First off - at what RPM does ya'lls tranny shift? I had my fluid changed a few months ago and it has not ran right since - it will shift at 3000 RPM if i go EASY on it. If i need to pull out in heavy traffic it will redline before it shifts.

Second - i pulled the four wheelers last year at the end of the summer and the KJ done AWESOME!!!! I even pulled our 17 ft. ski boat home from TX a full three hours straight and not had one problem! I get in the jeep this week end to pull ONE four wheeler on a 16 ft. trailer to go ridin and the beast started runnin hot on me. I pulled the boat yesterday to go launch it and it ran hot on me! When i stop at a redlight or turn the heater on it will go back to normal for a few minutes. HELP....if i can't pull nothing in the summer then what is the point of having a jeep?

Third - Anyone have a pigtail laying around for the EVIC so i can install mine. I have the EVIC, but i am having trouble gettin the pigtail to hook it up!

Thank you guys and gals

I don't know because I don't tow, but the consensus is
"don't tow with the ovedrive on". You didn't do that, did you?

_________________
Tom (& Cody, that's my dog)
02 Black KJ LTD, 6/01
lots of stuff...can always use more



Previous: 95ZJ 92XJ 90XJ 80CJ5

actually i done it both ways. same problem!

Sounds like the wrong tranny juice was put in. Did you do the job yourself, or have a shop do it? If a shop, do you *KNOW* that they used ATF+4 and not Mercon V? Shifting wrong after a change, but it was fine before... Process of elimination says the change caused it. Something wasn't done right.

The transmission relies on fluid pressure to hold the gears, as well as fluid pressure changes to make it change gears. If the wrong fluid is in there, things can bind, causing incorrect operation, like you are getting. Could also be too much fluid too.

If you aren't dead-certain that the correct fluid was used, I would suggest a complete fluid change. You will want to find a shop that is capable of capturing the old fluid at the inlet to the tranny cooler, and supplying fresh from a separate tank at the same point. That way, the pump will naturally replace all the bad fluid with fresh from the entire system, not just changing the stuff in the pan. If they used the wrong fluid, this is the only way to change it out completely, and hope that severe damage hasn't been done.

For towing... I'm the nut on here that has loaded my CRD with up to the EURO tow rating (7k lbs) as well as pulling an empty (2600 lbs) enclosed car-hauler behind my CRD. Towing is tough, but one ATV shouldn't even have been NOTICED behind the CRD. You have a serious problem that needs investigation. When pulling the 7k lb generator, I didn't see the temp gauge MOVE from dead-center at all. The car hauler... I couldn't go over 65 even if I wanted to, the wind loading made that thing feel like it weighed 10 tons. THAT made the temp climb, but I didn't push the car. I knew it was a tough load.

ok. how do i know if they put in the wrong tranny juice? I told them it used ATF+4 but i wasn't in the shop when they done it. It hasn't shifted right since they changed the fluid.
Do i have to go to a certain dealer to have them change it?

For the towing problem - where do i begin? Change the thermostat? Flush the radiator? Change the water pump? Is it just to hot outside?

I think your overheating problem is caused by the transmission And since it's not shifted right since the fluid change that sure looks like they put in the wrong stuff. As far as finding out what they put in go ask and hope they tell the truth. They might have some fluid they claim "works on all cars" but I also suspect the wrong fluid has been put in and hope after a complete change that no perment harm has been done I learned a long time ago that "one size fits all" never fits any correctly When a problem shows up right after a repair you should take it right stright back not stopping for anything
I tow a 3500 pound travel trailer with and without OD and the temperature guage never budges

_________________
Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

oh i took it back right after i got it and told them that it wasn't shifting right and they assured me that it was normal. i told them it wasn't and it they needed to fix it. They didn't do anything to it. Brought it to a tranny shop and he told me that everything felt normal. i asked him if it was normal then why didn't it do it before. He had no answer.

