[Gary Kline]

Seriously though, not to add fuel to the fire above, different folks seems to have different outcomes regarding the TSB programming fixes so there's probably not one "right" or "wrong" answer.

Regarding the fluid change, for me, I did my change at 160k miles and it made a world of difference in helping the wonky shifting. Is the Cherokee 9-speed (948TE) every going to be as smooth as a Honda, Acura or RangeRover that has the almost-same 9HP48 in it? Probably not. As mentioned in quite a few posts, Jeep didn't seem to get the "A listers" on their programming team and the software is what counts in these transmissions when it comes to shift points.

Seems the best we can do is make the best of it and do what we can to work around the peculiarities.

 

[Tico007]

@Gary Kline thanks a bunch for the dipstick referral. That was a win! I decided to do the third transmission fluid drain and fill with what I have left from the other two. According to the chart it was a little low. So I added some more this time. I waited 500 miles to say anything. It’s not doing it!! Thanks again Gary. I can go on with my life lol.

 

[Gary Kline]

@Gary Kline thanks a bunch for the dipstick referral. That was a win! I decided to do the third transmission fluid drain and fill with what I have left from the other two. According to the chart it was a little low. So I added some more this time. I waited 500 miles to say anything. It’s not doing it!! Thanks again Gary. I can go on with my life lol.

Hey @Tico007, Awesome, glad it worked out! Same here, the first two made a big difference but doing that third one was the icing on the cake!

 

[erikrj]

Seriously though, not to add fuel to the fire above, different folks seems to have different outcomes regarding the TSB programming fixes so there's probably not one "right" or "wrong" answer.

Regarding the fluid change, for me, I did my change at 160k miles and it made a world of difference in helping the wonky shifting. Is the Cherokee 9-speed (948TE) every going to be as smooth as a Honda, Acura or RangeRover that has the almost-same 9HP48 in it? Probably not. As mentioned in quite a few posts, Jeep didn't seem to get the "A listers" on their programming team and the software is what counts in these transmissions when it comes to shift points.

Seems the best we can do is make the best of it and do what we can to work around the peculiarities.

How many quarters (or litters) cam out from your traimission when
you did the fluid change?

Something else, I have found 2 different charts describing the required flued levels, which one is the correct, this one here

 

[Gary Kline]

How many quarters (or litters) cam out from your traimission when
you did the fluid change?

Something else, I have found 2 different charts describing the required flued levels, which one is the correct, this one here View attachment 227606

Hey Erik,

• I've done 3 transmissions drain & fill cycles and each time the amount I got out was almost always 3.5 liters. Whatever the balance is must be in the torque converter. So with each drain/fill cycle the fluid gets lighter [in color] and the shifting smoother.

• I gave up on the chart method (using the dipstick) and instead just go by however much I take out of the old fluid, I put back in of the new fluid (replacement volume method).

The reason is that when I tried to use the dipstick method, even with the fluid at the temperature as shown in the chart, I was far above the maximum amount on the dipstick. Since my transmission hadn't had a fluid change before I did it, I knew this reading must be inaccurate. I thought the cause might be that the car was jacked-up on that corner to remove the wheel so I even lowered my jack and used a level to confirm the car (and transmission) was level. But even then the reading was still over the maximum. At that point I gave up on using the dipstick and only use the 'replacement method'. Since the transmission is sealed, as long as it isn't physically leaking, the replacement method should keep the level at what it came from the factory with.​

​

​

 

[erikrj]

Life time fluid my ass.

I have mentioned here that I live in Abu Dhabi, I drive this car in the desert on soft sand with deflated tires (bigger footprint and more stress on the transmission).
I finished the first fluid change today and the difference after leaving the car shop is huge.
Less slippering, gear switching up and down smoothly.

I recommend this to any person that owns this 9Speed transmission.
100K km, CHANGE IT, It will make your transmission least longer

 

[Gary Kline]

Life time fluid my ass.

I have mentioned here that I live in Abu Dhabi, I drive this car in the desert on soft sand with deflated tires (bigger footprint and more stress on the transmission).
I finished the first fluid change today and the difference after leaving the car shop is huge.
Less slippering, gear switching up and down smoothly.

