62TE Fluid Type and Capacity

Short answer first, because that is what most people came for. The 62TE takes ATF+4 to Chrysler Material Standard MS-9602, and nothing else. A service fill is 5.5 quarts (5.2 L), and a fill after an internal repair is 9.0 quarts (8.5 L), per ATRA's 62TE data [5]. The final level is never set by counting quarts, though. It is set with the 9336A service dipstick against fluid temperature, because this transaxle has no owner dipstick at all.

The rest of this page is the detail behind those numbers: what ATF+4 actually is, why the capacity figure you read online never matches what comes out of the pan, how Chrysler says to fill and check it, and the torque specs for putting the pan back on. Sources are numbered and listed at the bottom.

Recommended 62TE parts

The right fluid, the filter that goes with it, and the level-check stick this transaxle needs because it has no dipstick.

62TE Transmission Service Kit with 6qt ATF and Filter

$166.99

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62TE Transmission Filter & Gasket Kit FT1240

$30.99

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Transmission Fluid Level Dipstick (9336 style, fits 62TE)

$15.99

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62TE fluid specs at a glance

The fluid: ATF+4, MS-9602, and why it is not negotiable

The 2019 Grand Caravan owner's manual lists the automatic transmission fluid as ATF+4 meeting FCA Material Standard MS-9602, and says failure to use it may affect the function or performance of the transmission [1]. The Chrysler service information for the 62TE is shorter and blunter: only fluids of the type labeled Mopar ATF+4 should be used [2]. ATRA's 62TE lubrication page says the same thing in shop language: the unit requires +4 oil, there are many blends that meet it, and the +4 marking is clear on the label [5].

What makes a fluid "ATF+4" is the MS-9602 approval, not the color or the word on the front of the bottle. Mobil's ATF+4 product data sheet is a good example of what a real approved fluid looks like on paper: it lists Chrysler MS-9602, a typical viscosity of 34.4 cSt at 40 C and 7.5 cSt at 100 C, a viscosity index of 194, and a Brookfield viscosity of 8,800 mPa.s at -40 C [4]. That low-temperature number matters on a unit that shifts with clutch-to-clutch timing; thick fluid on a cold morning means slow fills and flare-ups until it warms. The same data sheet notes that ATF+4 can replace ATF+, ATF+2 and ATF+3 where those older fluids were specified [4]. It does not go the other way. Nothing older, and nothing generic, goes in a 62TE.

The owner's manual spells out the consequences in a caution box that is worth reading to customers: using a transmission fluid other than the manufacturer's recommended fluid may cause deterioration in shift quality and/or torque converter shudder, and will require more frequent fluid and filter changes [1]. The 62TE runs an electronically modulated converter clutch and adaptive clutch control, and both rely on the friction characteristics that MS-9602 locks down. A "universal" or multi-vehicle fluid that is not approved changes the friction curve the controller has learned.

No additives, no flushes, no sealers

The same manual says the manufacturer strongly recommends against any special additives in the transmission, with the single exception of leak-detection dyes. It says not to use chemical flushes because they can damage transmission components, and warns that such damage is not covered by the new vehicle warranty. It also says to avoid transmission sealers because they can adversely affect seals [1]. If a customer asks for a bottle of "shudder fix" on a 62TE, the right answer is to diagnose the shudder.

What the color tells you, and what it does not

New Mopar ATF+4 is dyed red so it can be told apart from engine oil and coolant. Chrysler says the red is not permanent and is not an indicator of fluid condition; the fluid darkens with use and may eventually turn brown, and that is normal. ATF+4 also has a distinctive odor that changes with age. Chrysler's point is that color and smell alone cannot tell you the fluid needs changing [2]. What does condemn the unit is burned-smelling fluid that also carries metal or friction material particles, which the service information says probably means a complete recondition [2]. The red dye does have one practical use: factory-fill fluid is red, so a wet converter housing can be sorted into transmission fluid or engine oil before anyone pulls the unit [2].

Capacity: why "how many quarts" has three answers

There are three numbers in play, and mixing them up is how 62TEs end up overfilled or low.

• 4 quarts: the starting refill after a pan drop. Chrysler's fluid and filter service procedure says to pour four quarts of Mopar ATF+4 through the dipstick opening after the filter and pan are back on, then start the engine and set the level [2]. It is deliberately conservative so you add up to the mark, not drain down to it.
• 5.5 quarts (5.2 L): a service fill. This is ATRA's number for a normal service [5]. It is what a typical pan drop actually takes once the level is set at temperature, give or take how long the pan drained.
• 9.0 quarts (8.5 L): after an internal repair. This is ATRA's fill for a unit that has been apart [5]. The difference between this and the service fill is the fluid that stays in the torque converter, cooler and lines, and passages during a pan drop.

That gap between 5.5 and 9.0 quarts is also why one pan drop on a high-mileage 62TE only replaces a bit over half the fluid. If the goal is to get most of the old fluid out, it takes a second drain and fill after a few days of driving, or a cooler-line exchange followed by a filter change. Either way, the level still gets set with the tool at the end.

