Tran fluid confusion.

Feed them all ATF+4. Its backward-compatible, and the best fluid. Last I checked, the dealer price on ATF+4 was about the same as Quaker State or Chevron ATF+3 at Pep Boys. QS, Chevron, and others will also eventually start selling (heck, may already sell) ATF+4 spec fluid, so you might keep checking if its inconvenient to go to the dealer.

Its easier now. Use ATF +(highest number) in EVERYTHING Chrysler.

Richard, you are partially correct. My 2001 minivan has ATF+4

This is per ALLPAR: ATF+4 is recommended for all Chrysler transmissions (except as noted below) except 1999 and earlier minivans. (TSB 21-06-01) You can use ATF+3 with all Chrysler transmissions (except as noted below). An important exception for Jeep owners Danny noted: "The Jeep AW-4 (Aisin-Warner) transmission should use Dexron III. Pennzoil's ATF+3 phamphlet says it is good for "1988 and newer....All Jeep models without AW-4 automatic transmissions". See the Pennzoil document (PDF). We believe, based on Robert A.'s note, that the AW-4 transmission was used as late as 1999 (possibly later!) with the 4.0 liter engine.

Dennis Williamson wrote that Chrysler 7176 / ATF+3 fluid is no longer the only fluid to use in a late model transmission. Chrysler TSB#

Starting Model Year Car Built After

Robert Alderson, a Chrysler transmission tech with gold certification, noted that 2000 and newer vehicles use 9606 (ATF+4) fluid.

The caution over using +4 in older transmissions was in regard to the TCC not properly burnishing. Since your interests are in changing the fluid on a vehicle that has already accumulated mileage, the TCC -is- already burnished. +4 will work fine.

All spelled out in the TSB.

You are totally right...people are reading the tsb wrong...I have a

You may be accurate but I did call Chrysler's Tech people and they told me that ATF+4 was not recommend in my 96 Town and Country under any circumstances. That is how I read the TSB; but perhaps it has been revised.

Richard.

well I also called them before I used atf+4 and they told me what I stated in my previous reply. I have over 30,000 woth atf+4 and no trouble at all.

You're right Bill, ATF+4 is now being used in the p.s. I will double check next time I'm in Pepboys because if memory serves me right the Valvoline Syn p.s. fluid (silver/goldish bottle) is speced the same as the mopar fluid previous to ATF+4. The spec is MS-9933.

Lou

I'm venturing into the realm of foggy memory here, but I *think* that when ATF+4 first appeared, the advice was "don't use it in ANYTHING that originally required ATF+3." The clarification that it was indeed backward-compatible and could fully supersede ATF+3 in all applications came out later, and was in essence a reversal of the first recommendation.

robert wrote: