Transfer Case Fluid color?

[James1]

I drive a 2017 Tradesman with the electronic shift transfer case. Yesterday I replaced the transfer case fluid with Mopar #: 68049954AA, which is clear. The old stuff I removed was bright red (like ATF). I've spoken with the parts desk at two Ram dealerships and they tell me I'm using the correct fluid part number. Apparently the fluid I purchased superseded Mopar #: 68089195AA. Does anyone know if the old stuff was bright red? TIA.

 

[AH64ID]

My factory fill was red.

I use Amsoil ATF in mine, which is still bright red. It has both those part numbers you listed on the bottle.

 

[seafish]

The Mopar fluid is red because it is actually ATF... for future reference you can use any ATF+4 fluid.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I also use the AMZ/OIL Signature series ATF in mine plus the AISIN.

 

[James1]

Mother Mopar is might proud of her clear stuff (68049954AA) -- she charged me $35.85/quart...

 

[bcbender]

she charged me $35.85/quart...

Holy .............

 

[seafish]

Post removed

 

[JR]

The Mopar fluid is red because it is actually ATF... for future reference you can use any ATF+4 fluid.

I'm not saying it will or won't work but ATF+4 it definitely is not in the new BW cases.

Edit: I should clarify I've only worked on manual cases. I suppose theres an off chance they spec a different fluid for the auto shifts.....

 

[seafish]

I'm not saying it will or won't work but ATF+4 it definitely is not in the new BW cases.

Edit: I should clarify I've only worked on manual cases. I suppose theres an off chance they spec a different fluid for the auto shifts.....

THANKS ... that is a VERY good catch and I am going to remove my post about using ATF+4 since while I know about and what I posted definitely applies to 3rd gen transfer cases, but not necessarily to a 4th gen TC!!!

I need to be WAY more careful about watching which generation thread I am posting in !!!

 

[James1]

My factory fill was red.

Thanks; that's helpful to know.

For some reason (apparently unpublished) Mopar has switched to a clear fluid. Perhaps it has friction modifiers different from the OEM stuff? One would hope if the situation is serious then a recall should have been issued so everyone could run a TC filled with the new clear fluid.

Thanks again,

 

[JR]

It happens to the best of us

It is definitely an odd ball fluid. Some say it smells like Dexron fluid, to me it smells alot stinkier than Dexron. I am sure it's nothing special but it sure would be nice if BW provided a spec to cross with.

 

[sag2]

FYI the 68089195AA does NOT supercede to any other fluid. According to the Genuine Fluids reference in TechConnect the 68089195AA is used in all BW transfer cases except BW 44-44.

♦BW 44-44

MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant

3.0 Pints

1.4 Liters

68049954AA

—

♦BW 44-45

MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant

3.0 Pints

1.4 Liters

68089195AA

—

♦BW 44-46

MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant

3.8 Pints

1.8 Liters

68089195AA

—

♦ BW 44-47

MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant

3.8 Pints

1.8 Liters

68089195AA

 

[AH64ID]

Thanks; that's helpful to know.

For some reason (apparently unpublished) Mopar has switched to a clear fluid. Perhaps it has friction modifiers different from the OEM stuff? One would hope if the situation is serious then a recall should have been issued so everyone could run a TC filled with the new clear fluid.

Thanks again,

That part number you posted isn't new, and is still the 1st revision with AA on the end of it.

I wonder if they dropped the dye for confusion purposes?? Then again, everything I can find is that it's just "special" ATF with a ridiculous price.

It is definitely an odd ball fluid. Some say it smells like Dexron fluid, to me it smells alot stinkier than Dexron. I am sure it's nothing special but it sure would be nice if BW provided a spec to cross with.

When I dumped mine it looked, smelled, and felt like ATF with 15K miles on it in a transfer case.

The manual and electric shift BW's spec the same fluid.

 

[crazy jerry]

the clear stuff is likely for the 1500 with auto mode. 44-46 and 47 still use the red fluid

 

[James1]

FYI the 68089195AA does NOT supercede to any other fluid. According to the Genuine Fluids reference in TechConnect the 68089195AA is used in all BW transfer cases except BW 44-44.

♦BW 44-44
MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant
3.0 Pints
1.4 Liters
68049954AA

—

♦BW 44-45
MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant
3.0 Pints
1.4 Liters
68089195AA

—

♦BW 44-46
MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant
3.8 Pints
1.8 Liters
68089195AA

—

♦ BW 44-47
MOPAR Transfer Case Lubricant
3.8 Pints
1.8 Liters
68089195AA

Thanks for this. What is TechConnect?

My Owner's Manual (P 682) states: "We recommend you use Mopar BW44–44 Transfer Case Fluid."

So my 2500 Tradesman apparently came with a BW 44-44 transfer case and the dealer telling me to use part number 68049954AA (clear) is consistent with your list above.

But this still does not answer the question as to why the OEM fluid in my TC was red...

 

[BarryG]

I know on my 2017 it came out red as well. I know there was a lot of talk a couple years ago about what to use in it. Due to the mopar fluid being so expensive. Iirc on one of threads there had been that transengineer made a call and found out they ship from bw plant with dexron in them. I know when I changed mine at 30k it came out red and I filled it with atf 4 (and a few more fills since) and now at 136k miles and hundreds of miles of actual transfer case use sometimes a couple hundred miles at a time it is still working just fine and dandy using the atf4

 

[AH64ID]

But this still does not answer the question as to why the OEM fluid in my TC was red...

I think the more important question is why is then the new fluid not red, unlike the OE fluid that is allegedly the same fluid.

 

[josephc1]

Not sure about the Mopar stuff. I use Supertech ATF+4 in the Xfer case, power steering unit and transmission. I've been running the supertech ATF+4 for about 40K miles, getting ready to do another complete change again soon.

 

[BarryG]

Perhaps a marketing ploy to make it all the more plausible that it is not dexron/atf so that you will pony up the $30qt or to save 2 cents a bottle by not adding the red dye

 

[Ozymandias]

Sometimes they mix the fluids at the dealership as the 1500 AWD needs a special one whereas the 2500+ just needs something oily.