Is this normal - transmission

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:52 pm

I just wanted to check one more time if this is how everyone's transmission acts:

On my drive home from work I go up a slight incline for about 2 minutes. As I turn the corner to the road I go into 4th gear. As I accelerate a bit it kicks into 3rd. As I come up on traffic and back off the pedal a bit it goes into 4th. 4th isn't enough to keep me going so it goes back to 3rd. As I catch back up to traffic and barely back off the pedal it goes into 4th. Normal for everyone????

(I know all about the overdrive button, but I left it normal just so I could pay attention and describe exactly what happens)

If it's normal I was wondering about the threads I've read about shift kits and B&G something or other. Does anyone know if one of those things would fix this? Or is there some reprogramming the dealer can do to fix it?

_UnLiMiTeD_ · **Posted:** Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:03 am

it shifts into overdrive too early yes but yours seems to be a bit excessive, mines not near that bad as you describe. Has it always acted like this? or just recently?

jpsmith · **Joined:** Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:52 pm **Posts:** 40

Yes, mine does it too. It's so bad I often get disgusted with the Jeep. It's the only thing that keeps me from loving my Jeep, and there are times when I downright loathe it because of this. It's not just overdrive that is the problem. I turn off OD and it still does it. It's actually shifting between 2nd and 3rd, not between 3rd and OD (aka "4th"). I find that if I manually put the shifter into 2 when I start the ascent, I can control the speed and RPMS, keeping them level and consistent just like the Jeep should do with the shifter in D. Granted, in 2 the RPMs hover at about 2600 which is quite high for this climb, especially knowing that my '06 Tacoma 4.0L climbs the same hilll at a nice consistent 1900 RPMs while in D. But to me putting the Jeep in 2 is better than "REV REV REV lug lug lug REV REV REV lug lug lug," which is what it does if I leave it in 3 or D and just keep the accelerator depressed to where it should be.

I, too, would like to know if a B&G flash would completely solve this problem.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:20 am

_UnLiMiTeD_ wrote:

it shifts into overdrive too early yes but yours seems to be a bit excessive, mines not near that bad as you describe. Has it always acted like this? or just recently?

It's always done it.

Just like jpsmith said it disgusts me. I would like to get it lifted, but it's hard to spend money on a vehicle that doesn't work properly.

I e-mailed the dealer last night to see if there is a way to improve it, but that will probably lead to nowhere.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:27 pm

New Question:

Is it ok to deactivate overdrive all the time unless I'm just solely on the highway/interstate? Does it wear anything out faster or do any harm?

Today I left overdrive off all the way home from work, and it was nice to just have a normal vehicle which had plenty of power and didn't shift 50 different times.

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:02 pm

JohnnyCash wrote:

New Question:

Is it ok to deactivate overdrive all the time unless I'm just solely on the highway/interstate? Does it wear anything out faster or do any harm?

Today I left overdrive off all the way home from work, and it was nice to just have a normal vehicle which had plenty of power and didn't shift 50 different times.

Only thing it'll hurt is your gas mileage if you're driving on the highway.

This thread makes me glad I have the 5-speed.

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

DC really messed up when they replaced the 45RFE with the 42RLE.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:30 pm

Thats how mine acts if I let it. I always keep O/D locked out until I go over 55mph then I let it go into 4th. Works out great.

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:45 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Thats how mine acts if I let it. I always keep O/D locked out until I go over 55mph then I let it go into 4th. Works out great.

My drive to work is a mix of congested highway and side streets, so I've been turning it on and off trying to match each condition. From now on since it does no harm I am leaving it off unless I'm on the highway/interstate only cruising along.

I'm going to track my mpg this way, and see it if actually gets any worse.

I can't believe after all this time they have the exact same transmission on the new Liberty's. Seems like they would have had something better after all these years.

Anyway I'm done complaining about it. I'm just going to press that little button and forget about it. Thanks for the responses.

jpsmith · **Joined:** Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:52 pm **Posts:** 40

You should be fine to leave it off for all your surface street driving. I'm still surprised that turning your OD off solves the problem for you. For me, I really do have to put it in 2nd to keep it from acting like such a piece of crap. Mine can't decide between 2nd & 3rd.

I wish we'd bought a 5-speed. None of this crap and better mileage, too.

Regarding the 42RLE, I just read on allpar that Chrysler will continue to use it because it's cheap. I won't be interested in replacing the KJ with a KK until they 3.7L is replaced with a 4.0L phoenix engine *and* the 42RLE is replaced with something less craptastic. If both of those things don't happen, then I guess I'll be checking out a JKL or the newly re-designed FJC come 2011. I hope the next FJC looks less like a duck so it can be a viable option. Whenever I see a blue one, I picture Billy Madison... "I drew the duck blue because to be honest I never saw a blue duck and I wanted to see what a blue duck would look like. That's quacktastic!" [end tangent]

http://www.allpar.com/model/upcoming.html (Scroll down to "Conventional Automatics.")

Is this normal - transmission

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