Transmission oil

[rocks in boots]

Hey guys

xj jeep 95/6 188k

I was reading about transmissions the other day and I became concerned. Someone said ( another forum) that the xj jeep wasnt really biult for towing and can destroy the transmission.

I tow between 600 and 1600 4 days a week for the last year around outer western sydney. Gear changes are slower when heavier so don't rush things, the jeep is comfortable in 50 -60 zones and about 75 in the 80 zones. I have been driving without towing for about 4 years before and since towing have not noticed any difference in gear changes.

After reading about the transmission though it was mentioned towing with an xj can kill the tranny. I checked the oil condition, was dark brown and smelt frazzled, not burnt but not the sweet red smell.

I changed the oil, dropped about 3.75 ltr and refilled with 4ltr. So maybe a slight over fill....I realise not all the oil would of drained so when rechecking again after a drive the oil was back to where it was as before. The colour is better but not good enough and will do another change soon, maybe a third as well as a new filter. The frazzled smell was still the same though, that had not decreased.

Should I be concerned?
Am I doing enough by just attending to the oil changing?
What Should I look out for in terms of the tranny and its condition?
Will the towing really destroy the transmission?
If it is too late, what are the prices on a new transmission?

Thanks guys.

[awg]

dont panic, just drain & refill the trans several times

simple maths tells you that with 8 liters, then anything around 4L is ~50% decrease in contaminated fluid

I put about 16L thru mine , so its over 95% "new"

excessive trans fluid temp shortens a trans life, towing in Sydney traffic would constitute heavy duty use.

I would change out trans fluid accordingly

[LuluBelle]

do you have a trans cooler?......you could fit a electric fan to the trans cooler be awesome for towing in traffic
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_.(o)_)__(o)_)--o-)_)

[rainman]

look up transmission oil flush, on u tube
you replaced about 1/3 of the fluid so it's still mostly fvked.
its not the towing per se its the heat that is generated in the box.
plenty on this site about aftermarket coolers and how to plumb them in.
even more info on the web

good luck with it.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/gre...4/#post2851314

[rocks in boots]

Thanks guys.

I have changed it twice now and is better. I will do a third tomorrow. Then order a new filter and buy some more oil. I have been using castrol dex 3.

I was looking at a trans cooler, and I think there is one already installed which explains a lot. Because I needed to rip out the carpet and was expecting tremendous heat where the tranny sits, but there was not. The carpet became sodden after getting stuck in a puddle. The stench!! My God it was awful, it was a stagnant puddle and the smell was just horrible.

I will keep the idea of an electric fan but for now I just need to maintain good oil in the tranny and keep it that way. Then replace the leaf springs because they go down, literally, not up.

I do not know when the trans cooler was installed, do they have a life span?

[rocks in boots]

nice link Rainman. Thats great. Thankyou

[rainman]

http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/HowtoAutoCooler.htm