62TE Filter and Pan Service Guide

A 62TE filter and pan service is a simple job with a few traps. There is no dipstick, there are two pans on the case and only one of them is part of a normal service, the filter seals to the case with its own seal that likes to stay behind, and the level is set with a special stick against fluid temperature rather than by counting quarts. Get any of those wrong and a van that went in for maintenance comes back with a harsh shift or a no-move.

This is the procedure the way Chrysler writes it in the 62TE service information, with the torque values, the refill amounts and the level check, plus what I look for in the pan while it is off. The numbered references point to the Sources list at the bottom.

Recommended 62TE parts

Everything a 62TE filter-pan service takes: the filter and gasket, a drain-plug pan if you want easier services later, or the complete kit with ATF+4.

62TE Transmission Filter & Gasket Kit FT1240

$30.99

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62TE Transmission Oil Pan and Filter Kit 265-833

$95.99

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62TE Transmission Service Kit with 6qt ATF and Filter

$166.99

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62TE filter and pan service specs

When the 62TE needs a filter and pan service

The factory schedule is lighter than most people expect. In the 2019 Grand Caravan owner's manual, the normal maintenance plan calls for changing the automatic transmission fluid and filter once, at 120,000 miles. A separate line moves that to 60,000 and 120,000 miles if the vehicle is used for police, taxi, fleet or frequent trailer towing [1]. The towing section of the same manual adds that if you regularly tow for more than 45 minutes of continuous operation, you should use that severe schedule [1].

A loaded minivan in stop-and-go traffic, a Journey that pulls a small camper in summer, a Ram ProMaster City on a delivery route: those are closer to the severe line than the normal one. On anything that is not mostly highway miles, I treat 60,000 miles as the interval. Two other triggers come straight from the manual and the service information: change the fluid and filter any time the fluid is contaminated with water, and any time the transaxle is disassembled for any reason [1][2]. For what the job runs at a shop, see our 62TE fluid change cost guide.

Know the two pans before you start

The 62TE is built off the 41TE, but the case is different enough to catch people. Chrysler's service information lists two separate pans: the fluid filter oil pan on the bottom of the case, which covers the sump filter, and the valve body oil pan, which covers the valve body and carries the line pressure tap plug and the solenoid pack connector clip [2]. Both are sealed with a bead of Mopar ATF RTV rather than a cut gasket from the factory [2].

A routine fluid and filter service is the filter pan only. The valve body pan comes off for line pressure sensor, solenoid pack or valve body work, and when it does, it drains fluid too; the service procedure for the valve body has you remove the lower valve body pan bolts and drain fluid before the pan comes off [2]. If you are chasing a shift complaint and the valve body pan is coming off anyway, plan the filter service for the same visit and set the level once at the end.

Tools and parts

• Filter and pan seal: the sump filter (Mopar 68018555AA, earlier 05078555AA) and either Mopar ATF RTV (MS-GF41) or a reusable pan gasket from a filter kit.
• Fluid: ATF+4 to MS-9602. Plan on 6 quarts on the cart; the procedure starts with 4 and a typical service takes about 5.5 [2][4].
• Level-check stick: Chrysler tool 9336A or an equivalent stick for this application. The fill tube is capped and no dipstick is provided with the vehicle [1].
• Scan tool that reads transmission fluid temperature (TFT). Without a TFT reading, the stick height means nothing.
• Inch-pound torque wrench. Every fastener on this job is 40 to 53 in. lbs.; this is not a job for an impact or "good and tight."
• A wide drain pan, lint-free rags, a plastic scraper for the old RTV, and brake cleaner for the flanges.

