2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee - P0740 after Solenoid replacement.
04-23-2018, 08:24 PM
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Year: 2003
Model: Grand Cherokee(WJ)
Engine: 4.0 6 Cylinder
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee - P0740 after Solenoid replacement.
Hey guys, long time no talk. Update here.
Original story here: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f5/200...n-issue-235318
Approximately six days after this (and barely driving it 40 miles), the Jeep came to a sudden halt at a stop light, and refused to shift out of second gear. I mothballed it in a garage for almost an entire year. When I sold another vehicle, I decided to take one last stab at fixing it before trying to get rid of it for whatever price a malfunctioning Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Updated stats as I am now more familiar with the vehicle, however this setup is weird and does not make sense. I did NOT do this, this is the previous owners.
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
4.0 6-Cylinder
42RE 2WD Transmission (here's the weird catch; uses older round neutral safety switch, but internals are from the later 42RE (square connectors and square transducer)
California Emissions Model
218,000 miles
Strangely for sitting in a year, it did start driving. But it would keep slipping out of gear. Almost everywhere. I got a load of parts and replaced:
Throttle Position Sensor
Overdrive Lockup and Transmission Control Solenoid
Governor Pressure Solenoid
Transmission Transducer Solenoid
Output Speed Sensor
Transmission Filter
All were brand new parts.
My transmission fluid was very metallic and a purple/burgundy color (not red). Think like those purplish colors certain Oldsmobile cars are.
When I removed the governor pressure housing, I noticed on the old solenoid there was fine metal grits completely clogging up the first top section of the solenoid. I don't know what this means or if this is normal, I can't find an answer on that. The other parts seemed fine but I wanted to be safe than sorry, and to try to eliminate any possibility of something going wrong.
Put pan back up, refilled with 5 quarts new ATF+4 fluid. Check engine light comes on; I get a P0740 code of "Torque Converter Clutch Open" warning.
The vehicle now feels like it'll shift a lot more easily, but it keeps randomly jumping out of gear, revving and revving while the vehicle coasts until it randomly decides to go back in. It will manually shift into first and second gear with the lever, but act like this when it's put into D. Sometimes flicking the OD switch will make it go into gear, but not always.
Specifically, the vehicle takes off from a stop, shift's into second then suddenly comes out of gear within 1-3 seconds of shifting into second. There's a period of within 5-15 seconds of the vehicle refusing to go forward until it finally decides to go into 3rd.
Fluid level looks good. I double-checked the connector on top of the transmission casing. I can't tell what else is going on here. Is it truly the torque converter that's bad on this thing or may it be another electrical problem? Is it possible something was bad and the converter is bad? Or the part I put in is screwy?
Insight would be appreciated. Thanks.
Original story here: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f5/200...n-issue-235318
Approximately six days after this (and barely driving it 40 miles), the Jeep came to a sudden halt at a stop light, and refused to shift out of second gear. I mothballed it in a garage for almost an entire year. When I sold another vehicle, I decided to take one last stab at fixing it before trying to get rid of it for whatever price a malfunctioning Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Updated stats as I am now more familiar with the vehicle, however this setup is weird and does not make sense. I did NOT do this, this is the previous owners.
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
4.0 6-Cylinder
42RE 2WD Transmission (here's the weird catch; uses older round neutral safety switch, but internals are from the later 42RE (square connectors and square transducer)
California Emissions Model
218,000 miles
Strangely for sitting in a year, it did start driving. But it would keep slipping out of gear. Almost everywhere. I got a load of parts and replaced:
Throttle Position Sensor
Overdrive Lockup and Transmission Control Solenoid
Governor Pressure Solenoid
Transmission Transducer Solenoid
Output Speed Sensor
Transmission Filter
All were brand new parts.
My transmission fluid was very metallic and a purple/burgundy color (not red). Think like those purplish colors certain Oldsmobile cars are.
When I removed the governor pressure housing, I noticed on the old solenoid there was fine metal grits completely clogging up the first top section of the solenoid. I don't know what this means or if this is normal, I can't find an answer on that. The other parts seemed fine but I wanted to be safe than sorry, and to try to eliminate any possibility of something going wrong.
Put pan back up, refilled with 5 quarts new ATF+4 fluid. Check engine light comes on; I get a P0740 code of "Torque Converter Clutch Open" warning.
