Allison 4500 RDS Transmission Fluid Capacity, Type, Interval
In many cases, you may not get a specific web page talking about the 4500 transmission. Often, you will find that the company will use the word series to indicate the requirements for all transmissions at that level. Or they might just say 4th generation to indicate all models in the same series.
From what we can tell, the fluid capacity for the 4500 transmission model will have the same fluid capacity as the 4000 transmission model. That would be 48 quarts on the initial fill for the 4-inch sump & 39 for the model with a 2-inch sump.
To learn more about this transmission model, just continue to read our article. It is filled with the information you want to know about this transmission model. It should not vary too far from the 4000 transmission model Allison makes.
How Much Fluid Does a 4500 Allison Hold?
It seems that Allison made all their 4000 series transmissions to hold the same amount of transmission fluid. This model also holds 48 quarts when it is built with a 4-inch sump.
Then the model with the 2-inch sump seems to hold only 40 quarts. If you want those two totals in liters, then you are looking at 45 and 38 respectively. What we have noticed is that the manual for the 4500 Allison transmission is the same for 4000, 4700 & 4800 in all of their renditions.
The specs may not differ that much, if at all, including the type of filters and fluid, you need to put in when it is time to change the fluid.
Allison 4500 Transmission Fluid Capacity
The fluid capacity will change depending if it is an initial or refill chore. The above information was for the initial fill of the transmission as there are different hoses, etc., that hold onto the fluid during a fluid change.
That design means that you only need to buy about 39 quarts or 37 liters for the model with the 4-inch sump. If you have the 2-inch model then you would only need to buy 31 quarts or 30 liters when you are just changing the fluid.
If you have a PTO model, then you would need to add almost 3 more quarts to those totals. The exact amount is 2.8 so you will be buying more fluid than you would use.
According to the company, the final determination of the fluid you need will be the dipstick method of measuring the fluid level. When the dipstick hits the full line, do not add any more fluid.
What Fluid Does an Allison 4500 Take?
Like all Allison transmissions, this model will take the approved transmission fluid. The fluid you use will depend on where you are driving. The on-highway option the company recommends is the Allison Transmission TES 668®. TES 668® builds upon the proven 20-year record of TES 295® synthetic fluid.
The off-highway driving Allison does not recommend anything different from the above list. What is different is that you do not have to buy the Allison brand of fluid if it is more expensive than other brands.
As long as the right number is on the label you have a host of brands you can buy. This link will take you to the on-highway fluid recommendations as well as the recommended brands you can choose between.
That list gives you lots of choices and makes sure you are not using inferior transmission fluid. There are some well-known brands on that list.
Allison 4500 RDS Oil Change Interval
The intervals will change depending on the size of the sump you have in your transmission. But for general driving, for both sump sizes, you are looking at not changing the fluid for 300,000 miles.
Or the interval may come at 6000 hours or 48 months, whichever comes first. For severe driving conditions, the mileage interval drops by half to 150,000 miles but the other two indicators remain the same.
These figures are for the TES 295 transmission fluid. If you are using Dexcron VI or TES 389, those figures drop significantly. The filters have a 75,000-mile lifetime unless you are using Dexron VI or TES389 fluid, then it drops to 25,000 for general driving and 12,000 for severe driving conditions.
For the TES 295 fluid, you also get 3000 hours or 36 months before the filters need to be changed. The Dexcron VI, etc., hours are limited to 500 or 1 year.
Allison 4500 RDS Fluid Check
According to the manual, there are several ways to check the fluid. There is the shifter method which comes with about 8 steps to it. Then there is the manual cold check that has 6 steps to it. Finally, there is the hot check which comes with 5 steps to see how low your fluid level is.
The best thing to do to get all of those steps is to use this link and read them for yourself. The link takes you to the shifter check page first. Then go to the page on the right for the cold check and click the right arrow to get to the hot check instructions.
The procedures for each check are simple and very easy to understand. You just pick the method you like best and go with that. If you have any questions just call an Allison dealer and talk to them. They should help you get through this check easily.
Some Additional Words
Allison has made transmission maintenance easy. They have kept their designs to a set of series which hold several different transmission models.
That way you do not become confused when it comes time to change the fluid and filter. One manual handle all transmission models for a given transmission series. You do not have to hold a library of manuals in your home when you need to fix something or replace the fluid.
You also know how much to budget for the transmission fluid when you get a new vehicle with an updated Allison transmission in the same series as your old vehicle.