I recommend this to any person that owns this 9Speed transmission.
100K km, CHANGE IT, It will make your transmission least longer

100% correct. And wait a couple weeks and do a second change and if you feel like it, one last one after that. Since you can never really get all the fluid out due on each drain & fill I've done three to get mostly new fluid in there now. It makes a big difference in shift quality

 

[erikrj]

100% correct. And wait a couple weeks and do a second change and if you feel like it, one last one after that. Since you can never really get all the fluid out due on each drain & fill I've done three to get mostly new fluid in there now. It makes a big difference in shift quality

yes, I still have 2 bottles (2 qts) and I just ordered 2 more qts of the mopar fluid. The rear diff fluid it on its way to Abu Dhabi.

In 2 weeks ahead I'll go back there and repeat another drain/refilling.

My old fluid was stock, 8 years old + 103.000KM, and lots of desert "inferno" hot drives. This first change made a noticeable difference.

Now I have a new "problem" even the average transmission temperature has dropped a bit, I am getting 60/65celcius on road, and I was getting 65 up to 70 before the change. Worth mentioning that my cooler setup does not have the bypass valve. Not a big issue, but something to affect a bit my fuel consumption.

 

[Dareios]

Edit: Sorry, I am dumb I should have read whole thread before this post and my question would be answered I am going to put back those 200-250 ml of fluid.


Hi, I did a trans fluid change a week ago. I put in the same amount of fluid as I drained. Then I started the engine and went through all gears. After that I measured my fluid level and it was about 28-30 mm which is way above the values from table. My fluid temperature was 50°C and all the tables which I have seen say that the level should be 13mm minimum and 19mm maximum. So after remeasuring I have decided to drain about 250ml to get at least to 19 mm (it didn't feel right to drain that much of fluid and I had bad feeling about it). Test drive was pretty good trans temperature was normal and shifting felt better than before so i really didn't care anymore. However now I realize that I made a mistake and didn't check the trans fluid level with running engine I have only started engine before and went through all gears (I don't dont how much it affects the fluid level). After that I wanted to recheck the level and put more fluid inside. I have checked the fluid level tables again but now I have also checked official service manual and there goes my question. All of the tables I have encountered on internet looks like this

and this is how the table from service manual looks like

Why they differ so much? I have 2014 model and my trans fluid level was ok according to the table from service manual.
I dont know if there was some kind of change in transmission in models after 2014. Can someone enlighten me please.

Luckily the car was parked in front of the house for a week and no one drove it so hopefully no damage has been done.

Thank you

 

[osimj]

Edit: Sorry, I am dumb I should have read whole thread before this post and my question would be answered I am going to put back those 200-250 ml of fluid.


Hi, I did a trans fluid change a week ago. I put in the same amount of fluid as I drained. Then I started the engine and went through all gears. After that I measured my fluid level and it was about 28-30 mm which is way above the values from table. My fluid temperature was 50°C and all the tables which I have seen say that the level should be 13mm minimum and 19mm maximum. So after remeasuring I have decided to drain about 250ml to get at least to 19 mm (it didn't feel right to drain that much of fluid and I had bad feeling about it). Test drive was pretty good trans temperature was normal and shifting felt better than before so i really didn't care anymore. However now I realize that I made a mistake and didn't check the trans fluid level with running engine I have only started engine before and went through all gears (I don't dont how much it affects the fluid level). After that I wanted to recheck the level and put more fluid inside. I have checked the fluid level tables again but now I have also checked official service manual and there goes my question. All of the tables I have encountered on internet looks like this

View attachment 229479 View attachment 229480



and this is how the table from service manual looks like View attachment 229481

Why they differ so much? I have 2014 model and my trans fluid level was ok according to the table from service manual.
I dont know if there was some kind of change in transmission in models after 2014. Can someone enlighten me please.

Luckily the car was parked in front of the house for a week and no one drove it so hopefully no damage has been done.

Thank you

Same transmission the whole KL Model run 😎.

 

[Gary Kline]

Edit: Sorry, I am dumb I should have read whole thread before this post and my question would be answered I am going to put back those 200-250 ml of fluid.


Hi, I did a trans fluid change a week ago. I put in the same amount of fluid as I drained. Then I started the engine and went through all gears. After that I measured my fluid level and it was about 28-30 mm which is way above the values from table. My fluid temperature was 50°C and all the tables which I have seen say that the level should be 13mm minimum and 19mm maximum. So after remeasuring I have decided to drain about 250ml to get at least to 19 mm (it didn't feel right to drain that much of fluid and I had bad feeling about it). Test drive was pretty good trans temperature was normal and shifting felt better than before so i really didn't care anymore. However now I realize that I made a mistake and didn't check the trans fluid level with running engine I have only started engine before and went through all gears (I don't dont how much it affects the fluid level). After that I wanted to recheck the level and put more fluid inside. I have checked the fluid level tables again but now I have also checked official service manual and there goes my question. All of the tables I have encountered on internet looks like this

View attachment 229479 View attachment 229480



and this is how the table from service manual looks like View attachment 229481

Why they differ so much? I have 2014 model and my trans fluid level was ok according to the table from service manual.
I don't know if there was some kind of change in transmission in models after 2014. Can someone enlighten me please.