The vehicle now feels like it'll shift a lot more easily, but it keeps randomly jumping out of gear, revving and revving while the vehicle coasts until it randomly decides to go back in. It will manually shift into first and second gear with the lever, but act like this when it's put into D. Sometimes flicking the OD switch will make it go into gear, but not always.
Specifically, the vehicle takes off from a stop, shift's into second then suddenly comes out of gear within 1-3 seconds of shifting into second. There's a period of within 5-15 seconds of the vehicle refusing to go forward until it finally decides to go into 3rd.
Fluid level looks good. I double-checked the connector on top of the transmission casing. I can't tell what else is going on here. Is it truly the torque converter that's bad on this thing or may it be another electrical problem? Is it possible something was bad and the converter is bad? Or the part I put in is screwy?
Insight would be appreciated. Thanks.
Last edited by Blueoriontiger; 04-23-2018 at 08:26 PM. Reason: Mixed up info on stats
04-24-2018, 04:52 AM
#2
Old fart with a wrench
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest you have a governor pressure problem. Not the solenoid, but the governor itself. With metal filings in the transmission something is eating itself away and clogging ports. Eventually it will score the valve body spools.
The torque converter clutch is not much of a problem. I've been driving mine for 4 years with a P0740 code. All the lock-up clutch does is reduce the rpms at 55 by about 200. I've replaced the solenoid and the drain-back valve already so I know it's the clutch itself, but I ain't tearing out the converter just for that.
My advise is to look at a transmission rebuild or buy a junkyard trans and rebuild that. A bench rebuild costs a lot less than removing and replacing one. Swapping a transmission is pretty easy if you're careful. Be sure to pull the converter WITH the trans! Don't leave it on the engine. You can damage the trans input shaft that way. Also remove the crank sensor first so it doesn't get damaged. Be sure to flush the cooler as well.
As long as the engine is sound and the body structure is not rusted, it's worth putting money into it. In my opinion. My 2000 has 235K miles on it with the original engine and trans.
The torque converter clutch is not much of a problem. I've been driving mine for 4 years with a P0740 code. All the lock-up clutch does is reduce the rpms at 55 by about 200. I've replaced the solenoid and the drain-back valve already so I know it's the clutch itself, but I ain't tearing out the converter just for that.
My advise is to look at a transmission rebuild or buy a junkyard trans and rebuild that. A bench rebuild costs a lot less than removing and replacing one. Swapping a transmission is pretty easy if you're careful. Be sure to pull the converter WITH the trans! Don't leave it on the engine. You can damage the trans input shaft that way. Also remove the crank sensor first so it doesn't get damaged. Be sure to flush the cooler as well.
As long as the engine is sound and the body structure is not rusted, it's worth putting money into it. In my opinion. My 2000 has 235K miles on it with the original engine and trans.
Last edited by dave1123; 04-24-2018 at 05:02 AM.
05-31-2018, 03:22 PM
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Hello everyone, sorry for the delay in response.
I took the Jeep to get professionally looked at by a mechanic the other day. Something physically wrong inside the transmission is what's causing the issue; the mechanic thinks its the clutch plate from the diagnostic he did, and it's grinding against something, not engaging.
dave1123's recommendation of a rebuild get a salvage transmission, were also the options given to me by the mechanic is well. So it appears I'll just need to bite the bullet and go one of those routes.
Thanks again to everyone's suggestions with repairs, and their patience as well. I'm marking this case as closed as a rebuild or another transmission is the only way to fix this.
I took the Jeep to get professionally looked at by a mechanic the other day. Something physically wrong inside the transmission is what's causing the issue; the mechanic thinks its the clutch plate from the diagnostic he did, and it's grinding against something, not engaging.
dave1123's recommendation of a rebuild get a salvage transmission, were also the options given to me by the mechanic is well. So it appears I'll just need to bite the bullet and go one of those routes.
Thanks again to everyone's suggestions with repairs, and their patience as well. I'm marking this case as closed as a rebuild or another transmission is the only way to fix this.
Last edited by Blueoriontiger; 05-31-2018 at 03:23 PM. Reason: Deletd excessive spacing between paragraphs
06-01-2018, 09:37 AM
#4
CF Veteran
Before I condemned it I would adjust the bands and TV cable. Slipping 1-2 seems to be the problem. Also pay close attention to the harnesses for the gov pressure sensor, and the lock up solenoid, and the filters on the lockup solenoid. clean the heck out of the little screen on the pressure sensor, and do a fluid change again. Sounds like line pressure is low, there is also adjustments for line pressure on the 42re.
