Water in Transmission from 4WD'ing, is this covered under manufacturer Car Warranty?

[Hootbro]

On the ZF transmission, where?

Right side, just above the rear corner section of the pan. Google it if you want pics and vids

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[Stan H]

Hi guys,
this thread is an extension of a previous one that i have posted a day or so ago where i had a transmission error code and eventually found water in the transmission.

Please note, although the dealership is named in the reveiw, i wish to avoid any public naming of the dealership in print on this forum...lets just call it the "service centre" or something like that.

My question is this, given the car obviously was driven through water whilst 4wd'ing and i regularly wash it underneath both using manufal and automatic car washes with underbody spray, can i expect factory warranty to cover the water damage given i found the transmission breather had come off the top of the transmission and could be the case of the ingress?

Prior to answering, i also wrote a google review about the dealership 4 months ago after this transmission was installed into the car under warranty and they also did some top end engine work to decarbon the cylinder heads, pistons, and valves...

see google review i wrote 4 months ago here...
Check out this review on Google Maps
https://goo.gl/maps/RcJ8G6EKPQHr7wBy8

The car is currently at another dealership about 900km's from where the previous work was done and is about to be assessed to determine what is wrong with the vehicle (given the transmission fluid is white in colour, its obviously water damage).

With my google review 4 months ago as evidence, do i have a strong enough case to ensure another replacement transmission under warranty?

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you also are getting water into the air filter box. There is an inlet port tube that run from just under the air box to the grill. There is gap in this but witb the kind if water your pushing there it can't be good

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You cannot check the fluid appearance unless its overflled at 86 degrees F and it spits out of the overfill.

May I also ask what good ZF fluid looks like in comparison to bad fluid?

If there's water in it, it will be milky.
As long as you can stick a finger in and touch the fluid, you'll know.

 

[Stan H]

You cannot check the fluid appearance unless its overflled at 86 degrees F and it spits out of the overfill.

May I also ask what good ZF fluid looks like in comparison to bad fluid?

Green in color . Light green . If you run some in a empty clear glass cup or sprite bottle it has a "clearish" green hinge to it.

 

[Hootbro]

You cannot check the fluid appearance unless its overflled at 86 degrees F and it spits out of the overfill.

May I also ask what good ZF fluid looks like in comparison to bad fluid?

Sitting cold the fluid in the torque converter will drain back in the pan and there will be about 1.5 liters of fluid above the fill check plug.

Easy to just crack it quick for a fluid drain spill and reinstall the plug and check the fluid that spilled.

 

[Stan H]

Ok, understood.

It is a specialized formula developed by ZF for their transmissions. Do not use any other type ,Chrysler 8&9 speed transmission fluid. Others have and it has not went well.

 

[Hootbro]

Thats not true at all. To properly check the level of the Zf you need a scan tool.

The subject is about checking the fluid quality, in this case, water in the fluid. I am not talking about doing a service level check.

I have done two fluid services on my Gladiators, I know what the level check is.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ning-no-politics.23705/page-1809#post-1267876

 

[chorky]

Green in color . Light green . If you run some in a empty clear glass cup or sprite bottle it has a "clearish" green hinge to it.

Does someone have that picture handy of when I asked the color? It's wicked. Reminds me of 80's era 'hot' colors. Maybe I can find that thread.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Stan,

I'm very clear on the process of checking/changing and reflling a ZF in all jeeps from 2017 to present. I appreciate the help but its not required. ZF recommends changing the oil every 70,000 miles but jeep says its lifetime! Yikes!

But you didn't know you could check fluid conditions without a scan tool or running the Jeep.
You knew all of that but didn't know what the fluid looked like.
He was trying to help with that (and adding for lurkers - use only the proper fluid)

 

[chorky]

Here it is. Crazy color. I still haven't checked mine yet. But I've been having some weird slipping/banging shifts lately 1&2

New on the left.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Does someone have that picture handy of when I asked the color? It's wicked. Reminds me of 80's era 'hot' colors. Maybe I can find that thread.

It's posted in some places here - maybe someone will be faster finding a picture........
it starts out green but gets dark quickly - the drops from our leaking 8 speed were not green except the day after they fixed it and it still leaked.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Here it is. Crazy color. I still haven't checked mine yet. But I've been having some weird slipping/banging shifts lately 1&2

It's only green like that for a while.

 

[Hootbro]

My apologies! Curious, what scan tool are you using?

I used the instrument cluster EVIC for the transmission temp. Scan tool is a nicety, not a necessity to do the fluid level temp check.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I used the instrument cluster EVIC for the transmission temp. Scan tool is a nicety, not a necessity to do the fluid level temp check.

You can also use your phone and software just to get temperature readings but even Jeep says it's not necessary - you can use the cluster.
The temperature range allows for some getting up and down/in or out to check the temp.

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