Sorry to say this but I think they gave you the "dumb broad" answere Maybe time for a visit to the dealer to get it put right then an attorney writing a letter to the shop that did the work requesting damadges

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

It was a dealer that done the work! If i can't trust a Jeep dealer then who can i trust. I know me and my dad could prolly handle it but don't you have to have a special tool to get ALL the old fluid out?

That's why many of us do our own wrenching. Is there another dealer you can take it too? I've read that most dealers only stock the ATF+4 so maybe it's something else. It could be they botched something putting on the filters, there are two of them or possibly over/under filled it.

Maybe you and your dad should get a new set of filters at the dealer, correct fluid, even wall-mart carrys Chrysler ATF+4 fluid and Valvoline ATF+4 and spend a saterday afternoon "bonding" I know when dealers were replacing torque converters under F37 a lot of transmissions were under filled and some had filters installed incorrectly. Hopefully it's something simple (and cheap like fluid and filters)
To answere your question about at what RPM's it shifts I can't say for certain but on light acceleration it should shift into 5th and lock the torque converter at 64 MPH and that as I recall is under 1900 rpm's and 2000 rpms is about 70 mph give or take a little. No way should it be red lining on normal shifts.

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

ok. once it finally shifts to fifth the RPM drops to about 1900 runnin around 65....it runs around 2200 at 73 which is what i normaly run. But it redlines before it gets to fifth. When it finally shifts into fifth the Tach drops way down (around 1900) and the runs fine till i have to put it in passin gear - sometimes it goes in fine - others it redlines and takes forever to get around the vehicle!

About the overheating: Have you checked the mechanical fan? Several 05's have had trouble with the clutch on the fan going out. When it gets hot outside, you should hear that fan blowing under the hood like a mini-tornado. If you don't-- the fan is likely not working. It makes a huge difference. It is not terribly expensive to replace either.

Did they F37 flash your Jeep when it was in? That would change the shift points and rob you of power. My experience is that sadly, you cannot trust the dealer. The only CRD training they got was a 2 hour videotape, and that was over 4 years ago. One of the few good things about the dealer is they know to use the ATF-4.

I'm sorry that you are having to learn about the Mopar dealers like this. Sadly, taking it to another dealer is unlikely to solve the problem, and even though Joe is possibly right that they did the "pat the girl on the head and send her away" kind of response to you... It wasn't because of anything you are or did. Its because they just ARE incompetent. I'm surprised that they would have used the wrong fluid at a dealer tho unless they were some kinda REALLY special stupid... All Chryslers have ever used is ATF+4. They shouldn't even have anything different. Maybe they did just bugger the filters, but you have a problem either way.

Its been a long time since I drove my own CRD, but I forgot to mention about the shifting - I NEVER shift higher than 2500 rpm, and 90% of the time it shifts at 2200 or lower.

You don't need anything really special to do a complete flush, but it won't be cheap either. You will need a LOT of ATF+4 juice. This is the best way to do it: There are 2 liquid lines that exit the transmission body and run forward to the radiator and / or to an external cooler on the front. I say and / or there because sometimes when an external cooler is installed, the original that is built into the radiator is disconnected. On mine, I will have an external cooler connected BEFORE the radiator one, and use both. That way if the fluid is super-hot while towing, it will be cooled by the air first, then the radiator. And when the fluid isn't hot, it will stay cool from the air, then get warmed back up by the radiator water... So the temp is maintained better either way.

So back to your CRD. Follow those liquid lines (usually hard aluminum tubing) from the transmission up to the front and find what they connect to. Mark the connections so you don't mix them up, and unhook them. Using some lengths of rubber hose, run both into a bucket or container. This is the fun part: You are trying to identify which side is the suction side. BRIEFLY start the engine while a helper (your dad) marks the hose that is now spraying fluid into the bucket.

