Dexron vs ATF+3 for 97 dodge caravan 3 spd hydomechanical tran

transmission.

I say demand that they put in the proper fluid. No cost to you. Go to small claims if you have to. Many service manuals I have with the 3speed say to not use dextron. The '89 FWD book says to use ATF+ and dextron only in emergancy and don't be suprised if it causes extra wear.

One is the correct fluid for your transmission; the other is not.

Bzzt, wrong answer. Demand the transmission be flushed and ATF+ put in, at no cost to you, and with you checking to see the bottles it comes out of.

Wrongo. The guy who rebuilt your transmission is not an engineer, and is absolutely not qualified to be second-guessing the specifications of the engineers who designed the transmission. Dexron is *NOT* OK.

Marketing claims to the contrary, there's no magic mouse milk that changes Dexron into ATF+. Lazy shops fill every transmission with Dexron because it's easier and cheaper for them to stock just one kind of fluid. Sometimes they add manufacturer-unapproved additives, because such additives are a very high-profit item.

It's not going to help it! I'd demand a free flush, filter change and refill, with the *verified* correct fluid, at no cost to you *and* a

6-month or 6,000-mile extension of the warranty.

DS

ATF+3 has friction modifiers that allow the torque convertor clutch to be operated in "partial lock" (deliberate slip) mode without chattering. This is done on the computer-controlled 4-speed FWD transmissions with partial lock-up occurring in gears 2-4, and full lock-up in gear 4. The

3-speeds don't use partial TCC lock, and so don't need the unique characteristics of ATF+3

When in doubt, use ATF+. It works fine in all Chrysler transmissions, but Dexron does not. But I see no need to run out and immediately change if you have a 3-speed hydromechanical transmission.

There is NO SUCH THING as dexTron. Its d-e-x-r-o-n, daggumit!

:-)

Hey I drive a Chrysler, why would I know ;-)

Reminds me of one of my pet peeves. The network connecting banks in Canada is called Interac. For debit sales in stores, people frequently say "Put it on Interac" Many people say "InteracT." The Interac people even had a commercial with this in it. It was a kid at a spelling bee asked to spell Interac. He went "I-N-T-E-R-A-C..." Everyone leaning on the edge of their seats as he's about to win "...T" then he lost.

Well, I donno...how long have you been driving Chryslers? From '71 when Dexron replaced Type A until '89 when the A604 was introduced, Dexron was the factory fluid for all Chrysler automatics and many of their stick shifts.

D'oooooh, I *hate* that!

DS

Ah Steve, he said " remanufatured torque convertor+ new TCC"

I think he had a 4 speed.

Ted

transmission.

Chrysler's opinion is that Dexron will damage your transmission.

I wouldn't be that surprised, to this day the majority of transmission shops claim there's no difference between the fluids. As the price difference (retail) between Dexron and ATF +4 is $4-$5 it is no wonder that they say this. If Dexron was $4-$5 and ATF +4 was under a buck a quart, they would be filling all the "GM" transmissions with ATF+4 and claiming there's no difference.

I would not go back to this shop even though you have a right to have them pay for the correct fluid. How can you trust that they will actually flush and replace the fluid? Go to a decent trans shop and consider the $80-$90 a cheap lesson, and don't forget to inform your Better Business Bureau of what the original trans shop did.

Ted

Ted

Ah Ted, both the 3-speed and the 4-speed automatics have TCCs in the torque converter.

DS

transmission.

In your 3-spd it's not critical, however, it is not the correct fluid, and there are differences, and there is still a potential for a problem. If you had the four speed, the GM stuff would have probably already ruined your trans. In either case, your mechanic should be taken aside and beat with a stick, then sent back to school. If I were you, I would take it back and demand the proper fluid, as per Chryslers recommendations, be put in.

Ken

Mubtar wrote: