[S3eed]

So I am the first owner of a 16 charger hellcat and it is running fine no issues since day one. The car is 68000 miles and never changed the transmission oil or checked it. Lately, I have noticed the transmission temps increasing when hard driving the car around 96-97 (usually it stays at 94 deg C since I have bought it with 0 miles on it).
Now I am planning to change the trans oil I got the filter and gasket.
Q1:
Anyone changed it at this high milage without issues?
Q2:
Do I have to drain the whole system or gust stick with changing the filter and topping oil to the fill plug?

*My car has no trans issue except temp at heavy load, temps are 94 °C and lower when crusing. No clunking no cracking noises 1st to 8th wether on Auto or shifting manually.

*one time it hit 99 and disengaged while doing a pull for a short period of time then came back normal , that was at 60000 miles, been fine ever since.

My local dealer in Saudi told me simply not to change it, but I guess we all agree on two things:

1.Dodge dealers are never trusted.
2.Any type of oil on the car requires changing.

Any help is highly appreciated

Thank you

 

[MJS73]

The A8 is, according to the factory, a "lifetime" fluid. It can be changed but be prepared. The filter is part of the oil pan, I believe, so the whole pan has to be changed and the fluid is like $50/litre and it takes about 9 litres so you could be looking at $1,000 fluid change.

 

[Blickie]

So I am the first owner of a 16 charger hellcat and it is running fine no issues since day one. The car is 68000 miles and never changed the transmission oil or checked it. Lately, I have noticed the transmission temps increasing when hard driving the car around 96-97 (usually it stays at 94 deg C since I have bought it with 0 miles on it).
Now I am planning to change the trans oil I got the filter and gasket.
Q1:
Anyone changed it at this high milage without issues?
Q2:
Do I have to drain the whole system or gust stick with changing the filter and topping oil to the fill plug?

*My car has no trans issue except temp at heavy load, temps are 94 °C and lower when crusing. No clunking no cracking noises 1st to 8th wether on Auto or shifting manually.

*one time it hit 99 and disengaged while doing a pull for a short period of time then came back normal , that was at 60000 miles, been fine ever since.

My local dealer in Saudi told me simply not to change it, but I guess we all agree on two things:

1.Dodge dealers are never trusted.
2.Any type of oil on the car requires changing.

Any help is highly appreciated

Thank you

You have checked the front cooler fins and they are clean??

You also should check if there is a Trans Cooler Line Thermostat/Flow Control Device and if so, is it working...

 

[baabootoo]

Was it a fleet car? If so, like was said, no need to change it; according to the manual. 2. You are wrong about Dodge dealers, it's a lot of ANY dealers. C. Brake fluid for sure; if it is not nice and clear.

 

[S3eed]

You have checked the front cooler fins and they are clean??

You also should check if there is a Trans Cooler Line Thermostat/Flow Control Device and if so, is it working...

Cooler is clean.
There is a thermostat that opens at 70°C, my guess was that if it is stuck or smthng, the trans temps will definitely sky rocket.

 

[S3eed]

The A8 is, according to the factory, a "lifetime" fluid. It can be changed but be prepared. The filter is part of the oil pan, I believe, so the whole pan has to be changed and the fluid is like $50/litre and it takes about 9 litres so you could be looking at $1,000 fluid change.

That is what i hear, except ZFHP90 s hellcats demons trackhawks are a bit different and the filter is not impeded in the pan like the other models.

Ty for the reply

 

[Citrus90]

I’m not sure why dealers are jumping on this “lifetime fluid” bus, other than because it sounds good to hear in the service department lane. I’ll share this much, though:

My friend drives an Audi A8 diesel and puts on a lot of highway miles. As you know, Audis use ZF transmissions, just as we do. When he got close to 200k miles, he brought his car in for service and asked the writer about it. He got the canned lifetime response and then asked me about it. I told him to reach out directly to the manufacturer - not Audi, but ZF. He found a number that got him connected to someone in Germany, and asked the same question. Eventually, they got back to him and told him that, although their transmissions are “sealed,” it may be prudent to drop the pan in his case. He took it to a reputable transmission shop and had it done a year or two ago.

If you feel like the car was beat on or like you may be having cooling issues, then my recommendation is to drop the pan and filter - DON’T flush the fluid. Just drain it out of the pan and filter and replace what’s missing. You shouldn’t need 9 liters.

 

[Dennis H]

Watch the youtubes on ZF TorqueFlite fluid changes. That’ll scare the crap out of ya. Dealers ARE incompetent. A Shop that has experienced techs who have DONE THIS BEFORE would be good to find. Maybe they have done the change on a Bentley, BMW, or other brand that has the ZF. I have a competent shop and still plan just a check the fluid condition and drain/fill with my favorite Amsoil when the time comes. No rush on this at your mileage with no performance issues. I’d shop - for a shop. Good luck. Let us know.

 

[Blickie]

Cooler is clean.
There is a thermostat that opens at 70°C, my guess was that if it is stuck or smthng, the trans temps will definitely sky rocket.

Being the trans thermostat device is 5 years old and seems to have an issue, might consider replacing so it doesn't outright fail. A new trans is around $8K.

