1. IF you have a HWH jack that stops and you cannot manually push it fully retracted, that jack has INNER seals that have failed. Rebuild or replace the cylinder is the ONLY correct long term fix
2. Yes, you can use WD40 or Transfluid and wipe the exposed cylinder. That does NOT fix the problem. It is just a temporary work around until the jack fails again
3. If you suspect the springs, when it fails to fully retract and when you try to help it up with just your hands, if the jack fails to go up, it is NOT the springs. It is defective internal seals
4. HWH Fluid(dextron 2 or 3) Does NOT get "old" and replacing the fluid will not fix the problem. Doug