AW4 Transmission Issues
09-01-2017, 09:16 PM
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AW4 Transmission Issues
Yo dudes and female dudes,
I just bought myself a '98 XJ from one of those dirt lot used car dealerships. Knowing things might be sketchy, I took the thing to an independent mechanic to have it looked at. The Jeep turned out to be running a general transmission code P0700, and so I was able to talk the dealer down to what I thought was a pretty fair price considering I was taking a gamble on the transmission. The Jeep didn't seem to being bucking or slipping when I took it for a test drive, but the transmission fluid was black and definitely smelled a little burnt.
Drove it directly to ANOTHER mechanic after purchasing, and after that mechanic did some sleuthing he said the more specific code it's throwing is a P1745. I tried to do some research on this but was only able to find two threads, which is a little disconcerting for me. It looks like it has something to do with a solenoid issue? The thing is, one of the dudes that had that same code had to end up swapping out his whole transmission.
The mechanic said he'd have to charge hourly at this point trying to diagnose / fix the problem (checking connections, then checking actual solenoids, etc), which could end up being $200-$500 best case scenario.
I've been torn about where to proceed from here. I'm scared that if I take it home (1.5 hours away from mechanic) I'm going to end up frying the transmission completely and ruining any chances of saving it, but I'm also kinda bummed that I might end up spending $2000 on a transmission swap at the shop without any ability to really get it home anyway.
Otherwise, the Jeep is in surprising good shape for its age. 0 rust on the body / frame / rockers / floor pans. Engine still seems to be running great.
What do you guys think? Did I F up and buy something I'm in over my head for? Has anyone seen this code before? Should I just invest in a lift and a tranny jack and learn how to do the job myself?!
Thanks in advance to all.
Sad Disorganized Man
I just bought myself a '98 XJ from one of those dirt lot used car dealerships. Knowing things might be sketchy, I took the thing to an independent mechanic to have it looked at. The Jeep turned out to be running a general transmission code P0700, and so I was able to talk the dealer down to what I thought was a pretty fair price considering I was taking a gamble on the transmission. The Jeep didn't seem to being bucking or slipping when I took it for a test drive, but the transmission fluid was black and definitely smelled a little burnt.
Drove it directly to ANOTHER mechanic after purchasing, and after that mechanic did some sleuthing he said the more specific code it's throwing is a P1745. I tried to do some research on this but was only able to find two threads, which is a little disconcerting for me. It looks like it has something to do with a solenoid issue? The thing is, one of the dudes that had that same code had to end up swapping out his whole transmission.
The mechanic said he'd have to charge hourly at this point trying to diagnose / fix the problem (checking connections, then checking actual solenoids, etc), which could end up being $200-$500 best case scenario.
I've been torn about where to proceed from here. I'm scared that if I take it home (1.5 hours away from mechanic) I'm going to end up frying the transmission completely and ruining any chances of saving it, but I'm also kinda bummed that I might end up spending $2000 on a transmission swap at the shop without any ability to really get it home anyway.
Otherwise, the Jeep is in surprising good shape for its age. 0 rust on the body / frame / rockers / floor pans. Engine still seems to be running great.
What do you guys think? Did I F up and buy something I'm in over my head for? Has anyone seen this code before? Should I just invest in a lift and a tranny jack and learn how to do the job myself?!
Thanks in advance to all.
Sad Disorganized Man
09-02-2017, 02:57 AM
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hi
the code you get(P1745) is Shift solenoid A I think(not 100% sure). and that is Shift solenoid 1 on the transmission. do you miss any gears when you did drive it too the mechanic?
anyways you can get all 3 Shift solenoid for around 60-150$.
when you have fix the transmission, mount a heavy-duty trans cooler so it dont happened again.
the code you get(P1745) is Shift solenoid A I think(not 100% sure). and that is Shift solenoid 1 on the transmission. do you miss any gears when you did drive it too the mechanic?
anyways you can get all 3 Shift solenoid for around 60-150$.
when you have fix the transmission, mount a heavy-duty trans cooler so it dont happened again.
Last edited by jeep94Norway; 09-02-2017 at 02:59 AM.
09-02-2017, 10:41 AM
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hi
the code you get(P1745) is Shift solenoid A I think(not 100% sure). and that is Shift solenoid 1 on the transmission. do you miss any gears when you did drive it too the mechanic?
anyways you can get all 3 Shift solenoid for around 60-150$.
when you have fix the transmission, mount a heavy-duty trans cooler so it dont happened again.
the code you get(P1745) is Shift solenoid A I think(not 100% sure). and that is Shift solenoid 1 on the transmission. do you miss any gears when you did drive it too the mechanic?
anyways you can get all 3 Shift solenoid for around 60-150$.
when you have fix the transmission, mount a heavy-duty trans cooler so it dont happened again.
Sweet OK yeah I did end up finding the factory service manual for an '01 XJ online, and it has that code and is all about troubleshoot Shift Solenoid A. I didn't notice the car having trouble shifting when I was driving it honestly, and neither did the mechanic who is looking at it.
My question is, is this something I could safely drive back to my house 1.5 hours to work on, or would I fry the transmission by doing so? DO shift solenoids go because of an overheating transmission? The PO was a little old lady from what I can tell and I don't think the jeep was overworked...engine temp was fine and didn't notice any overheating either.
09-02-2017, 11:17 AM
#5
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Sweet OK yeah I did end up finding the factory service manual for an '01 XJ online, and it has that code and is all about troubleshoot Shift Solenoid A. I didn't notice the car having trouble shifting when I was driving it honestly, and neither did the mechanic who is looking at it.
My question is, is this something I could safely drive back to my house 1.5 hours to work on, or would I fry the transmission by doing so? DO shift solenoids go because of an overheating transmission? The PO was a little old lady from what I can tell and I don't think the jeep was overworked...engine temp was fine and didn't notice any overheating either.
My question is, is this something I could safely drive back to my house 1.5 hours to work on, or would I fry the transmission by doing so? DO shift solenoids go because of an overheating transmission? The PO was a little old lady from what I can tell and I don't think the jeep was overworked...engine temp was fine and didn't notice any overheating either.
My .02
09-02-2017, 09:10 PM
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BUH ok. I'm going to talk with the mechanic on Tuesday when he gets in after holiday break, and see what he thinks about the whole thing. I'm hoping it's something as easy as a drain and fill, or even a solenoid replacement. Swapping the transmission might be a little over my head, but I think I can change out the solenoids. So in terms of driveability, you don't think I'd be frying my transmission by driving it home on the highway?