 

[S3eed]

I’m not sure why dealers are jumping on this “lifetime fluid” bus, other than because it sounds good to hear in the service department lane. I’ll share this much, though:

My friend drives an Audi A8 diesel and puts on a lot of highway miles. As you know, Audis use ZF transmissions, just as we do. When he got close to 200k miles, he brought his car in for service and asked the writer about it. He got the canned lifetime response and then asked me about it. I told him to reach out directly to the manufacturer - not Audi, but ZF. He found a number that got him connected to someone in Germany, and asked the same question. Eventually, they got back to him and told him that, although their transmissions are “sealed,” it may be prudent to drop the pan in his case. He took it to a reputable transmission shop and had it done a year or two ago.

If you feel like the car was beat on or like you may be having cooling issues, then my recommendation is to drop the pan and filter - DON’T flush the fluid. Just drain it out of the pan and filter and replace what’s missing. You shouldn’t need 9 liters.

Than you for the reply

I agree with you, ZF trans works better with filter + topping off the pan it has milage rating , but i don't recall at this time. I have the dealer's manual and it has two different services for the trans, one is full overhaul change that would require full 9 liters of ATF and I guess there is a special machine for that, and the other is just as the changing of the filter and topping off.

Me changing the fluid at this early milage is just PM and a whole other things are comming on the way to be changed wether found in good or still in good shape condition.

 

[MJS73]

I’m not sure why dealers are jumping on this “lifetime fluid” bus, other than because it sounds good to hear in the service department lane. I’ll share this much, though:

Because it's the factory recommendation.

That is what i hear, except ZFHP90 s hellcats demons trackhawks are a bit different and the filter is not impeded in the pan like the other models.

Yeah, my experience with this is based on a Ram.

 

[Citrus90]

Because it's the factory recommendation.

Not according to the actual transmission manufacturer it isn’t.

 

[MJS73]

Not according to the actual transmission manufacturer it isn’t.

Dealers have no relationship with the manufacturer of the transmission, they take their cues from Chrysler and Chrysler tells them that it's lifetime.

 

[Dennis H]

Warranty lifetime. Then it’s our problem.

 

[2ndAmend]

Ok, I have been beat up about owning an inferior M6 ever since I got here, I have heard nothing but the greatest praise for the A8, and now that I ordered one I hear this. You guys are scaring me.

But thanks for the info, knowledge is never a bad thing!

 

[Gotgap]

The A8 is a masterpiece

 

[HC5120]

Are you sure you have a problem? Here is another thread and the people who posted there report temps similar to yours. I am thinking it is also a bit warmer in Saudi?

A8 operating temps

If the only problem was 6,000 miles ago and just one strange hiccup, and 95-96 (about 205F), personally I would just leave it.

 

[Rockster]

So I am the first owner of a 16 charger hellcat and it is running fine no issues since day one. The car is 68000 miles and never changed the transmission oil or checked it. Lately, I have noticed the transmission temps increasing when hard driving the car around 96-97 (usually it stays at 94 deg C since I have bought it with 0 miles on it).
Now I am planning to change the trans oil I got the filter and gasket.
Q1:
Anyone changed it at this high milage without issues?
Q2:
Do I have to drain the whole system or gust stick with changing the filter and topping oil to the fill plug?

*My car has no trans issue except temp at heavy load, temps are 94 °C and lower when crusing. No clunking no cracking noises 1st to 8th wether on Auto or shifting manually.

*one time it hit 99 and disengaged while doing a pull for a short period of time then came back normal , that was at 60000 miles, been fine ever since.

My local dealer in Saudi told me simply not to change it, but I guess we all agree on two things:

1.Dodge dealers are never trusted.
2.Any type of oil on the car requires changing.

Any help is highly appreciated

Thank you

Haven't read all the posts so maybe this has been covered, but a "jump" from 94C to 96C to 97C is really no cause for alarm. And you mention the transmission does this under "heavy load". The transmission is no different than the engine. Push the engine hard subject it to heavy loading and it gets hotter. Same with the transmission.

Of course you can change the fluid. While the factory claims the fluid is "lifetime" I don't subscribe to that.

Actually from the owners manual of my 2018 Hellcat what the factory says is:

"Under normal operating conditions, the [automatic transmission] fluid installed at the factory will provide satisfactory lubrication for the life of the vehicle."

Based on that qualifier "under normal operating conditions" given you are located in Saudi Arabia I believe the car experiences considerable exposure to high ambient temperatures and thus a fluid change could be called for.

Therefore I think your desire to get the transmission fluid changed is justified. I never had my 2018 Hellcat A8 fluid changed but I only drove it to 27.5K miles and I lived in an area with a more moderate climate. But I did a bit of "research". Had I kept the car I would have had it done. The fluid change process, well, the fluid refill process, is complicated. A dealer should know the correct procedure and do it right. And it should use the factory fluid and filter for this service.

 

[Trizzle]

The A8 is, according to the factory, a "lifetime" fluid. It can be changed but be prepared. The filter is part of the oil pan, I believe, so the whole pan has to be changed and the fluid is like $50/litre and it takes about 9 litres so you could be looking at $1,000 fluid change.

Mopar says its a lifetime fluid. Zf that manufacturers the transmissions recommends 50k miles or so.

 

[MJS73]

Mopar says its a lifetime fluid. Zf that manufacturers the transmissions recommends 50k miles or so.

I guess one way to get your post count up is to repeat information already posted in the same thread.