If you put it in 4lo on pavement won't you just jerk around and bind up anyways when ya turn the wheel?

 

Depends on how sticky your tires are. But i don't recommend doing this anyways (on pavement). Do it on gravel or dirt road.

 

Not a good idea, you will mess a lot of things up real quick if you are on road.

 

Sounds like torq converter, but also what fuel system cleaner did you put through it? I used Seafoam and now my ZJ Bucks randomly and stalls in reverse, but after some reading I found that some fuel system cleaners will damage the fuel injectors and cause the "Bucking" problem...

 

was going to say...I know my buddy tested his on pavement and all it did was jerk around.,..now once he got on gravel and mud it worked fine..

 

You "Torque converter guys" nailed it on the head...
Except it wasn't a bad torque converter. It was a binding torque converter.

I have had to follow up behind the morons that put my engine in.
Again.
They didn't tighten the transmission bolts down, and aparently they had worked themselves about 2 turns out. Enough to give me about a 1/4 inch gap between the bell housing and the engine block. Letting the engine shift slightly when it was put in reverse and binding the converter.

I just happened to notice when I had the hood open and blipped the throttle after I cleaned the intake. I saw the motor move and the transmission stay still. Scary huh?

 

Glad you found it. I was racking my brain and couldn't come up with anything else. Never would have thought that the two were not tightly connected. Thanks so much for the update. Will store that away in the two remaining functional brain cells.
Blue

 

Sweet glad it all worked out...

 

I wanna say thanks for this thread.

I HAD a problem with my 97 XJ (118k) stalling and bucking only in reverse. I would describe it as "bucking", but in actuality it was cutting out at about 1000 rpm. If I would feather the throttle just below 1000 rpm, it would cut out and in like a rev limiter. I was barely able to manage in a parking lot situation.

The CEL light would flash a code that read there was an issue with the reverse solenoid.

Several related threads discussed checking the IAC, cleaning it, along with the throttle body. I removed and cleaned the IAC, and ran a can of cleaner through IAC port and the throttle body. They were a little dirty, but non-functional filthy. After the cleaning the vehicle idled much smoother when starting up cold, and in reverse I could pull about 1700 rpm before the engine would cut out. My Cherokee was still bucking and stalling in reverse.

This made some sense, because occasionally the engine would completely stall in reverse. The Jeep would then fail to start. It would act like a battery terminal was loose. You know, enough power for the interior then you would turn the ignition over, and no crank, just the clicking of relays.

I replaced the battery terminals along with cleaning the neg. ground to the passenger side fender, along with some dielectric grease. The terminals were long overdue. That didn't fix it. I then cleaned the ground terminal at the bottom of the dipstick. TADA!!!!

This did the trick. I can burn out in reverse now!

I cleaned the engine block to the firewall cable contacts and the two on the driver side wheel well just to avoid future problems.

This forum helped a lot! I just wanted to relate my personal experience for others who might run into the same situation.

 

What dipstick?

 

It was the ground at the bottom of the oil dipstick.

 

That's odd. I thought that the grounds (two wires, one ring terminal) at the oil dipstick tube were for the Data Link Connector.

Does your dipstick ground have more than one 'ring terminal' at this ground point?

Photo would be nice.

Edit: photo of my dipstick ground point ('99 XJ):

 

All right Ken ... I got a pic.

Don't gripe too much, I know a spark plug wire is in the way, it's snowing heavy here in Indiana, and the vehicle is outside. This is the best I could do with shivering. The white stuff on the block is SNOW ... lol.


Additional notes:

1. I stated earlier that I tested the vehicle after cleaning the "oil dipstick" ground. I was incorrect. I actually cleaned the dipstick ground and the engine to firewall ground then tested it. At that time the reverse problem was solved.

2. Earlier I stated that the vehicle would stall out in reverse and fail to restart, as if it had a loose terminal. The vehicle had 50 psi of fuel pressure with the ignition in the start position. I found I could start the vehicle by using jumper on the starter relay.

I dunno? Forgive me for my ignorance.

 

Thanks for the pic.

That is your DLC ground.

I suspect that by cleaning the firewall ground you provided a clean ground path from the battery gound post to the chassis via the engine ground at the ignition coil mount studs.

The original ground problem may still exist at the ground connected to the right inner fender, next to the battery. This is the main battery to chassis ground. The firewall ground is a radio interferance suppressor bonding strap but does provide a ground path to the chassis. If you get a chance, remove that short cable from the battery ground post to the right inner fender and clean the ring terminal and remove the rust from the fender. Reassemble using a new bolt, if you can.

Edit: I just reviewed what you had written earlier where you said you cleaned the ground at the fender. I also noticed that you said you used Dielectric Grease. Dielectric grease should not be used because it is an insulator, not a conductor. Dielectric grease will only agrivate a poor ground connection. If anything, you should use a product called 'OxGard' on the ground connections. OxGard is available t Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

 

I have the exact same problem as you stated with only stalling in reverse and I cleaned that ground you said and it didn't do the trick. My CEL light is on but I haven't checked to see what it's on for. Any ideas ? My jeep runs and drives perfect until you go in reverse and it bucs out and dies.