I have a 99 Cherokee that has developed a problem since Christmas Eve and I could really use some advice. The problems are as follows....
1. When I shift into Drive it doesn't want to accelerate, but when I start in 1-2, it accelerates normal. It started doing this Christmas Eve and then stopped, but then started doing it again today
2. The lights fade normal to low to bright and the gauges fluctuate back amd forth. It does this for a few minutes then goes back to normal and then starts up again.

Any suggestions, advice, tips or anything is appreciated.

Thanks, Jake

 

Well, first of all welcome....a bit late, but since you had no replies so far, I thought to 'bump you up',since we're here to help.

afew things I'd check: your ATF (trans fluid) for level and quality. You want it red/dark pink. If its black, start draining and refilling it untill its the right color.

Regarding the other issue: battery checked? Load tested?
Start cleaning ALL the grounds in the engine bay. This is good maintenance and can solve some weird electrical issues.
Start with this. Chances are, since you're back on top, that others have a second chance to provide you with awesome advice....

 

You shouldn't be able to start in 1-2. Maybe you need to adjust/check your neutral safety switch (NSS). It might be tweaked enough to think Neutral is Drive.

 

As for the electrical problems, try getting your alternator tested. Could be at voltage regulator issue. It's your Jeep throwing codes?

 

I don't think he meant he could start the engine in 1st or 2nd gear. I think he was talking about manually shifting it through the gears versus just leaving it in drive.

 

Oh, ok. I read that wrong. Depends on what he meant by "accelerate". Is it stuck in first or does the motor rev and car not move? Better check/change that fluid. Maybe put some Lucas in there.

 

Yeah, you're stuck in high gear. That happens when the solenoids aren't working.
I'd poke around the transmission/tcu wiring and connectors for something intermittent. If you don't find anything wrong check the resistance of the solenoids themselves, both hot and cold.

Your other issue, the lights fading and gauges dropping- check grounds and fix 'em up. Particularly the sensor grounds near the dipstick, the battery to block and battery to chassis grounds. Might be causing your trans problem too, the solenoids won't shift without a good ground to the transmission case.

 

Radi, question: if he can drive shifting manually with no issues, can the solenoids still be bad...or is that exactly the clue towards bad solenoids?

 

The solenoids aren't used when you shift manually. If the trans shifts OK manually you know it's mechanically OK, the fault is in the electronics.

 

Thanks mate. I was under the impression, that the solenoids would still be somehow involved in shifting from one gear to the next, even when shifting manually, like from 1 to 2 in the 1-2 gear selection...

 

In response to an earlier suggestion: don't put Lucas in anything. Unnecessary, waste of money, could be harmful.

 

really? i've ran their fuel treatment a few times and have never had an issue. can't say it's really improved anything either though

 

I missed your post also, Welcome to the forum!


I would take it to a transmission shop and ask them if they could run a diagnostic check for you, all the shops in this area will do one for free. In fact my son just had one done on his because it was not shifting properly they ran down the problem.

Prior to that he took it to a friend and used his reader to see what the problem was. It showed a lot of things to replace and he was going to and went as far as removing the pan, replacing filter, checking valves all to no avail. I told him to stop and take it to someone who knows what they are doing.

He took it to a trans shop and they found a bare spot on a wire in the transmission and a bad switch, BTW the shop eliminated 90% of the other codes he had from his friends code reader just from knowledge. They did replace a few other things that were worn and were close to end of life.

Total cost for everything including new filter/fluid both had dirt and a few filings in them, total cost $289.

 

As I said, waste of money. The only thing I would put in my transmission is transmission fluid.

OEMs don't use Lucas so why should I?