MR E30

Hey guys,

My XJ has been really good to me since I bought it almost a year ago.

Unfortunately I am having a serious issue that is keeping me from enjoying the goopy mud from all of the melting snow.

I was driving home, hit a bump, heard a weird grinding noise that lasted about ten seconds, and I got home. Went to put the truck into reverse to back down the driveway and nothing happened.

All gears, other than park, mimics neutral. With the truck in drive I can push it back and forth, and revving the engine does nothing. The same goes for every option of the shift lever, other than park which does what its supposed to.

I have tried all three positions of the transfer case, to no avail. It ran like a champ right before this happened.

Fluid is full and clean, verified right after this happened.

I havent had the time to get a good look at whats going on down there, though nothing major is broken as far as I can see.

Has anybody dealt with this issue? I searched but couldnt find anything relative.

Thanks in advance!

ss427ci

How big of a bump are we talking here?

Sounds like a linkage issue to me.

Take your center console out and check the linkage at the trans and transfer shifters, as well as crawling underneath to take a look at the linkage going to the trans and transfer case.

Just look for anything out of the ordinary or hanging down. Try and google some images of those areas to use as reference.

Report back if you see something weird, and remember, pictures are worth a thousand words.

MR E30

Thanks. Will do tomorrow morning.

Not a huge bump at all. More like a pothole. Right after I hit it the truck drove fine, up a steep hill and all the rest of the way to my house.

belvedere

I would agree, except it sounds like it moves in and out of Park OK...

cruiser54

I'd be checking the transfer case linkage underneath.

When you shift from D or R to P, do you get a whirling/grinding noise?

TC Jeep

Jeep drove home the remainder of the drive home ok?
When the shifter is moved to D, can you feel trans engage, and it just doesn't move?
Sounds almost like an internal trans problems to me... Broken band, sungear, etc.

ss427ci

Ahh true, good point.

Could it be a ring and pinion issue? Not sure...

MR E30

It definitely makes no effort to try and engage any gears, but like you all noticed, it does Park just as it should.

No gridning noises in any gear, nor any transfer case position.

I have verified that when the shifter is moved within the cabin that the linkage moves on the transmission.

The truck is in the garage now, awaiting a little bit of free time from school, and a little investigating on my part on how to pull the transmission.

Notihng on the outside looks unordinary in any manner, and no fluid is leaking. Fluid is still full and clean.

bigRyan1127

Sounds like what happened in my c1500 blew out sprag in torque converter

MR E30

Update!!

Transmission is still full of fluid.

Disconnected the cooler line at the radiator, and started the truck. Ran the shifter through every gear and no fluid came out of either the hose or the radiator.

So, tell me what this means. Torque converter took a dump on me?

If so, can anyone recommend a good brand? Or will what I find at autozone be good enough?

TIA

DFlintstone

Pull the little inspection plate behind the engine oil pan (on the bottom front of the bell-housing), and check that the Torque converter is bolted to the flex plate. Likely you will pull that anyway, might as well take a look.

That would explain no fluid pumping, maybe the noise, and park working.

letsgomuddin

This! Happened to a buddy of mine, converter bolts were loose and sheared off causing about the same as you describe except his was dead where it was and we had to tow it. Check it out and let us know!

MR E30

I will do just that.

Driveshafts and exhaust are pulled already.

I am just a little nervous abou dropping the transmission because it and the transfer case are HUGE!

Not to mention my long arm lift adds a little bit of difficulty with dropping the rear crossmember that the tranny rests on, since the long arm bolts to a beefier crossmember.

Oh well, I have to get it done. I miss driving this thing on the trails!

bigRyan1127

Bad tranny pump maybe happened to my buddy's xj

MR E30

Long awaited update!

Pulled the inspection plate, the 4 bolts that secure the torque converter to the flywheel are intact, and that sucker does not spin freely.

I guess its the pump, now to learn how to swap it out.