Fluids for 2001 Jeep Cherokee

[Phishin]

This weekend, my Uncle-In-Law gave me his 2001 Cherokee. Only has 58k miles. No rust on body.

This week, I'll be replacing all fluids. All of them.

Please recommend what fluids to use for oil, tranny, front and rear differentials, transfer case, power steering fluid, and brake fluid.

Tranny fluid is red and smells decent. PO is on vacation out of country for next several weeks.....no idea of previous maintenance.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

They are not picky on any fluid. There have been many-a-Cherokee run to 300K miles on the cheapest fluids possible.

The transmission does not care what fluid you run in it. The AW-4 transmission has been found in pretty much every company under the sun and had their fluids recommended at some point.

 

[Eddie]

Read the owners manual if you have one.

 

[Realtech214]

Pennzoil Ultra 5w30 ftw

 

[Donald]

I have the 4.0 engine in my Jeep. I have T6 oil in the engine, Amsoil ATF in the transmission & TC, Amsoil SVG in the diffs., Amsoil PSF for the PS, and name brand brake fluid.

I do not think the PS is too demanding, but since I was ordering Amsoil ATF and gear oil I ordered a couple of bottles of PSF.

Is it a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee?

Issues to ponder for 4.0 engine:
#331 cracked head
piston skirt cracks

If s Grand Cherokee:
If it has Teves calipers in front, get the upgrade kit from Jeep to upgrade them to Akebono. The Teves calipers are substandard and a TSB (not recall) was issued about them.

If SelecTrack transmission:
pressure governor and pressure sensor in the transmission

 

[Phishin]

It's just a plain Jane, low-mileage, Cherokee.

 

[Donald]

Well the info about the engine still applies and I assume the transmission.

BTW - I have had cracked piston skirts, Teves calipers, pressure governor and sensor (X2). So its not something I have just read about, except for the #331 head.

 

[artificialist]

Oil: a quality conventional 10w40 seems to be the best value, synthetic 5w40 seem to produce the absolute best wear numbers. Your 4.0L will run for ages if it doesn't have the piston skirt failure or the cracked cylinder head problem, so long as you change your oil on time.
Front and rear differentials? You would need to get the viscosity requirement from the manual. If 80w90, 85w90, or SAE90 conventional is what is specified, use 75w90 synthetic as an upgrade. If 80w140 or 85w140 conventional is specified, use 75w140 synthetic.
Transfer case: You would need to consult your user manual. Different transfer cases take different fluids depending on the type. Some use gear oil, some use ATF, some use a proprietary oil found only at the dealer.
Brake fluid: If you have ABS, Pentosin DOT4LV and ATE ISO class 6 are said to make the hydraulic system react faster. If you don't, Valvoline DOT4 or Pennzoil DOT4 are probably best because it costs little and stays clean for a long time. DOT4 is a perfect replacement for DOT3, your Jeep probably called for DOT3.
Power Steering: Check to see if your truck uses PSF or ATF. If it takes ATF, only use ATF+4 fluid. If it takes PSF, I use Royal Purple Max-EZ. It is sold in 12 OZ bottles, and you will need 3 of them for a good thorough turkey baster flush.
Automatic transmission: I am fairly sure ATF+4 is the correct fluid.

 

[Zaedock]

Your XJ would live a long happy life on Supertech fluids.

I would change to a 5W30 API rated conventional motor oil and pick up a couple gallons of Supertech Dex III for the tranny and t-case. The axles will be fine with standard 80W90 gear oil.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
Automatic transmission: I am fairly sure ATF+4 is the correct fluid.


I do not recommend ATF+4 in the AW4 automatic.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock


I do not recommend ATF+4 in the AW4 automatic.


+1

I recommend using ONLY Dex/Merc III compatible fluid. I use the cheap Autozone branded Dex/Merc without issue in both my AW4 trans and my transfer case.

With 2000 and 2001 Cherokees, cooling system maintenance is a MUST. Make sure the coolant, hoses, thermostat, radiator, and fan clutch are in good condition. The fan clutch is a wear item that lasts 3-5 years and will cause the temperature to creep up at idle during the summer when it wears out.

For the differentials use any 75w90 in the front and rear axles. Use synthetic 75w140 in the rear axle if frequently towing.

As for oil, I highly recommend the factory spec of 10w30. This engine is practically a tractor motor, and realistically will run on anything. I ran 5w30 and saw some shearing, so I can see why the engineers still recommended 10w30 for this engine through 2006. Both me and another member have noticed our 4.0Ls run pretty quiet on PYB due to the high moly content.

 

[zrxkawboy]

+2 on Dex/Merc in the trans.

 

[Donald]

Does it have a fan clutch or electric fan? If electric, then in the spring, test it out by letting the vehicle get hot and make sure it goes on. It could be broken all winter and you would probably never know it. But get in a traffic jam in the summer and you will surely know it.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: zrxkawboy
+2 on Dex/Merc in the trans.


It's more cost effective to use Dex/Merc - a gallon is $12 at WalMart.

Originally Posted By: Donald
Does it have a fan clutch or electric fan? If electric, then in the spring, test it out by letting the vehicle get hot and make sure itA goes on. It could be broken all winter and you would probably never know it. But get in a traffic jam in the summer and you will surely know it.


4.0 XJs have both electric and mechanical. Second on replacing the fan clutch.