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ZF 9 speed ATF capacity

71089 Views 37 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  randyr5
Can anyone tell me what the fill capacity is for the new ZF 9 speed auto.
I have a 2015 Renegade Trail.
I need to know the capacity of a complete fill ie.... tranny and converter and then the capacity for just a fill without the converter.
Thanks,
The service department at the local Jeep dealer fed me some BS saying that the tranny is "sealed" and can't be refilled. OMG.
I'm switching over to Redline ATF.
Btw. have 1100 mi on mine and have had no real issues. It was initially surging when I would manually downshift into 4th, but after a few times of me braking while downshifting into 4th it seems to have cleared the problem up. TCM unit learning ?
Also putting an external tranny oil cooler on it. With everyone having this many problems with these trannys the last thing I want is for the thing to run hot. I've been seeing temps of 181-190 F.

Help would be appreciated Thanks.
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There is no fill tube that's for sure. Obviously there is a way around, but haven't hear anyone bring it up yet.
Hummm. Very interesting.
Looks like I'm gonna have to crwal under and do some searching.
Thanks
Also putting an external tranny oil cooler on it. With everyone having this many problems with these trannys the last thing I want is for the thing to run hot. I've been seeing temps of 181-190 F.
I see similar temps with my Renny-Lat. Were you able to find an after-market tranny cooler? If you found one, could you link it here? I'd be interested in taking a look at it.

Thanks, ��
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Temps of 180-200 are not high, but there are many places to buy tranny coolers if need be.
Anyone doing any kind of towing, or if you have heavy wind drag from large roof cargo, or do a lot of mountainous terrain, probably should look into a tranny cooler.

http://www.transmissioncoolers.us/
is a good place to choose a size and get general info.

I yanked my tranny cooler (and gauge) off of my Astro with the idea that I may use it on the Reney or GC eventually. You may want to look into how adding this could effect your warranty since you may have to cut lines, etc.
Thanks :)

I guess I assumed Indy had found a Renegade-specific after-market unit.

I hear ya' about the warranty concern. This is my first new vehicle, every other was used with no remaining warranty - so I hacked'away without concern on my previous rides.

I visit the dealer often, since it's close to where the boys have karate, so I'll likely bring it up to see what the service guys say.
There is no fill tube and dealership told me the same thing about it being "sealed" mean while my tranny was leaking fluid and had no way of adding fluid. On another note if you add an after market tranny fluid you will void all warranties on the tranny. Jeep only recommends there 7-9 speed tranny fluid and that any other kind can cause damage.
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There is no fill tube and dealership told me the same thing about it being "sealed" mean while my tranny was leaking fluid and had no way of adding fluid. On another note if you add an after market tranny fluid you will void all warranties on the tranny. Jeep only recommends there 7-9 speed tranny fluid and that any other kind can cause damage.
So this makes me wonder, if the tranny's are truly sealed, how does one do the filter+fluid change at all? I can't imagine new vehicles are so different that I no longer have to worry about tranny filters and fluid, :eek: ;)
Can anyone tell me what the fill capacity is for the new ZF 9 speed auto.
I have a 2015 Renegade Trail.
I need to know the capacity of a complete fill ie.... tranny and converter and then the capacity for just a fill without the converter.
Thanks,
The service department at the local Jeep dealer fed me some BS saying that the tranny is "sealed" and can't be refilled. OMG.
I'm switching over to Redline ATF.
Btw. have 1100 mi on mine and have had no real issues. It was initially surging when I would manually downshift into 4th, but after a few times of me braking while downshifting into 4th it seems to have cleared the problem up. TCM unit learning ?
Also putting an external tranny oil cooler on it. With everyone having this many problems with these trannys the last thing I want is for the thing to run hot. I've been seeing temps of 181-190 F.

Help would be appreciated Thanks.
948TE Automatic Transaxle

Use only MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF™Automatic Transmission Fluid, 9.55550-AV5 or equivalent. Failure to use the correct fluid may affect the function or performance of your transmission.

