Manual Transaxle Fluid

[dalkeeper]

I have an 01 PT Woodie with a 5 speed, and an 03 GT (automatic). The 5 speed now has about 150K miles, and the tranny was getting very noisy (probably a bearing in the diff). I found a source out of Texas for a NEW T350 for less than the cheapest quote I got for a junk yard one, and ordered it, received it (and it really was new), and installed it. It fit perfectly, and everything is just about ready to go.

While I was looking for the new unit, I spent about 3 weeks trying to find out what is the correct fluid to put into a PT 5 speed. There is lots of varying opinion and discussion on the net, so much so that I am very unsure what the right qnswer is (forgive me please for starting yet another discussion on this topic!).

It seems that in 01 and 02 the owner's manuals said to use that ultra expensive special Mopar T-350 stuff (just got a price of $23.00 per Qt from the dealer), and if you ask the dealer, of course they want you to think that you wil ruin the thing in a heartbeat if you don't pay the price and buy the liquid gold. But in my 03 owners manual (for my GT), it calls for ATF+4 for the 5 speed.

So my questions to the forum are:

1) Does the owner's manual for the 03 GT which calls for ATF+4 in both the automatic and the 5 speed cover both the turbo and non-turbo models (I think the turbo uses a Getrag 5 speed, not the T-350)?

2) Was there an internal difference in the T-350 from 02 to 03 that allows the use of the ATF+4 in the latter ones? Since my replacement unit is brand new, I would think it would be similar to a later model car...

Thanks in advance for any qualified advice. Sure don't wanna ruin the new unit, but hate to throw away $75 on juice I really don't need.

[quicksilverdon]

Don't know, but I do know the GT uses a Getrag manual.

[dalkeeper]

I found the following on page 1508 of the 01-04 Repair Manual listed on this Tech & Performance Forum (http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/forum/...ir-manual.html)

"NOTE: All T350 Manual Transaxles require the use of ATF+4 (Automatic Transmission Fluid)."

I guess this is pretty authoritative.

[quicksilverdon]

I know the Getrag does.