So, here's the deal, my Cherokee didn't come with an owners manual, and I can't seem to find one online. My dad has assigned me to find out some information about it so that we can fix some stuff on it. I need this information according to what the manual says. Please don't just put your opinion on what you think it needs.
Here's my list,

Motor Oil Weight
Oil Filter Number
Front and Rear differential Oil weight and type
Front and Read differential gaskets type
Transfer case oil weight and type
and the Capacity of each.

for some reference to help, my VIN is1j4ff68s1xl621***

 

Owner's manuals can usually be found on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Jeep-Cherokee-Owners-Manual-User-Guide/130741202352?fits=Year%3A1999%7CModel%3ACherokee%7 CMake%3AJeep&epid=519289418&hash=item1e70c86db0:g: JJIAAOSw3mpXFj3U:rk:2f:0

Motor Oil Weight:
10w-30 (optionally 5w-30 for winter months in regions that routinely see less than 30F outside air temperature)
Oil Filter (which one? for purolator it is): L14670
Front/Rear Diff Oil: 75w-90 (of your choice) - if towing more than 1000lbs routinely optional 75w-140 in the rear.

For gaskets and capacities - this will depend on your specific axle types. Typically around 2.5 pints (front) and 3.5 pints (rear) but you normally just fill them until they start over-flowing the fill hole.

For gaskets many just use Permatex 82180 Ultra Black Maximum RTV gasket maker. Permatex makes a specific differential oil gasket maker as well. Either will work. Shops typically use Ultra-Black because it doesn't require a "set time" and the vehicle can be returned to service immediately. Personally, I use Lub-Locker reusable differential gaskets, but they are specific to the axle type you have (Dana 30 and Chrysler 8.25 in my case - but yours will likely be different).

Transfer case is typically filled until the fill hole is reached with the same automatic transmission fluid that is used for the transmission. The manual calls for Transmission Fluid ATF Plus 3 Type 7176. Good luck finding it, it doesn't exist anymore. The parts store guy will tell you ATF+4, he will be incorrect. Many here will tell you Castrol conventional Dex/Merc Automatic Transmission Fluid - they would be the most correct but the fluid is not full synthetic. Personally, I use Valvoline Max-Life Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF (DEX/MERC on bottle) in the transmission, transfer case, and YES my power steering reservoire. Which makes some people here break out in a rash just thinking of it.

 

X2 what he said ^^^^ that's about it!

 

The service manual and parts catalog in a downloadable PDF format are linked below.

https://cdn.xjjeeps.com/pdf/en-us/19...ice-manual.pdf

https://cdn.xjjeeps.com/pdf/en-us/19...ts-catalog.pdf

 

Personally, I use Valvoline Max-Life Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF (DEX/MERC on bottle) in the transmission, transfer case, and YES my power steering reservoire.


May we have the pros and any cons for this please?

 

Thank you sooo much!! You've been a lot of help!! (more than the guys on the XJ subreddit) This is really helpful!!

 

I'll do my best to keep it short. I'll answer about the transmission and transfer case choice first. It is not unusual to use the same fluid in both. Most do. When I first joined the site here the most popular recommendation for transmission fluid was the Castrol Transmax DEX/MERC (Conventional) fluid. I had just got my Jeep and wanted to do a full fluid service on it, and like many new-comers got hung up on this item. The manual called for something no longer available, the parts counter recommended ATF+4 (which didn't seem right), and knowledgeable folks here were recommending the conventional castrol mentioned above. I was having some transmission work done on another vehicle at the time by a local shop who's owner has been the most established and respected transmission shop in the area for many years. He is also a Jeeper. So I pulled him aside to bring up this controversy. Long story short, his answer was that in his 30+ years it was never good fluid that hurt a transmission - but heat and abuse. For nearly all jobs with normal requirements, they used a commercial-only Valvoline mult-vehicle fully synthetic fluid. Its closest comparison for folks like us being the max-life product available at stores. He said that the brand was not that important but that he would definitely not use conventional fluid as the full synthetics have made a lot improvements in the ability to deal with high heat without breaking down as much over time. That was his main piece of advice - use full synthetic. I asked him if the Valvoline Max-Life Multi-Vehicle ATF (Full Synthetic) with DEX/MERC on the bottle would be an appropriate choice, and he said absolutely. So I decided to go that direction, and stick with it. Same goes in the transfer case.

The power steering pump is a different story. My steering had been getting tighter and tighter (most don't have that problem right?) and wasn't returning to center very well after using an off-the-shelf power steering fluid. When I would pull some out and replace, the fluid was very obviously scorched. After some time, and checking every other possibility, I was frustrated enough that I was going to replace my steering gear. A local Jeeper at my nearest Advance auto was helping me make sure that the steering gear they had in stock was in good shape (checking for play, etc). He asked me why I was replacing, and when I told him the problem, and the history with the fluids, he recommended that before I replace the gear to just run the save valvoline ATF in it that I was using in the transmission. We both agreed I had nothing to lose. He said that the older saginaw steering gears commonly ran on automatic transmission fluid. So that day I gave it a try, and damn if he wasn't right. The steering immediately loosened back up and it has been fine since (2+ years ago and about 50k miles). The fluid no longer gets scorched either, so it is handling the heat a lot better.

So that's why I run the same fluid in all 3.

 

Great stuff. thanks. And I hope the OP finds this informative seein as this is his or her thread.