68218925AA

6.35 Quarts

6.0 Liters


That chunky little transaxle holds almost 7 quarts. Unless Redline has a specific oil for ZF 8 & 9 speeds I wouldn't put anything other than Chrysler 8 & 9 speed oil or ZF's own Lifeguard fluid.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If that transmission has anything other than the correct oil in it and it fails your warranty is kaput, and that's an expensive transmission you don't want to pay for. They will be looking at the oil in it. Let your warranty handle any issues and if you feel the need to try to outdo the engineers wait until your warranty is up.

At $40/quart it's likely the best oil there is, anyway. Redline is ok, a little above Royal Purple, and far below Amsoil, imo. I dealt with 2,000 hp tuner cars in my old job and the only way I could get a transmission to live with that was Amsoil. I ran the gambit with Royal Purple, Red Line, Mobil 1, and a few others until I settled on Amsoil. My gear scuffing problems went away instantly and outright breakage dropped almost 50% due to their Severe Gear formula. Shifting was a dream, too. Even cold.
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The gearbox it is the same 948TE, a modified version of ZF 9HP, used in Jeep Cherokee, Ram Promaster City, ...

Maybe You can find some answer to your questions in this PDF document
http://hudsonhawk.net/th/fluidlevel.pdf

For checking fluid level You need a special dipstick. Yopu can find, for example, at "MOPAR ESSENTIAL TOOLS AND SERVICE EQUIPMENT" (https://mopar.snapon.com/)

in ZF 9HP an optional cooler can be attached directly to the gearbox housing.
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The fluid should last a long time in a sealed transmission. As long as there are no leaks, you shouldn't have to mess with it at all (assuming it was properly filled from the factory).

The 1997 car that I gave to my son is now over 235,000 miles on the original fluid. The 4-speed transmission in that car works perfectly to this day. This car does have a conventional dip stick and the fluid still looks clean & topped off (never added any fluid).
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these hold 6.35 quarts and they serviced it for a leak ( more accurately would be spew)and gave it back 6 quarts low? Since then the tranny has been strange and they tell me it's learning and to be patient? What, learning to operate properly after running it six quarts low with less than 1000 miles on it? I have been patient with them since but I think it's time to call the people that set me up with the case manager in the first place and have another talk
If the tranny is truly sealed, did an assembly wizard magick the fluid in there?

Per the manual, the fluid should be changed if the vehicle is operating under severe conditions after 50k miles and after 150k miles. So yes, the fluid definitely CAN be replaced. I remember draining the transmission fluid on my first car at 80k miles. Never again will I wait that long. A lot of wear particles accumulate over time, and a transmission is an expensive piece of gear (pun!).

There has to be fill hole, a vent stack, and a drain plug. Without the proper diagnostic tool, changing the transmission fluid is not a DIY job. The linked PDF in MJAB's post gives useful information.
Usually to drain them you take off the pan, which is on the front in this case. Filling is done through the vent. More than likely there is a fill level port, you pour fluid in the vent until it starts coming out of the port. Real PITA since it has to be done with the transmission hot.
Usually to drain them you take off the pan, which is on the front in this case. Filling is done through the vent. More than likely there is a fill level port, you pour fluid in the vent until it starts coming out of the port. Real PITA since it has to be done with the transmission hot.
Yikes, after taking the pan off, I'd probably install a drain plug for future use. Hot transmission fluid splattering over me? What's next, tar and feathers?>:D
So I looked around on YouTube and found a video about how to check the transmission fluid level on the 9-speed.

Access, at least on the shown Chrysler 200 is not great. You have to remove a front wheel and disconnect a tie rod so you can wiggle your hand in. You need to remove a 6 mm hex bolt and insert a tool (dipstick), which costs around $25. You also need to check the transmission fluid temperature. The tech in the video simply used the vehicle's transmission temp gauge. He then looked at a chart that allows to read off the proper fluid level based on temperature. If you have to add fluid, you can do so through the dipstick-less check hole. If you need to remove fluid, you should be able to such it out with a tube and a pump. he didn't say that, but it should work.

Dropping the pan to drain the fluid sounds like a PITA. Maybe it's possible to suck the fluid out from either then vent or the check hole. No idea if an inserted tube will get all th way down into the pan. As I said, during the first fluid change, with the pan off, I'd install a drain plug for future use.

YouTube video
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Will the dealer change it if you demand that?

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Less money - more Protection for your Transmission!

