No need to drop the pan on those old Cherokees, there is a drain plug. What you can do is gradually introduce new fluid by doing a drain and fill 3 or 4 times, driving for 20-30 minutes between times to mix the new fluid in. Draining and refilling 3 times will take about 12 quarts of fluid and will replace about 90% of what's in there. There is no filter, just a metal screen which you don't normally have to mess with. The proper fluid to use is Dexron III/Mercon (aka "Dex/Merc"). Do NOT use ATF+4.
Thankyou @chucktobias I followed this method and the fluid looks great and the Jeep continues to shift and drive excellent.
Glad that worked out well for you. Those AW4 transmissions are excellent and will go for hundreds of thousands of miles with a little care. 🙂
Yes, you can very easily do the work yourself assuming you have the necessary tools. Its similar to an oil change, but the tricky parts are installing the pan properly and filling up the fluid properly. I'm sure there are videos out there that you can watch to learn how to do it. Only do a drain, filter change, and refill with OEM ATF.
Back when jeep actually made quality products!
