So this weekend I along with my buddies went to the sand dunes in Michigan. I have a 99 4.0 and he has a Wrangler. any how, I ended up getting suck in the sand and after a few minutes of trying to get out before I was pulled out, my Jeep started acting weird. In 4wd it wouldn't rev past 2000 rpm and for some reason when I was revving it the wheels wouldn't turn at all. So I shut it off for a while then I got pulled out. On the way back home I drove for 4 hours without a hiccup. Why would my Jeep do that? Any ideas?

 

Not engaged all the way?

Did you drive it home in 4wd? If not, did you test it out at all to see if 4wd is working now and not acting up? 4wd hi or lo?

 

No I didn't drive home in 4wd. But yeah I did test it after wards and it did work. it was in 4hi when I had the issue. The Jeep had never done that before. Was this some like limp mode or something cuz I was mashing the throttle and it wouldn't go past 2000 at all. It would just sit there

 

It wouldn't rev past 2k rpm because the torque converter limits that. Something binded the driveline.

 

What's your trans fluid look like now?

 

Can you explain this further please

 

Still looks pretty good and doesn't smell burnt. I tries the 4x4 and its working fine now. I should also add that my abs light came on when I was stuck. But turned off after I was pulled out

 

Any more help??

 

Change the trans fluid. Drain it using the plug. Put 3.8 quarts of Dexron III back in. Drive it.

 

I will do it tomorrow morning thank you. So this was a transmission issue? Did I over heat the transmission? Once I left the sand dunes it drove fine

 

Hard to say since we weren't there. The changing of the fluid is maintenance anyway and it can't hurt.

 

Hold the brakes and go WOT. You'll see the engine not going past 2k. That's the torque converter stall. Don't do it for too long. Energy not being spent to move the vehicle will generate heat instead. Fluid degrades and smells burnt cause of that.