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On a Jeep Cherokee (XJ), a negligent mechanic left the transmission fluid dipstick out of its tube about a quarter of the way. This allowed ambient air to enter via the transmission dipstick tube. Nobody noticed the issue for over a month.

The vehicle was not driven during this time, but an engine compression test was performed as well as several other mechanical tests.

Would this situation cause any problems for the transmission or other vehicle components? What about to the transmission fluid?

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1 Answers1

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Exposure to a bit of ambient air? Not going to be a particular problem. They aren't really an airtight system in the first place. Unless it was a spectacularly dirty environment with lots of nasties in the air then most particulates that could have made it in are likely to be negligible threat, ATF is expected to pick up all kinds of bits and pieces from the transmission itself while it operates.

Water in the fluid is a bigger problem, a drop or two doesn't make much odds but if the environment it was in was particularly humid and/or prone to condensation, or it was directly exposed to precipitation that could be a cause for concern.

Ultimately whether you know it's been exposed to the more extreme conditions or whether you're just having niggling doubts the solution is the same - change the fluid to get to a known good baseline.

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