Luckily the car was parked in front of the house for a week and no one drove it so hopefully no damage has been done.

Thank you

Hey @Dareios,

Your post is intriguing... I wanted to take a couple days to check around on the internet at the sources you used above and I did find the same information that you found. There do appear to be two completely different charts!

One thing I was thinking was if the lower numbers were from instructions with the engine running (thus the torque converter would be full) and the other with the engine off (torque converter partially empty) however in both of the instructions for the two charts above, they both specify the engine running so this doesn't seem to be the reason.

I also found:

• The Service Manual and most of the information related to the measurement tool reference the higher numbers. (see below the actual one that I took a photo of when I changed my Cherokee's transmission fluid last year).
• However, there is a popular "948TE Introduction" video and powerpoint/.pdf that lists the lower values.

Which one is correct it a good guess. To err on the side of caution, I would go with the higher number (especially since it appears in the Service Manual)

Perhaps the video/PowerPoint/.pdf's were released before the official documentation was released and perhaps based on draft information??
Perhaps the Chrysler and genuine ZF versions of the transmissions actually list different values?
Maybe someone just translated it incorrectly and it "took a life of it's own" as it was copied around the internet from there?

Who knows. Again, I'd probably go with the higher numbers.

Note, if you do your transmission fluid change with the "replace the same volume you remove" method, it probably doesn't matter too much assuming you don't have a leak anywhere.

Either way, good catch!

 

[Dareios]

ye I'd also go with higher number. Plus I am pretty sure that in my case it was the first trans fluid change so the higher level was there from factory (I don't suppose the fluid in the gearbox has increased over the years )

 

[KrackaC8]

Thanks for the write-up. I performed this drain & fill service on my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Elite w/63k miles this morning (April 2018 build date). I accessed the fill plug from the front driver's wheel well to R&R the plug, then filled from the top with a cheap AT funnel w/hose from AutoZone. 3.4 qts drained out and I refilled with the same amount of green Mopar 8&9 Speed ATF.

I also refreshed the rear differential fluid with fresh Mopar 70W-80 about 12k miles ago.

I'll likely repeat both these procedures once I get to 90k miles just to keep things clean/fresh with age.

 

[coffeeguy]

Thanks for the write-up. I performed this drain & fill service on my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Elite w/63k miles this morning (April 2018 build date). I accessed the fill plug from the front driver's wheel well to R&R the plug, then filled from the top with a cheap AT funnel w/hose from AutoZone. 3.4 qts drained out and I refilled with the same amount of green Mopar 8&9 Speed ATF.

I also refreshed the rear differential fluid with fresh Mopar 70W-80 about 12k miles ago.

I'll likely repeat both these procedures once I get to 90k miles just to keep things clean/fresh with age.

How did you get enough room to get your arm and a hex socket and the wrench in there and still get enough space to get leverage to unscrew it? I spent all afternoon trying yesterday, but gave up eventually. I jacked it up, took the wheel off, turned it all the way to the left just like the Haynes manual said, but its just such a tight area and so many wires and tubes and **** in the way. I also tried accessing it from the engine bay using every extention arm available on my socket wrench, but no luck there. SO finicky, Thankfully I had the foresight to make sure I could access the fill port before draining it, otherwise I'd have an empty transmission and no way to get to work this morning 😅 Edit: Oh, for the record I have a 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk v6

 

[KrackaC8]

How did you get enough room to get your arm and a hex socket and the wrench in there and still get enough space to get leverage to unscrew it? I spent all afternoon trying yesterday, but gave up eventually. I jacked it up, took the wheel off, turned it all the way to the left just like the Haynes manual said, but its just such a tight area and so many wires and tubes and **** in the way. I also tried accessing it from the engine bay using every extention arm available on my socket wrench, but no luck there. SO finicky, Thankfully I had the foresight to make sure I could access the fill port before draining it, otherwise I'd have an empty transmission and no way to get to work this morning 😅 Edit: Oh, for the record I have a 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk v6