For a rebuilt or replacement unit, do not dump nine quarts in the fill tube and call it done. Add most of it, start the engine, shift through the ranges so the converter and clutch circuits fill, and then top up to the mark. And per Chrysler, any time the transaxle is disassembled for any reason, the fluid and filter get changed [1][2].

Two pans, not one

One detail catches people coming from the 41TE. The 62TE service information calls out a fluid filter oil pan and a separate valve body oil pan, each sealed with Mopar ATF RTV. The valve body pan also carries the line pressure tap plug [2]. A routine fluid service drops the filter pan only. The valve body pan comes off for line pressure sensor or valve body work, and when it does, some fluid comes out with it, so the level has to be rechecked afterward.

How Chrysler says to fill and check it

The owner's manual is explicit that the level is preset at the factory, routine checks are not required, the fill tube is capped, and no dipstick is provided. It says an improper fluid level can cause severe transmission damage [1]. Here is the service information procedure for the pan-drop service and the level check [2]:

1. Raise the vehicle, loosen the pan bolts, tap a corner to break the seal, drain and remove the pan.
2. Remove the filter nuts and filter, install the new filter and tighten the nuts to 5 N.m (40 in. lbs.).
3. Clean the pan and the magnet with a clean, dry cloth. Reinstall the pan with a bead of Mopar ATF RTV and tighten the bolts to 6 N.m (50 in. lbs.).
4. Pour four quarts of ATF+4 through the fill tube.
5. Start the engine, idle at least a minute, and with the brakes applied move the selector through each position, ending in Park or Neutral.
6. Bring the level to 3 mm (1/8 in.) below the lowest mark on the dipstick as a first cold check.
7. Recheck once the transaxle reaches normal operating temperature, 82 C (180 F).

The hot check is the one that counts. With the vehicle level and the engine running in Park, shift through the ranges, let the transmission warm and wait at least two minutes. Push the 9336A stick into the fill tube until the tip touches the pan, which is roughly 424 mm (16.69 in.), then pull it and read the height. The stick has marks every 10 mm. Read transmission fluid temperature on a scan tool and compare the height with Chrysler's fluid-level-to-temperature chart [2]. ATRA's 62TE fluid level page describes the same method: level ground, scan tool temperature, and the Miller 9336 wire stick with markings 10 mm apart [5].

Chrysler also warns that pushing the stick too hard can let it slip past the stop on the bracket in the pan [2]. Feed it in gently. A stick that went past the stop reads high, and you end up underfilling.

What a wrong level does

This is not theoretical. FCA service bulletin 21-046-15, dated July 14, 2015, covers 2015 Grand Caravan and Town and Country vans with the 62TE that were built with a low fluid level. The customer complaint was harsh shifting under heavy acceleration. The repair was to check the level with the 62TE fluid level procedure and top off with ATF+4, part 05013457AA, up to one quart [3]. A quart low was enough to change how the unit shifted.

Low fluid aerates the pump feed and drops line pressure under load, which shows up as flares, harsh shifts and eventually slip codes. Overfill is not harmless either: the rotating parts whip it into foam, it can push out of the vent, and aerated fluid gives the same pressure problems as low fluid. The 9336A reading at a known temperature is the only way to hit it on this unit.

One more thing to look at while you are in there. ATRA's 62TE update flags the front pump cooler bypass valve as a high-risk area and recommends replacing it on every repair [6], and the service information says the valve must be replaced, not cleaned or reused, after a transaxle failure [2]. Fresh fluid that cannot get to the cooler still cooks.

Which vehicles use it

According to ATRA, the 62TE was introduced for the 2007 model year in the Sebring, Sebring Convertible and Avenger with the 3.5L V6, and the Pacifica with the 4.0L V6 [6]. It then spread across Chrysler's front-drive V6 lineup, including the Grand Caravan, Town and Country and Journey. The fluid requirement does not change by model: ATF+4 in every one. The service interval does vary by model year and use; see our 62TE fluid change cost guide for the schedule and what the job costs.

Need parts for this job?

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

FAQ

What type of transmission fluid does a 62TE use?

ATF+4 meeting Chrysler (FCA) Material Standard MS-9602, and nothing else. The owner's manual warns that any other fluid may cause poor shift quality and torque converter shudder. Mopar ATF+4 is the factory fluid, and any brand that carries the MS-9602 approval on the label, such as Mobil ATF+4, is also correct.

How many quarts does a 62TE hold?

Per ATRA's 62TE data, a service fill is 5.5 quarts (5.2 liters) and a fill after an internal repair is 9.0 quarts (8.5 liters). Chrysler's pan-drop procedure starts with 4 quarts and then sets the final level with the 9336A dipstick and the fluid temperature, so the exact amount is whatever the stick says at temperature.

Can I use Dexron or a universal ATF in a 62TE?

No. The 62TE is specified for ATF+4 only. A multi-vehicle fluid that does not carry the MS-9602 approval can change friction behavior on the clutches and the electronically modulated converter clutch, which is exactly the shift quality and shudder problem the owner's manual warns about.

Where is the dipstick on a 62TE?

There is not one. The fill tube is capped from the factory. The level is checked with service tool 9336A, inserted about 424 mm until it touches the pan, and read against a chart of dipstick height versus transmission fluid temperature from a scan tool.