Step by step: the Chrysler procedure with shop notes

Chrysler's recommended fluid and filter service, from the 62TE service information [2]:

1. Raise the vehicle and position a large drain container under the transaxle oil pan.
2. Loosen the pan bolts, tap one corner to break the pan loose and let the fluid drain, then remove the pan. The factory pan is RTV-sealed with no drain plug, so leave a couple of bolts loose at the high side and let it tip rather than prying on the flange. A bent flange is a leak you will be chasing later.
3. Remove the filter nuts and the filter. The overhaul procedure lists a separate step to remove the oil filter seal at the case after the filter comes out, and a matching step to install the new seal before the new filter goes on [2]. Look up into the case bore and make sure the old seal came out with the filter. A new seal pushed on top of an old one, or a missing seal, is a suction leak on the pump inlet.
4. Install the new filter and nuts, and tighten to 5 N.m (40 in. lbs.) [2].
5. Clean the pan and the magnet. Chrysler says to clean the magnet on the inside of the pan with a clean, dry cloth [2]. Before you wipe it, read it; see the next section.
6. Reinstall the pan with a bead of Mopar ATF RTV (MS-GF41) and tighten the bolts to 6 N.m (50 in. lbs.) [2]. Both flanges have to be clean and dry, and old RTV must come off completely. If you use a reusable gasket from a kit, install it dry unless the kit says otherwise.
7. Pour four quarts of ATF+4 through the fill tube [2].
8. Start the engine and idle for at least one minute. With the parking and service brakes applied, move the selector momentarily to each position, ending in Park or Neutral [2].
9. First check: add fluid to bring the level to 3 mm (1/8 in.) below the lowest mark on the stick [2].
10. Final check at normal operating temperature, 82 C (180 F), using the level-to-temperature procedure below [2].
11. Seat the fill tube cap fully so water and dirt stay out [2].

Why the filter seal matters so much on this unit

The 62TE pump is a crescent-type gear pump. The service information describes how the widening gear clearance in the crescent area creates suction at the pump inlet and draws fluid from the pan [2]. Everything between the pan and that inlet, meaning the filter and its seal at the case, is under suction. A leak there does not drip; it pulls air. Aerated fluid means low and unstable line pressure, which shows up as flares, delayed engagements and slip codes.

GEARS magazine's 62TE article by Keith Clark lists a restricted or leaking main sump filter among the probable causes of a 62TE no-move, alongside low fluid, broken pump gears and stripped splines. The quick check he gives for a filter or pump problem is to remove a cooler line and see whether you have fluid flow [3]. If a 62TE will not move after a filter service, the filter seal is the first thing to look at, not the torque converter.

Read the pan before you clean it

The pan and magnet are the cheapest diagnosis you will ever get on this transaxle. Chrysler's guidance is that fluid that smells burned and is contaminated with metal or friction material particles probably means a complete recondition [2]. In practice, here is how I sort it:

• A fine gray paste on the magnet: normal wear from the gears and the pump. Wipe it off and move on.
• Visible bright flakes or slivers: something is chewing, often bushings, thrust washers or the pump. Note it, and do not promise the customer that new fluid will fix anything.
• Black or brown fiber in the fluid and on the filter: friction material. Paired with a burned smell, the unit is on borrowed time.
• A steel check ball in the pan: this one is specific to the 62TE. GEARS describes a check ball peened into the case to seal a mainline pressure passage that is machined to route fluid to the pressure tap. It can loosen or blow out completely, and if you find a check ball in the pan, you have found the cause of a no-move [3]. The repair they describe is to tap the hole with a 1/8-inch pipe tap and install a pipe plug with permanent thread locker, rather than trying to peen the ball back in [3].

Do not judge the fluid by color. New ATF+4 is dyed red, the red is not permanent, and darkening to brown with use is normal. Chrysler states outright that odor and color cannot be used to decide whether the fluid needs changing [2].

Setting the level with the 9336A stick

The level is what makes or breaks this service. The owner's manual says the level is preset at the factory, the fill tube is capped, no dipstick is provided, and an improper level can cause severe transmission damage [1]. The service information procedure [2]:

1. Park on a level surface and remove the fill tube cap.
2. Apply the service brake, start the engine and idle in Park.
3. Shift through the ranges several times with the vehicle stationary.
4. Warm the transmission, wait at least 2 minutes, and with the engine running push the 9336A stick into the fill tube until the tip contacts the pan. Pull it and read the height. The stick has marks every 10 mm.
5. Read TFT on the scan tool and compare the stick height with Chrysler's fluid-level-to-temperature chart. Add or remove fluid and recheck.