948TE Automatic Transaxle

Use only MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF™Automatic Transmission Fluid, 9.55550-AV5 or equivalent. Failure to use the correct fluid may affect the function or performance of your transmission.

68218925AA

6.35 Quarts

6.0 Liters


That chunky little transaxle holds almost 7 quarts. Unless Redline has a specific oil for ZF 8 & 9 speeds I wouldn't put anything other than Chrysler 8 & 9 speed oil or ZF's own Lifeguard fluid.


If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If that transmission has anything other than the correct oil in it and it fails your warranty is kaput, and that's an expensive transmission you don't want to pay for. They will be looking at the oil in it. Let your warranty handle any issues and if you feel the need to try to outdo the engineers wait until your warranty is up.

At $40/quart it's likely the best oil there is, anyway. Redline is ok, a little above Royal Purple, and far below Amsoil, imo. I dealt with 2,000 hp tuner cars in my old job and the only way I could get a transmission to live with that was Amsoil. I ran the gambit with Royal Purple, Red Line, Mobil 1, and a few others until I settled on Amsoil. My gear scuffing problems went away instantly and outright breakage dropped almost 50% due to their Severe Gear formula. Shifting was a dream, too. Even cold.
Here is my fluid for the 9SP 6.9qts Signature Series Fuel-Efficient Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATL) $10.15 a qt or our OE is $6 a qt..

If you need Oil?

Hey,

We all do lots of fun miles and always love having someone else do our oil changes, but if you need or want dealer cost on my products just hit me up or got my site below! My phone number is their too.

The 1.4 get European Car Formula 5W-40 Classic ESP Synthetic Motor Oil (EFM) at $6 a qt.

The 2.4 get XL 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil (ASM) at $6 too. Both 10,ooo miles oil changes!

We higher mileage as well for up to 25,000 with the best filter to match.

Get a free set of elves when you get a case, whiskey not included, but I recommend Johnny Walker Black!

If you need Oil?
Hey,

We all do lots of fun miles and always love having someone else do our oil changes, but if you need or want dealer cost on my products just hit me up or got my site below! My phone number is their too.

The 1.4 get European Car Formula 5W-40 Classic ESP Synthetic Motor Oil (EFM) at $6 a qt.

The 2.4 get XL 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil (ASM) at $6 too. Both 10,ooo miles oil changes!

We higher mileage as well for up to 25,000 with the best filter to match.

Get a free set of elves when you get a case, whiskey not included, but I recommend Johnny Walker Black!
See less See more
948TE Automatic Transaxle

Use only MOPAR® ZF 8&9 Speed ATF™Automatic Transmission Fluid, 9.55550-AV5 or equivalent. Failure to use the correct fluid may affect the function or performance of your transmission.

68218925AA

6.35 Quarts

6.0 Liters


That chunky little transaxle holds almost 7 quarts. Unless Redline has a specific oil for ZF 8 & 9 speeds I wouldn't put anything other than Chrysler 8 & 9 speed oil or ZF's own Lifeguard fluid.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If that transmission has anything other than the correct oil in it and it fails your warranty is kaput, and that's an expensive transmission you don't want to pay for. They will be looking at the oil in it. Let your warranty handle any issues and if you feel the need to try to outdo the engineers wait until your warranty is up.

At $40/quart it's likely the best oil there is, anyway. Redline is ok, a little above Royal Purple, and far below Amsoil, imo. I dealt with 2,000 hp tuner cars in my old job and the only way I could get a transmission to live with that was Amsoil. I ran the gambit with Royal Purple, Red Line, Mobil 1, and a few others until I settled on Amsoil. My gear scuffing problems went away instantly and outright breakage dropped almost 50% due to their Severe Gear formula. Shifting was a dream, too. Even cold.
Thanks to you ,This is really great information , But are you certain that ZF 948te take 7 liter of ATF ? because some site said 4.5 liter ? that is really confusing!
I Just had my fuild drained/Filled at a local place in Waldorf, MD They did it for 80$ I provided 5 quarts of Mopar fluid. Had 1 quart leftover. The fill hole aparantly is on top of the differential so they said it was a PITA to get to and had to figure out a way but they were able to drain 4 quarts and fill it up again. I had 52,000 miles. I don't believe this sealed BS. Oil is Oil and it gets dirty.
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