I should have mentioned, I do have the 3.2L V6 as well. Slight difference from your procedure, I did not turn the wheels, I left them straight. I also only jacked up the driver's front wheel using the lower control arm (with a hockey puck to prevent damage or marking), left that jack there keeping the spring compressed, then placed 2 jackstands underneath the frame/frame rail for safety. This could very well have impacted the clearance available to you by having the front driver's spring/shock compressed vs. yours at full droop. I removed only the front steel skidplate, not the one behind it, to access the drain. I won't lie, it was a tight squeeze in there but I'm no contortionist or overly flexible (6'3" & 240 lbs). My arms were a little scraped up all said & done, but it is definitely possible and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again when it comes time. Play with your routes and angles through the mess of lines, wires, etc. and you'll get it. I was using a Craftsman 3/8" ratchet along with a Harbor Freight hex socket. Happy to help or assist further any way I can, just let me know here or reach out privately!

 

[Adamcoppler]

I have a 2016 Cherokee trailhawk 3.2 with 203k miles on it. To my knowledge it has not had a tranny fluid change on it. When going from a rolling stop it will hesitate some before jerking into gear, other than that there are no issues. It is not used for towing or off-road purposes and my wife will occasionally floor it in traffic revving up to 6-7 RPM. It has its software updates as of 2019 i believe.

That being said, would any of you still suggest flushing the tranny fluid or will it do more harm than good?

 

[KrackaC8]

I have a 2016 Cherokee trailhawk 3.2 with 203k miles on it. To my knowledge it has not had a tranny fluid change on it. When going from a rolling stop it will hesitate some before jerking into gear, other than that there are no issues. It is not used for towing or off-road purposes and my wife will occasionally floor it in traffic revving up to 6-7 RPM. It has its software updates as of 2019 i believe.

That being said, would any of you still suggest flushing the tranny fluid or will it do more harm than good?

Do NOT have a transmission FLUSH performed, but instead do a simple drain & fill as outlined in this thread. Doing it once will replace roughly half your fluid and should make a noticeable difference. Drive around like that for a little bit then do another drain & fill. You'll be all set at that point and likely good for the remainder of the vehicle's usable life. I highly recommend sticking with Mopar's 8&9 Speed ATF. To perform the drain & fill twice, you'll need to order 7 quarts.

 

[Adamcoppler]

Do NOT have a transmission FLUSH performed, but instead do a simple drain & fill as outlined in this thread. Doing it once will replace roughly half your fluid and should make a noticeable difference. Drive around like that for a little bit then do another drain & fill. You'll be all set at that point and likely good for the remainder of the vehicle's usable life. I highly recommend sticking with Mopar's 8&9 Speed ATF. To perform the drain & fill twice, you'll need to order 7 quarts.

What is the difference though? Isn’t the end result the same however it is done? A few dump and fills changes enough of the fluid like a machine would do.

 

[Gary Kline]

What is the difference though? Isn’t the end result the same however it is done? A few dump and fills changes enough of the fluid like a machine would do.

Essentially the same results in the end.

• Flush generally means disconnecting the 'send' transmission cooler line and attaching a piece of tubing going into a suitable waste oil container to have the transmission pump out the torque converter and then re-filling as you go with a like quantity until the fluid starts running clearer.

• Alternately, you can do a multiple drain and fill. You drain your transmission, then refill it with fresh fluid, then turn on the engine for 5-10 minutes to circualte the new fluid though the torque converter and then do the whole drain/refill/circulate process another time or two. Each time the fluid should get lighter (clearer) as it's diluted with new fluid. Most of us have done this as it's simpler and doesn't require disconnecting the transmission cooler line.

 

[Adamcoppler]

Essentially the same results in the end.

• Flush generally means disconnecting the 'send' transmission cooler line and attaching a piece of tubing going into a suitable waste oil container to have the transmission pump out the torque converter and then re-filling as you go with a like quantity until the fluid starts running clearer.

• Alternately, you can do a multiple drain and fill. You drain your transmission, then refill it with fresh fluid, then turn on the engine for 5-10 minutes to circualte the new fluid though the torque converter and then do the whole drain/refill/circulate process another time or two. Each time the fluid should get lighter (clearer) as it's diluted with new fluid. Most of us have done this as it's simpler and doesn't require disconnecting the transmission cooler line.

Yes sir,

I understand the differences of how they are performed. Let me rephrase my question. Krackac8 put emphasis on the word NOT when it came to flushing and I’m curious why. If both methods produce a similar result, why would if matter? I just want to know if anyone recommends still changing out the fluid with over 203k miles with no prior fluid change.