We own a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. We take our Jeep to an independant garage for servicing. It is time to once again change the fluid in the transfer case. The Jeep Dealer refuses to order or sell the necessary fluid to the garage of our choice. I have never been happy with the service from the dealer (Several thousand $ spent and still a air conditioning and heating that doesn’t work correctly) but I have never heard of a dealer who won’t provide parts or fluid. Is this common?
Why don’t you go and buy the fluid yourself? Then you can bring the fluid to the repair shop of your choice.
I find it hard to believe they won’t sell to a repair shop, it’s how they make money. There has to be more to this story, like the repair shop never paid their bills or were always late in paying when they got parts from the dealer. I have seen that happen to repair shops, they get cut off because they don’t pay on time.
The dealer is getting a couple other Jeep parts for our mechanic to do repairs so I think there isn’t a problem with billing. My DH called to order the fluid and the Jeep dealer refused to order it for him, too. Believe me, we definately pay our bills on time. The dealer says we need to come in to their shop to have the work done. I can’t see why we need to do that, except so they can charge us more.
Jeep doesn’t make the transfer case gear oil. They sell it, but they don’t make it. You can buy the same gear-oil or BETTER at Wall-Mart. What does the Owners Manual say???
Read the owners’ manual to find the correct fluid and buy it at an auto parts store. Just make sure you get the correct fluid. One of the transfer cases does require special fluid (the NV247, which is used in the Quadra-Trac II and the Quadra-Drive systems).
Will the parts department sell you the fluid if you just walked up to the counter and asked for a couple quarts? You could also simply contact a different Dodge, Jeep or Chrysler dealer to see if they will sell it.
Sounds to me like you need to find a new mechanic anyways.
Transfer case fluid doesn’t need regular changing like engine oil, or even like transmission fluid. What reason are they giving for it needing this done?
The 2000 JGC does need the fluid in the transfer case changed. It’s in the scheduled maintance in the book and it’s time. With the tough economic times we are more limited with dealerships around here. The local jeep dealership now owns the dodge dealer in town and the jeep dealer in the next town has closed. The book says we need Mopar Automatic Transmission fluid or equivalant labeled Dextron III. The dealer says we need fluid that we can only get there…which they don’t want to sell us unless we get it changed there.
I would think another MOPAR dealer would sell the right stuff to you.
If not, have your mechanic look at this link. He needs to make sure he is ordering the right stuff for your vehicle. I
If you need only Dexron III, then that is available at all parts stores. If you want to upgrade, Dexron VI is available and backwards compatible. It is a synthetic fluid, much “improved” (both price and performance-wise) than Dexron III.
Re-confirm that the requirement is for Dexron III. No need to buy that at a dealer, and readily available at all auto parts stores.
Many name brands are selling Dexron III as a Dexron/Mercon universal ATF, because GM, the licensor for Dexron, no longer licenses the production of any of the Dexron III fluids on the market, so on a very technical basis, the fluid is not available anywhere else. That said, the UTF meeting Dexron III specs is what I used (and is spec’d for my ATs).
I am also disappointed your independent mechanic is not aware of the Dexron requirement and where to obtain fluids meeting the correct spec.
Seriously? Never seen that on any 4WD vehicle…of course none of them have been a JGC, so there we are.
I can tell you that the dealer is yanking your chain. Dexron III trans fluid is available in any half-decent auto parts store.
Dextron III is hardly scarce. Any autoparts store will have it in stock.
Most T-cases use ATF and DexIII is available anywhere. If your owners manual says Dex3 then that’s simple enough. How many miles on the jeep? You don’t need to do this very often…
Interval I saw said 60K miles.
We are at 125,000 so it’s time to change the fluid. The owner’s manual says Dex III but the dealer is trying to insist that it uses a specialized fluid.
Dex III should be OK. I am still surprised your independent mechanic is so conservative about his interpretation of the owner’s manual requirement.
Use what the owner’s manual states for all fluids, unless there was a TSB stating something else is needed.
I used to have 2 different 4WDs, an 80’s Ford Bronco and a '91 Suzuki Sidekick. Both had change intervals for the transfer case at the same time as the transmission (both were manual shift). Maybe you never read your owner’s manual close enough.
The NV247 transfer case found in 99-04 Grand cherokees with
Quadra Drive or Quadra TracII absolutely DO require a special fluid that is sold only at the dealer. You cannot get it at an auto parts store or Walmart. It is part number 05016796AB and is called NV245/NV247/NV249 transfer case lubricant. (MS-10216)
The owners manual for the 2000 Grand Cherokee has an error on the subject that was corrected on later issues. The NV242 t/c (Slect-Trac) does however use ATF.
I own two Grand Cherokees, a 2000 with 275k miles and a 2004 with 95k miles. they are both V/8s with the NV247 transfer case.
This, by itself, is reason enough NOT to own a vehicle equipped with this transfer case. When you see stuff like this, it usually means they are covering up a design flaw (or trying to) with a special lubricant…
The OP or anyone else should be able to walk up to any Chrysler / Jeep parts counter and buy this fluid by the quart. The reason “special” oil is required, the T-case contains the center differential-power splitter so the lube will have a friction modifier (like posi oil) to keep that tender bit of gearing happy…
I would NEVER buy this jeep again but we have it now and need it to last at least another 1 1/2 years. We have had several problems with the jeep and, since we moved to this area with the jeep, haven’t been at all happy with the dealer here either.
Jeeps do require regular maintenance, maybe a little more than some other vehicles. If you have one that was not well cared for, then you may be in for trouble. However if taken care of, the Grand Cherokee can be a good vehicle. The engines tend to last a very long time both the six and the eight, and the transmission used with the 4.7 V/8 is very strong too. The ones with automatic climate control have a problem with the blend doors breaking that require the mid case unit to be replaced unfortunately that job requires the removal of the entire dash assembly and costs quite a bit in labor.
Your transfer case is actually pretty good too, like Caddyman said, the special fluid is because of the center differential.
I walk in to the local dealer and buy the fluid anytime that I need it. If your dealer will not sell it to you, find another dealer. Also the t/c fluid change is a very easy do it yourself job, even easier than a motor oil change.
My 2000 has 275k on the original engine and transmission and is still running great, the biggest problems that I have had with it was the front differential was rebuilt at about 90k (warranty) and the power train control module (computer) failed at about 220K that one cost me over $1,000.00 to repair.