BigVaz

First I want to start by asking that you all be honest. Don't just blow smoke up my ***.....

I always hear that the automatic jeep tranny's are weak and unreliable. I know a few people with auto YJ's and TJ's and they seem to be nothing but trouble. Do the cherokee's use the same tranny's as the wranglers? (may be a dumb question, but idk?)

How have the auto's held up for you guys and is there any truth to what I see and hear???

Thanks!!!!!

muddeprived

I was one of those wrangler owners with a troublesome 3 speed. I took the blame for it though cuz i dunked it too deep in......an ocean.

Can't help ya with the cherokee trannies cuz i've only had mine since last summer. It does have a hard kick when shifting from 1st to 2nd. I can probably blame the college chick that owned it before cuz she never changed the fluid. it was brown.

The wranglers used 32RH 3speeds (mine did) and a 4 speed 42RLE. They also had a 6 speed on the new rigs. The cherokee trannies are AW4's.

Here's some good readings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_and_Jeep_transmissions

ktmracer419

xj's use aw4's

tj's use the nv3550 (iirc)

the aw4 is certainly not what i would consider weak

BigVaz

Maybe some more details about what makes them different. I just want to be sure before I buy one....

jebusama

my first two jeeps were automatics, both over 200k and ran VERY strong... the older 5 speed not so much. i would rather have the auto personally. never had any problem with the automatic.

muddeprived

No need to worry. They are good transmissions. it all comes down to how it was maintained. You can have problems with even the best transmissions if you dont' take care of them. The 3 speeds in the TJ's were known to be bulletproof but mine took a bullet and failed....cuz of my own wrongdoing.

Test drive the vehicle and check the shifting and also inspect the fluid. If it looks clean and shifts good, you should be good for the long run.

Belto

well, mine is all weird and leaky.. it has a leak and I have to manualy shift 1st after that is all ok and perfect,, I will take it to the mechanic on tuesday.. to see whats wrong.. I thing this is going to cost me...

muddeprived

How many miles on the ticker? Tranny fluid been maintained?

Belto

118K,, ist now, bc it leak it all off and is has all new fluid since last saturday

muddeprived

so it wasn't changed in the first 100K? sorry it was a little hard to understand what ya just said.

Belto

that I know of the guy that sold it to me change it back in the 2006 and last saturdy I let it park in front of my house for a few days..and it dry out,, so saturday I put new all again..

muddeprived

Maybe it's possible that it's been over filled? They shift funny when they have too much fluid or too little. Hard to say really without any knowledge of what the transmission went through in the past.

What kind of fluid does it have in it?

Belto

the cheapest auto tranny oil I could find.. when it gets check on tuesday Ill put some cuality oil in it.. but now,, if its going to drip out,, why spend my money..

Belto

I probably did over fill it,, but now is level ok,, so I will check when I get out of college to se how much oil did it driped..

ps: to the original poster,, sorry to hijack your thread

dabeast727

they arent terrible, but they are automatics. with the exception of the TH 400s and stuff on chevys autos arent hte best. Theyre easier to wheel offroad, and waaaaay easier to get up an RTI ramp with, but the ax15 manual will save you tons of trouble. my last zj, had 109k when bought, sold with 112k. i had wheeled it a lot on 30" tires and by the time i sold it hte trans was acting wierd, thats why i sold it - i could see a rebuild coming soon. they just arent built for that abuse.