ernastovich

Howdy everyone,

Couple years back, I got excited and got my first jeep, a 2015 Renegade, "the Orange Lightning". The love for the renny was strong, so I didn't want to bang it up while new and went out and purchased an old "true" jeep to be a daily driver and occasional offroader, enter 1994 Grand Cherokee "Snow Storm".

Car had 208k miles on it, ran smooth as butter, and very clean. However she's beginning to reveal to me why she was put up for adoption. The transmission has some funk to it, and I can't quite figure it out, maybe you good people can point me in the right direction?

The specs: As far as I know, the car is stock. It has a 5.2L V8, and the transmission is 46RH. Can't remember which transfer case I have off the top of my head, but its a full time 4 wheel drive (H, N, or L no option for 2WD).
I don't think this vehicle is equipped with OBD II because of its age, but I did try looking for the OBD connector nevertheless, and was not able to find it. Regardless, I am getting no idiot lights on the dashboard, so she's not really complaining to me. Being very passive aggressive if I am honest.

The symptoms
Start her up cold, no problem. Shifts fine, it DOES make some sound when you put it in R, its a sound that to me sounds like a slipping clutch or something. Mind you I have very little experience with automobiles, the sound could very well be something totally unrelated. It will make that sound for 4-5 seconds, and then go quiet again. Reverses fine though, no problems with that.

Pop it into drive, and she will shift into every single gear at about 1500-1800 rpm, unless I try to accelerate faster, in which case she's happy to shift at 2000-2500 (I don't do this often). Things appear to be fine until .................................................. .................................................. ...........................................
It stops shifting up.
Now I haven't quite figured out what are the pre-requisites for it start slipping(?), but it appears to be related to either a) temperature or b)hard acceleration. Remember when I said if i accelerate hard, it will shift at 2.5k? Well I can only do that maybe once or twice during a ride. Do it once, and she gets mad at me and stops talking to me. If I take her out and am a good boy, never pushing the revs beyond 2k, it doesn't matter how long I drive, how hot it gets, whether I am on streets or freeway, it shifts with no problems, very smoothly. The only way I know its shifting is, the tach drops and I go faster. No thumps or jerks or any noise whatsoever.

My initial suspicion was that I either had bad fluid, low fluid, or internal problem (worn clutches or something). Well, the fluid doesn't look stellar, it's pretty brown, but that being said, it is all the way up to the full mark (checked after a long drive, while the engine is running, and the transmission is in P, N, and D, all three gave nearly the same level). So I mentally noted it as probably being the crappy fluid thats upsetting the bowels of the transmission, but .... the mystery deepens. Earlier today, I was driving back home, I had been on the road for a while, city driving (the kind that gives me the worst case with this car), and it for some reason just got stuck in 1st gear. Well, there was some traffic behind me, very eager to get to the next red light, but of course I was not about to rev to 6000 trying to go 40mph in 1st. So I popped it into neutral, waited for traffic to pass as I slowly coasted down the road, then while in motion, I put it back into drive, and it shifted immediately into 2nd gear (the correct gear for that speed). Well obviously it speeds up in 2nd gear, and refuses to go to 3rd when its time... So I tried that neutral to drive trick again... and lo and behold... SHE SHIFTS!

I ran this diabolical experiment on the car about 10 times, and every single time, the transmission shifted correctly ONLY when I switched from N to D while in motion. After a while, she began to behave again and shifting at the appropriate speeds/rpms and I didn't have to do that trick.

But this begs the question... several questions, in fact. 1) can bad fluid cause this behavior? 2) if it isn't fluid related, or if it is only partially fluid related, what else should I be looking at?
I have read several times that the solenoids may be trying to take an early retirement, however I am kind of doubting that as the source of the problem because of this new neutral to drive behavior.

Anyone have ideas? Experience? Suggestions?

Thanks fellas

wingless

Welcome to the forum.

There are several first steps when the transmission acts up. You've already done some.


Properly check / set the fluid level w/ ATF+4.
Drain / inspect the old fluid, adjust both bands per the FSM and refill w/ ATF+4.
Perform the FSM transmission tests.


FYI your 46RH transmission is connected to the 1st generation NP249 transfer case.

This topic is my 46RH transmission rebuild / upgrade. It has been working great.

IStoleIt

Great write up. Im very impressed. Thanks for doing it. I have recently been planning on pulling my trans, and rebuilding, as I know i have several issues as result of mud/sand sucked into the trans. (I think a leaking trans dipstick tube is the culprit) After reading your write up, I definitely feel more comfortable in doing it, but severely under-estimated the process. I have rebuilt and swapped several motors, and no major tools required. But quickly realized how important that 0.01" is going to make a difference once I put it back on the road. Going to have to borrow a press and find those clearance/guidance bars.