Hey guys, longtime lurker and 6 year 2003 WJ driver. Unfortunately in the rust belt and second owner, so she was already on borrowed time when I got her. Did the best I could, it’s been a great run and she converted me into a Jeep guy.

Loved it so much I went out looking for another one. After 4 months of finding nothing but rotted out junkers, I scored a rust-free 2003 from Florida today. Thing is trashed on the interior and needs shocks and some body work, but you can eat off the underside.

So here’s my issue… on the ride home tonight I put her in neutral at a stop light, and when I moved back into drive it didn’t go anywhere. I panicked and tried again… nothing. Finally I moved the shifter back a little more, roughly halfway between D and 2 on the panel, and she shifted into drive. I noticed overall that the shifter didn’t feel like my previous one (I still have my first Cherokee, she’s in the driveway next to it), it’s hard to explain but it just doesn’t have a satisfying firm click/thud when I shift to each position like my first Cherokee.

Obviously I’m used to my first one, so everything in this second Cherokee is going to feel like a** to me, but there is definitely something wrong with the shifter going into the correct position. Any ideas? Every video or forum thread I find deals with guys who cant get their vehicle out of gear or into park… but that’s not exactly what mines doing. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

Rats…

 

Bump. Normally never do this but really need help on this one.

 

Hi, should just need to play around with and adjust the shifter linkage under the car

 

I climbed underneath and took a look today. I see multiple issues and I can describe them and attach pictures, but watching my YouTube video on it would probably be easiest.

I’ll post the pics and description next, but here’s the video:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GhvGeyQd1og


And here’s the non-video version…

One of the mounts looks like a bolt snapped off, although it appears to be holding:



The main cable has a cut in it that has rusted braided wires from the exposed protective sheath. I had a bicycle experience this once and the brake cable rusted, becoming inoperable. Not sure if this is the whole problem, but definitely should be replaced:


I’m not sure what this is, transmission temperature or pressure sensor? The threads don’t appear all the way in… that might be normal, I just don’t personally know… but what I do know is that the plastic piece spins at least a half turn freely with my fingers and jiggles. It just doesn’t not feel right to me. AND… it’s “juicy”. Seems to be where the leak is coming from:




Kid said he did a servicing on it 11k miles ago and I believe put a new gasket on it… but then again the lower seal on the engine itself is leaking too so I can’t trust any of this was done correctly.

Lastly, the pivoting bracket above the one shown in the picture moves freely with the piston by hand pressure. I’m not sure it’s supposed to do that. You can see it better in the video, but here’s two pictures showing it in different positions. By contrast, I cannot even budge the one below it with my hand.