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Vehicle use background: I've had the Jeep for almost a year, taking mileage from 34,000 to almost 43,000. It's a daily driver, commute about 10 mins to/fro work each day, have taken it on 2-hr highway trips just a handful of times. Started wheeling it pretty good late last summer; have probably been off-roading about 15 times or so in all - progressively getting into more aggressive wheeling - never has overheated or anything. I do notice that it typically runs about 210* - is that high?
In March, I lifted it via 2.5" springs, shocks and 1" BL/MML. No problems with the transmission at all up to that point or for the first month or so after the lift. Then about a month ago I started experiencing problems with it engaging into gear first thing in the morning - not every morning, just once every few days it would need about a minute or two of warm-up / pressurizing & then finally go into gear and work fine. Also about the time this started, I noticed the downshift/kickdown from fourth to third (when I would decellerate from above 30 mph to below) was noticeably hard. I checked the fluid level - was fine.
[BTW, back in November I had a stick lodge between tranny oil pan and casing causing the RTV sealant to split & leak fluid - I took it into my shop & they pulled the pan, drained, resealed & refilled (but did not replace filter as none were supposedly in the area...)]
So after a couple week or so of these symptoms, I did a search on here and other places - similar threads suggested a filter/fluid change before anything else. So I decided to do this recalling that the filter was not changed back in November. I replaced the fluid/filter fine. But something seemed odd in that I put back in 6.5 qts of ATF+4! Standard stock pan, not the deep one. The FSM states only three qts needed on filter/fluid change, other posters have said they put 5 in. But when I put in three, the tranny wouldn't engage at all. Wouldn't at four or five either. Finally did at six. But then it slipped out on a test drive about a tenth of a mile down the road, added another half & ran great for a week or so - no trouble engaging in the morning, no hard downshift from 4th to 3rd. The dipstick level looked just right as well.
Then last week the hard downshift reappeared. & one morning it took it a minute or two to pressurize. What's up?
I'm wondering if it has anything to do with dropping the transfer case ~1/4-3/8" which I did right before the problems resurfaced - surely not.
Would the angle I introduced with the motor mount spacer lift have anything to do with the performance of the tranny?
Why the hard downshift only at 4th to 3rd? A shop owner said at 4th is when the torque converter locks up and it could be it's having trouble with stabilizing pressure or something like that - he said he couldn't be more specific without overhauling. He didn't have any suggestions on what my modifications might have possibly done to the tranny. He did go on to suggest extracting a quart of fluid & replacing the Lucas tranny conditioner - he said that has helped others in his experiences.
Only other known problem I have is rear u-joint must be going (angry sparrows whenever I get the least bit dusty).
Is there a band adjustment or something that could be done?
I'm sure it can't be good to continue to drive with the hard downshift. Your thoughts?
Thanks, John
In March, I lifted it via 2.5" springs, shocks and 1" BL/MML. No problems with the transmission at all up to that point or for the first month or so after the lift. Then about a month ago I started experiencing problems with it engaging into gear first thing in the morning - not every morning, just once every few days it would need about a minute or two of warm-up / pressurizing & then finally go into gear and work fine. Also about the time this started, I noticed the downshift/kickdown from fourth to third (when I would decellerate from above 30 mph to below) was noticeably hard. I checked the fluid level - was fine.
[BTW, back in November I had a stick lodge between tranny oil pan and casing causing the RTV sealant to split & leak fluid - I took it into my shop & they pulled the pan, drained, resealed & refilled (but did not replace filter as none were supposedly in the area...)]
So after a couple week or so of these symptoms, I did a search on here and other places - similar threads suggested a filter/fluid change before anything else. So I decided to do this recalling that the filter was not changed back in November. I replaced the fluid/filter fine. But something seemed odd in that I put back in 6.5 qts of ATF+4! Standard stock pan, not the deep one. The FSM states only three qts needed on filter/fluid change, other posters have said they put 5 in. But when I put in three, the tranny wouldn't engage at all. Wouldn't at four or five either. Finally did at six. But then it slipped out on a test drive about a tenth of a mile down the road, added another half & ran great for a week or so - no trouble engaging in the morning, no hard downshift from 4th to 3rd. The dipstick level looked just right as well.
Then last week the hard downshift reappeared. & one morning it took it a minute or two to pressurize. What's up?
I'm wondering if it has anything to do with dropping the transfer case ~1/4-3/8" which I did right before the problems resurfaced - surely not.
Would the angle I introduced with the motor mount spacer lift have anything to do with the performance of the tranny?
Why the hard downshift only at 4th to 3rd? A shop owner said at 4th is when the torque converter locks up and it could be it's having trouble with stabilizing pressure or something like that - he said he couldn't be more specific without overhauling. He didn't have any suggestions on what my modifications might have possibly done to the tranny. He did go on to suggest extracting a quart of fluid & replacing the Lucas tranny conditioner - he said that has helped others in his experiences.
Only other known problem I have is rear u-joint must be going (angry sparrows whenever I get the least bit dusty).
Is there a band adjustment or something that could be done?
I'm sure it can't be good to continue to drive with the hard downshift. Your thoughts?
Thanks, John
[COLOR=blue]Chris[/COLOR]
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