Two cautions from the same page. The stick goes in about 424 mm (16.69 in.), and too much insertion force can push it past the stop on the bracket inside the pan [2]. A stick that slipped past the stop reads high, and you walk away underfilled. ATRA's 62TE seminar notes describe the same method: level ground, TFT from a scan tool, and the Miller 9336 wire stick with 10 mm markings [4].

What a wrong level does is documented. FCA bulletin 21-046-15 (July 2015) covered 2015 Grand Caravan and Town and Country vans with the 62TE that left the factory with low fluid. The complaint was harsh shifting under heavy acceleration, and the fix was to check the level with the 62TE procedure and top off with up to one quart of ATF+4, part 05013457AA [6]. One quart was the difference.

Drain-plug pans and getting more fresh fluid in

A pan drop replaces only part of the fluid. ATRA lists 5.5 quarts for a service fill and 9.0 quarts after an internal repair [4]; the difference stays in the torque converter, cooler, lines and passages. On a high-mileage unit with dark fluid, a second drain after a few hundred miles gets the mix noticeably fresher. That is where an aftermarket pan with a drain plug earns its price: the second and later drains do not require breaking an RTV seal. A drain-plug pan does not replace the filter service, it just makes the drain-and-fill in between easier.

One thing to skip: chemical flushes. The owner's manual says not to use them because they can damage transmission components, says to avoid sealers because they can harm seals, and says no additives other than leak-detection dye [1].

If the unit is coming apart instead

If the pan tells you the 62TE needs a rebuild, a filter service is no longer the job. ATRA's 62TE update calls the front pump's cooler bypass valve a high-risk area and recommends a new valve on every repair [5], and the Chrysler service information says the cooler bypass valve must be replaced if a transaxle failure has occurred [2]. Debris that stays in the cooler circuit will find its way back into fresh fluid.

Need parts for this job?

Our 62TE parts page has filter and gasket kits, drain-plug pan kits, complete service kits with ATF+4 and the level-check stick, all on our own checkout. For every OEM fluid spec side by side, see the transmission fluid spec chart.

FAQ

How often should the 62TE filter be changed?

The 2019 Grand Caravan owner's manual calls for a fluid and filter change at 120,000 miles under normal use, and at 60,000 and 120,000 miles for police, taxi, fleet or frequent trailer towing. Chrysler also says the filter should be changed any time the fluid is changed. For most minivan and crossover duty, 60,000 miles is the safer interval.

What is the torque on 62TE pan bolts?

The Chrysler 62TE service information lists 6 N.m (50 in. lbs.) for the fluid filter oil pan bolts and 5 N.m (40 in. lbs.) for the filter mounting nuts. The valve body oil pan bolts are 6 N.m (53 in. lbs.). Use an inch-pound torque wrench, because these are small fasteners in an aluminum case.

Does the 62TE use a pan gasket or RTV?

From the factory, both the filter pan and the valve body pan are sealed with a bead of Mopar ATF RTV (MS-GF41). Many aftermarket filter kits include a reusable gasket instead. Either works if the flanges are clean and dry and all the old RTV is removed.

How much fluid does a 62TE take after a filter change?

Chrysler's procedure starts with 4 quarts of ATF+4 and then sets the level with the 9336A stick at operating temperature. ATRA lists a typical service fill of 5.5 quarts (5.2 liters). The correct amount is whatever brings the stick reading into range for the fluid temperature shown on the scan tool.

Why won't my 62TE move after a filter change?

Check the fluid level first, then the filter seal at the case. A missing, doubled or damaged seal lets the pump draw air, and GEARS magazine lists a restricted or leaking sump filter and low fluid among the probable causes of a 62TE no-move. A quick way to confirm a feed problem is to open a cooler line and check for fluid flow.