Also MUST have properly filled (check in neutral warmed up) with ATF +4 only! At least I think it's atf+4..for a 2003 re?.
Also MUST have properly filled (check in neutral warmed up) with ATF +4 only! At least I think it's atf+4..for a 2003 re?.
12-08-2018, 04:11 PM
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Year: 2003
Model: Grand Cherokee(WJ)
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Sorry for taking so long to reply, and keeing anyone who was watching this for a solution to be waiting. However, I have a closure to this story.
One important fact I missed in my last post; the mechanic stated that something was burning up the transmission oil. It had a burnt smell and he was under the impression that it went hand in hand with the “physical problem.” Sorry that I missed pointing that out.
For the past six months, I simply mothballed the vehicle and gathered up the money to get the transmission rebuilt. This week I finally took the vehicle to get fixed. I specifically went this route as I had a good deal with the mechanic who did this, and as this was a mounting personal problem for me, wanted to know what the heck was wrong wtih the transmission. There was also the risk of getting a bad tramsission when getting a salvaged one; most of the ones I found were closed to the price of the quote given to me, so that was a deciding factor as well.
Long story short, got it back yesterday. Works great. That’s what needed to happen to fix it, in TL;DR format.
In more detail, the guy who rebuilt it gave me information on what was wrong with it. The transfer gear for reverse was eaten up, along with the pressure plate to engage the gear. Same thing for third gear; also there was an external gear at the end of the transfer chase that had a long cylinder shape (I don’t recall the name), and half the teeth off the gear were broken off of that. This is is why transmission would sometimes shift and not.
Also because of all those worn and broken gears, that’s what was sending the shavings into the transmission and clogging up the solenoids. As such this is what would lead to the low pressure and other fluid issues.
This essentially also meant that the transmission had a 50% chance to actually go into gear when put directly into drive, and why the Jeep would only reliably go into 2nd gear. This is also why before all these things happened, is why the transmission would sometimes “slip” when trying to come out of 2nd gear.
So yes, this is the final closure to this entire debacle. Thanks to everyone’s advice and tips along the way, and while it never ultimately never solved the issue, it was a good learning experience in the worst case scenario. You guys have a great holiday and thanks again.
One important fact I missed in my last post; the mechanic stated that something was burning up the transmission oil. It had a burnt smell and he was under the impression that it went hand in hand with the “physical problem.” Sorry that I missed pointing that out.
For the past six months, I simply mothballed the vehicle and gathered up the money to get the transmission rebuilt. This week I finally took the vehicle to get fixed. I specifically went this route as I had a good deal with the mechanic who did this, and as this was a mounting personal problem for me, wanted to know what the heck was wrong wtih the transmission. There was also the risk of getting a bad tramsission when getting a salvaged one; most of the ones I found were closed to the price of the quote given to me, so that was a deciding factor as well.
Long story short, got it back yesterday. Works great. That’s what needed to happen to fix it, in TL;DR format.
In more detail, the guy who rebuilt it gave me information on what was wrong with it. The transfer gear for reverse was eaten up, along with the pressure plate to engage the gear. Same thing for third gear; also there was an external gear at the end of the transfer chase that had a long cylinder shape (I don’t recall the name), and half the teeth off the gear were broken off of that. This is is why transmission would sometimes shift and not.
Also because of all those worn and broken gears, that’s what was sending the shavings into the transmission and clogging up the solenoids. As such this is what would lead to the low pressure and other fluid issues.
This essentially also meant that the transmission had a 50% chance to actually go into gear when put directly into drive, and why the Jeep would only reliably go into 2nd gear. This is also why before all these things happened, is why the transmission would sometimes “slip” when trying to come out of 2nd gear.
So yes, this is the final closure to this entire debacle. Thanks to everyone’s advice and tips along the way, and while it never ultimately never solved the issue, it was a good learning experience in the worst case scenario. You guys have a great holiday and thanks again.
12-09-2018, 10:51 AM
#7
CF Veteran
With all those broken gears that transmission pan must have been a mess! Thanks for the update.
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