mine hasn’t changed. 2020 with 60k. I have lots of documentation of having them look at it when it was under warranty so I’d make them fix it if it went out.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Mine hasn’t changed. 2020 with 60k. I have lots of documentation of having them look at it when it was under warranty so I’d make them fix it if it went out.

These clunks you guys are hearing and feeling, have you drawn oil samples and sent them in? If you’ve got this shifting problem, you’ll see elevated wear numbers in the reports and be able to document the findings into your dealership file.

Forget about the assuming “it’s normal” response from the dealership… that’s just a lazy response firmly seated in BS and guessing.

 

[NC_Overland]

These clunks you guys are hearing and feeling, have you drawn oil samples and sent them in? If you’ve got this shifting problem, you’ll see elevated wear numbers in the reports and be able to document the findings into your dealership file.

Mike shifts like a dream. It’s just always clunked going into reverse when it’s cold. I learned to put it in drive first and then reverse and it doesn’t do it.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

Mike shifts like a dream. It’s just always clunked going into reverse when it’s cold. I learned to put it in drive first and then reverse and it doesn’t do it.

That’s not shifting like a dream, you have a clunk and you have to do “special” shifting to get around it. A lab report would tell you what’s going on and for all the numbers I’ve seen and experienced, I can better guess eminent failure than the dealership can guess all is well. I would certainly hope all is well but I hate giving false hope based on being lazy. (the dealership)

 

[NC_Overland]

That’s not shifting like a dream, you have a clunk and you have to do “special” shifting to get around it. A lab report would tell you what’s going on and for all the numbers I’ve seen and experienced, I can better guess eminent failure than the dealership can guess all is well. I would certainly hope all is well but I hate giving false hope based on being lazy. (the dealership)

My 2017 Canyon did the same thing when new and they reprogrammed it and fixed it and it went away. I always thought the dealership could do the same thing, although completely different 8AT. The reason I say my Gladiator shifts like a dream is because you can’t even feel it shift and it’s super responsive and intuitive and always in the right gear.

My powertrain warranty just expired so all I can do is rely on documentation of reporting the issue a few times if it fails.

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