|
|
|
97 Grank Cherokee Transmission slippage
|
|
|
| |
|
|
WrinkledCheese
Novice
Dec 5, 2011, 11:48 AM
Post #1 of 3
(2504 views)
|
|
97 Grank Cherokee Transmission slippage
|
Sign In
|
|
Vehicle Information:
1997
Jeep
Grand Cherokee Limited
5.2
100,000/300,000(engine replaced with brand new at 200,000km)
I'm suspecting I may have to buy a new transmission, and that's okay, so long as I don't go and replace the transmission only to find it's a bad torque converter. I have yet to speak to a transmission specialist on the issue but I've spoken to a couple mechanics and it's a different story every time. I get answers from "It's F**ked buy a new one" to "Check this" or "check that".
I got stuck in snow, about 6" of it. Not too much but there was maybe a 1' bank that I had already "plowed" through to get where I was stuck in the driveway. So when reverse didn't work, I pulled ahead a foot, stopped(I've blown a tranny skipping this step), put it in reverse and driving backwards. After two shows of this I was out. When I got out, I noticed the transmission slipped a little bit. I was backing out of the back drive way - mud puddle, whatever you want to call it - and moving to the front driveway, which was gravel. After it slipped I stopped, put it in reverse, it seemed to be fine, drove ahead again, again fine. Pulled in the driveway and continued to visit my GFs parents.
Upon leaving, while backing out of the driveway, I noticed it slipped just a little bit again. I put it in drive, and away we went, again slipping a little bit. Going up the road maybe 2km(1 mile) I noticed that the vehicle was now slipping between gear shifts, it seemed. It would try to shift at the normal RPMs based on the driving - pulling away slowly, going from 1-2 before 1.5K - but when it tried to shift it would rev up, as if it went into neutral. Then it would grab a gear. This happened about 3 or 4 times and then it wouldn't go into any gear.
I turned off the vehicle and turned it on and it pulled away no problem. So about 100' up the road it does the same thing. I did that a couple times and got to a parking lot. I drained 5 litres of fluid out, it was over full for about a week from when the transmission cooling line popped off. The guy who had it before me had the line pop off and didn't put the clamp on the rubber hose over the quick coupler knuckle.
Long story short, I end up limping it home - 100' at a time - until halfway it just started working. I went to work the next day(30km mostly highway) with some slippage at first(5km around town), and back without a problem. Went to visit my GFs parents again and in the same spot it started slipping the first time on the way home, the same thing happened.
So now I have the transmission out of it and I've been talking to mechanics, but no transmission specialists. I spoke to a few mechanics, the ones that didn't say "It's F**ked, buy a new one" told me to check a few things. One guy told me to check the torque converter, from what I gather without special expensive tools I need it hooked up to the vehicle to do that. I found a "screwdriver test" but after reading up on torque converters I'm a little iffy on it's effectiveness.
The test told me to take a screw driver and use it to make the splines inside move, using a second screwdriver move the outer splines which should only move in one direction. I didn't experience any of this behaviour. The inner splines will not move. The out splines will move with it's hard to find rough spots because the splines will not stay centered. This sounds like it's either FUBAR'd or that this test isn't very effective....or that I'm doing it wrong.
I found it on a forum, here's the post:
NO LIVE LINKS
5th post on above page
4530318 - Fri Jul 04 2008 08:48 AM: Get two long, flat screw drivers. Put one all the way in until you touch the bottom splines. It should turn freely forward and backwards. Now use that same screw driver and keep the lower spline from turning. Use the second screw driver and contact the splines above the lower one. The upper spline should only turn in one direction with no tight spots. if it turns both directions with the bottom spline locked, it's bad. If there is any rough feel to either splines while turning I wouldn't use it.
I can provide pictures or video if required. I have the valvebody off so I can see some of what's going on if I put the torque converter on the transmission and give it a spin but there's no transmission fluid nor pressure so I don't know what that will effectively will tell me.
(This post was edited by Sidom on Dec 5, 2011, 11:56 AM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Dec 5, 2011, 12:04 PM
Post #2 of 3
(2487 views)
|
|
Re: 97 Grank Cherokee Transmission slippage
|
Sign In
|
|
From what you've posted about all this tranny has been thru.......regardless of the exact problem now, it would be best to overhaul it with a new converter.
It's all ready been run low at least one time we know of.....
"Limping a vehicle home" is probably the worst thing you can do....for any problem..... Whatever problem you are having that is affecting the performance, if you continue to drive that vehicle, all you are doing is making what may be a repairable problem into something that is beyond repair.
It's your vehicle so it's your call but with the mileage, abuse and the fact it's already out, you'd be crazy to just do piece work & reinstall it.....
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 5, 2011, 4:43 PM
Post #3 of 3
(2465 views)
|
|
Re: 97 Grank Cherokee Transmission slippage
|
Sign In
|
|
Just some helpful information. If you do decide to replace or overhaul that transmission, be sure to either flush and flow test the transmission cooler in the radiator or just replace the radiator for extra insurance. You don't want to wreck your reconditioned or reman tranny because the cooler was restricted or full of contamination.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Dec 5, 2011, 4:44 PM)
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
Subaru Forester white smoke at start up
1989 toyota pickup 3.0 crank no start