The really fun part: You want to make an "IV bottle" for the other tube. This needs to potentially hold 4 GALLONS of clean fluid, and be above the engine level so it flows into the tube under its own power. The outlet tube should be in a separate bucket where you can watch for a change in color of the fluid, which signifies that all the old fluid is out. Once this is set up, just start the engine and let the pump do it's thing at idle. It shouldn't take long. After that - Drop the pan, CHANGE THOSE FILTERS, and top it off with more clean fluid. You should be good to go at that point.

I'm sure the others here will chime in on this, it isn't the hardest procedure, but it is a little involved. An alternative way is less safe for the pump if you let it run too long, but might be OK just to get 90% of the bad fluid out - Simply aim both tubes into a bucket and let the pump spray the fluid out until it stops flowing, then IMMEDIATELY shut off the engine. Then drop the pan, change the filters, and fill with lots of clean. DO NOT MOVE THE VEHICLE until it has idled for at least 10 minutes and you are SURE the level is correct. This isn't a 4-quart job b/c you are completely emptying the torque converter. Yea, not the best method... But if you don't let it run dry for more than a couple seconds, it shouldn't do anything more than hundreds of miles with the wrong fluid may have already done.

Either way, what ever is in the pan will tell you if you have damage. Anything significant on the magnet is bad news.

I do it all the time as long as its flat. When it slows down or there is a hard strain, I pop it out of OD. 65k miles later (knock on wood) no issues.

About the 'overheating' are you sure its not just the gauge? One of my first times out before an updated flash (cough f37) My gauge pegged itself, but I knew it was hot.

_________________
Ryan
2006 Ford F-250 PSD CC FX4
**GONE**
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
SAMCO Hoses//GDE Tune//PML Trans Pan//TransGo HD Shift Kit//MBRP Exhaust

1986 2R Mustang SVO

Funky gauges due to a bad sender don't cause a physical manifestation of really-high-rpm shifting. Something is decidedly fishy in that transmission.

The Temp gauge is a non-linear computer controlled gauge -
i.e. the temp sensor goes to the computer and the computer tells the display what to show, and there's a flash to update it.

however the temp is engine not tranny and it means it's slipping enough to overheat (although the last 2 weeks off 100+ temps don't help)

as mentioned the only change to the tranny should be F37 - however if they disconnected things - it will take many cycles to relearn the shift patterns.

I'm still of the opinion they did something wrong - however in the Dealership - they shouldn't have anything except +4 and it's the same tranny as the Hemi - and they sell a lot of those.

Just thought - if the tranny overheats - it'll drop the power output of the engine to protect things - it's been mentioned by the AZ folks - not sure if that would sound the same.

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2005 CRD
stuff
Skeptic quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur

so the only thing for the tranny is change/flush the fluid.


one more thing with the overheating issue - it only does it when i pull something. I just drove it three hours back up here to texas and needle did not move.

Is it shifting funny / high revving when you aren't towing? That still points to something funky with the service if it is. If not... It could just be the outside temps and the extra load from towing. But for such a light load as one ATV, that is hard to believe. I asked my CRD to pull a 6x12 enclosed trailer that was about 2 tons total last summer, and the needle never moved, even when hauling up and down the mountains of upstate NY.

It *might* be that the transmission needs to have the fuzzy logic erased so it can re-learn the shifting, but I didn't think that would make it hold the shifts into almost redline. Somebody else will have to tell you how to erase that (it is fairly easy) I just can't remember how to do it.

yes it still shifts funny/high revving without the trailer!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH WHO ARE HELPING ME FIGURE THIS OUT!!!!! I told my husband and he told me that i was crazy and it was normal. i know the jeep - it didn't do it before i just didn't know what to tell him or the tranny shop if i had to bring it in.

With what you are towing, it shouldn't really have ANY issues tugging that along.

I'll take a moment to whore out what I tow.

_________________
Ryan
2006 Ford F-250 PSD CC FX4
**GONE**
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
SAMCO Hoses//GDE Tune//PML Trans Pan//TransGo HD Shift Kit//MBRP Exhaust

1986 2R Mustang SVO