Allison 4000 Transmission Fluid Capacity, Type, Interval
Manuals may say something different. It seems that the 2014 4000 manual has a lower fluid capacity than the 2010 manual says for the same transmission. All this is telling you is that there have been some design changes over the years and you should double-check your transmission’s model year before refilling it.
In 2014 the original specs were 48 quarts for the 4000 transmission with the 4-inch sump and 40 quarts for the transmission with the 2-inch sump. The refill specs are 39 quarts for the 4-inch sump and 31 for the 2-inch model.
To learn more about the transmission fluid capacity for the Allison 4000 transmission, just continue to read our article. Your fluid levels will depend on the model year the transmission was made in. Make sure to contact Allison or one of its dealers to get the right amount.
How Much Fluid Does a 4000 Series Allison Hold?
While we reported that there was a difference in the manuals for different years of the 4000 transmission, there has been no further word on this topic. The up-to-date data sheet that has been put out has kept the numbers at 48 quarts or 45 liters for the 4-inch sump model.
Then 40 quarts or 38 liters for the 2-inch sump model. These figures are for the initial fill of the transmission. If you are doing a refill, then the capacity goes down to 39 quarts for the 4-inch sump model and 31 for the 2-inch sump model.
Always check your owner’s manual to get the most accurate information on this topic. Usually, the owner’s manuals will have the best information, and when in doubt, contact their dealers or the company themselves.
Don’t rely on what some people say on RV and other vehicle discussion forums.
Allison 4000 Transmission Fluid Capacity
The overall capacity will depend on if you are doing an initial fill or a refill. If the latter, you will be pleased to know that the amount of transmission fluid you need is less than the amount you will need for the initial fill.
We have given those figures above so you can check the previous section for those amounts. There is one thing you should be aware of is that not every Allison dealer will get the fluid amounts correct.
Sometimes they will confuse the 4000 with the 3000 model and provide your transmission with about half of the fluid the 4000 needs. All that tells you is to double-check the pros to be on the safe side of the fluid change.
We checked and the 3000 does take half the amount of fluid that the 4000 will need in a refill situation.
What Kind Of Fluid Does an Allison 4000 Transmission Take?
Allison is well aware of the fact that many owners of the vehicles they install their transmissions like to do their own work. That is why they have created an easy to use fluid and filter calculator.
You just fill in the details and the calculator should produce the information you need when you are working on your transmission. Just click here to get to that web page.
After you put in your information, you should have all the fluid and other information data you will need to successfully change your transmission fluid. Part of that information will include when you should change the filters in this transmission model.
For Allison transmissions, they only recommend 100% Allison Approved TES 389 fluid or a mixture of TES 389 and TES 295 fluid (from the calculator). However, if you go to the Allison website they have another web page that talks about approved fluids.
The list for both on-highway and off-highway brands can be quite long. You can scan their list of brands at this link. Just scroll down till you see the on-highway and off-highway links in red.
Allison 4000 Transmission Fluid Change Interval
According to the calculator, your transmission change interval may depend on how often you drive your vehicle, what speed it goes at during those hours of operation as well as how many days of the week you are using your vehicle.
But in most cases, you are looking at 300,000 miles between fluid changes and 75,000 miles for both filters. The key to these intervals is the speed as those limits were set at 100 miles per day, 7 hours a day, 6 days a week & at 14 mph.
In placing a new set of numbers in the calculator, we got the same set of results and intervals at a speed of 67 mph so we doubt the accuracy of the calculator.
Allison 4000 Transmission Fluid Check
According to the troubleshooting manual found at this link, the information on checking your fluid is found in section 5 at 5.5. It details the procedure for a cold and a hot check. However, you have to sign up to read those details.
There seem to be 2 methods to check your fluid. The first is the dipstick method, but you would have to drive your vehicle for 20 minutes before you pull the dipstick.
The other method is to use the shift selector and to get accurate results, the following needs to be met:
- Your engine should be idle
- The transmission sump oil should be at the operating temperature
- The transmission output shaft has ceased its movement
- The transmission is neutral
- The oil level sensor should be functioning properly
Some Final Words
Look in the manual provided or the one that came with your vehicle to get all the pertinent details when it comes to the transmission fluid and filter requirements.
Other than the company or the dealer, this is your best resource to use when you are not sure. You can talk to the folks at the Allison transmission discussion forums but do not be surprised if you receive a variety of answers to your questions. Everyone has a different opinion.
