No power, no codes, problem "survives" restart

valoflyby · **Posted:** Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:28 pm

2005 Limited (purchased 2/2005), SEGR, RAM TCM, F37'd early.

Non-routine day - went to work as normal, left early for med appt, after appt, as I was close to home, stopped for lunch. Pulled Jeep into driveway - which, I can probably count on my fingers and toes the number of times I've done that in 8 years. Driveway has steep incline (nose up if pulled in). After lunch, threw in reverse, backed (coasted) out, put in drive, pushed "go" pedal - no umph.

Stopped Jeep, put in park, turned key off, restarted. No umph. Put in park again, turned off, pulled key out, waited 30sec, started up, no umph. The Jeep has enough power to move on a flat surface, but I could not get it back up the driveway. I was able to half-throttle it (level) to the point that it shifted into 2nd, but when I floored it, it kicked down to 1st again, and just revved higher. (Still no umph.) Parked on street, took VW back to work.

So... I'm baffled b/c this doesn't seem to me to be the traditional "limp" mode (which I've experienced 3-4 times over the years after FLOORING it). And there's no CEL illuminated. There are no abnormalities in NVH w/ the engine running.

At this point, my next course of action is to disconnect the battery, leave it disco'd for half an hour or so - then see if it still does it. What else should I be looking for?

Thanks,

valoflyby · **Posted:** Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:21 am

Update: After sitting for four+ hours, when I returned home and started it up, it ran perfectly again.

Strange.

Hexus · **Posted:** Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:43 am

Transmission drainback issue?

Check your tranny fluid, if you aren't 100% that it's ATF +4 then change all of it.

Transgo kit while you're in there.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:10 pm

Doesn't "sound" like transmission drain back to me especially since it ran fine after sitting, presumably flat, on the street for 4 hours. That said a tranny service if it has not been done in the last 30-50k miles would be a good idea. My experience with tranny drain back (living with it for ca. 20k miles on my current KJ not to mention earlier DCJ vehicles) is that it takes a longish sit (like 8 hrs) for the drain back to occur. Typically the interim fix if you don't want to do a tranny service is to crankup; shift into neutral (FSM implies tranny fluid pumps faster than in Park); hold a high idle like 1,000-1,500rpm for 10-15 seconds; then shift into gear and drive off. If there is any hesitation on drive off repeat the high idle cycle. Once or twice I did drive off without much power but only for like 150' at which point the engine/tranny shuddered violently (think a really botched manual transmission clutch engagement) and then stalled with a CEL which went away after 3 drive cycles.

Given that the vehicle was parked nose markedly up it could be a faster than normal tranny drain back but I'd also wonder about fuel drain back possible related to air in the fuel. Seems to me if you have like a 1s gen fuel filter or the least bit of possible air leak at the uphill end (ex. fuel line not tight at an injector perhaps) there could be fuel drain back which might, way out on a limb here, relate to why it ran ok after sitting on the flat.

Thoughts:
1. if you have a 1st gen fuel head pull the heater electric plug; insert "Q" tip; if damp or smelling of diesel get 3 gen fuel head - see Sam's NOOB guide fuel head bleeding video
2. regardless of fuel head gen bleed fuel head.
3. inspect fuel lines for leaks.
4. dare I say it - repeat what you did; if lack of power happens do the above tranny drain back interim fix and see if it helps.

No power, no codes, problem "survives" restart

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