8HP70 Trans Fluid Change

[chrisbh17]

So what’s this about the fluid temp? It has to be the same going in !?? I’m not planning on doing my self but I don’t trust dealers.


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The fluid level will be inaccurate until the fluid is up to a certain temp.

Tranny fluid expands when warm/hot, so if you read the level while the fluid is too cold you'll see a false low and end up adding too much.

Add in roughly what you take out, start the truck and let the fluid get up to temp then check the level and adjust accordingly (IIRC the fluid will almost self-level once the "check plug" is open because of the way the hole they put in for checking the level is molded into the pan)

 

[QwikKota]

I just did a pan drain and fill on our 2010 4Runner that also has a sealed unit. IMO, it should be fine to 100k unless towing heavily. The 4Runner has 84k miles on it and the fluid still had a red tint to it and no burnt smell at all. The procedure is a bit of a pain due to the 3 plugs involved. I did not drop the pan. If I do it on my Ram I will just replace exactly what came out and not worry about the extra procedures. Shouldn't be any issues due to a sealed system. I have a lifetime MaxCare warranty I paid extra for and don't see any reference to changing the 8 speed's fluid in the owners manual. Technically I shouldn't worry about it but I will probably at least do a pan drain/refill close to 80k or so. I doubt I will replace the pan assembly like in the video. Seems overkill for a commuter vehicle.

 

[ramccie]

No, it doesn't have to be the same temperature going in. You need to make sure that the tranny temp is between 30°C and 50°C when checking the fluid level after the final fill. It helps if you have someone monitoring the tranny temperature display at the console while you open the fill plug to check the level.

The attached ZF instructions should help.

 

[Dougiefresh2012]

HOW MUCH FLUID IS REQUIRED FOR A SIMPLE DRAIN AND REFILL FOR THE 8 SPEED TRANNY IN THE RAM 1500'S?

 

[UHB1]

It is about 4.5 litres for a simple drain and fill. Draining will get a little over 1/3 of the fluid out. I have tried to find out what the total in the system is including the cooling circuit but have not found a definitive answer yet - I am guessing 11 to 12 litres.

I have 200,000 km on my truck and have been doing a drain & fill every 50,000km since 100,000 when the warranty was over. My only regret is that I did not start out of the gate like I would any other tranny. I got sucked into the hype, negative Nancy comments about sealed units and warranty issues, and with those worries it was too easy to defer and get to it later. The drain and fill is dead simple, and if you are concerned use “Approved” mopar fluid until the warranty is up.

Fluid of choice Valvoline Max life Full synthetic ATF.

For those who are wondering about the sealed for life - it’s BS and a sales gimmick. Chrysler thinks life of a truck is 100,000 miles, and expects you to trade yours in earlier than that.

ZF specifically states 80,000 km for severe duty ATF change - including filter. (Yes, I have an OCD problem)

I am using the ATP after market pan and have only changed the filter twice so far 100 and 200,000 km.