Yup, you read that right. Here's the deal: 2004 WJ 4.0, 2wd. Occasionally, 2 or 3 times a month, my wifes g.c. will experience a strange trans disengagement condition, not slipping. Usually occurs after only a minute or so of driving. Sometimes less. We'll back out of the driveway, drive a block or two, make a hard turn and the trans feels like someone bumped it into neutral. If i get my foot off the gas and give it a few seconds, will bump back into gear and be fine for a couple of weeks. Fluid is nice and pink and level is full.

 

Looks like you are suspecting what I would suspect, Sounds like it's sucking air in there somehow when the fluid sloshes to one side. Could the pickup screen have vibrated loose where it bolts up inside? Does it feel like it could be a bubble and then picking up fluid again? or does it feel like it is actually physically changing gears back and forth between drive and neutral?

 

Well, I'm not sure as my wife is usually driving it and it only happened to me once. I took it for a drive today, got it nice and warm, checked the trans fluid level in neutral when hot in the nice level parking lot of my local NAPA and found it was a little over a quart low. It's also not as nice and pink as I remember since last check a few months ago. So, time for a complete trans service, new filter and see if I can find the leak. It's gotta be going somewhere.

 

Well there you go. It probably did suck air then. Most transmissions get to the level where they will do this at a quart low. Automatics are kind of unforgiving this way.