2006 Jeep Transmission problem

Heavy_Metal

Heavy_Metal

Active member
Hi all,

I have been a member here for many years and know the best mechanics are on this site and work on more than just Lightnings. So, I thought I would see if anyone can help me out.

Besides my Lightning, I own a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with an automatic transmission. I bought it used a few years ago. It only had 2,800 on the odometer. I have always had the service performed per the manual.

The Jeep just turned 29,000 miles and the transmission started banging into second gear when cold. Once the vehicle starts to reach operating temperature, the shift problem goes away. I brought it to the dealer and they pulled a code stating the transmission is overheating. They said the sensor is inside the transmission. So they said they will drop the pan, install new sensor and change the fluid. Great I thought... Wrong!

After they dropped the transmission pan I got a call from the dealer stating they found the problem. According to them, my pan was full of debris and it also had the filter clogged up. I was told that I need a new transmission. I was angry that my transmission has less than 30,000 miles, never been off road and is junk! I told them to go ahead and replace the transmission. Transmission cost $3,300 plus installation labor.

It has now been 3 weeks with the new transmission and yesterday the new one is doing the exact same thing. Banging into second gear and slipping into third until it warms up. Then it works and shifts fine.

So now I am out near $4 grand and still have the exact same problem. I am going to take it back to the dealer next week.

At this point, I don't think anything was wrong with my original transmission. I now think the cold shifting problem is in the computer control system.

Does anyone have an idea of what the problem is? Does anyone know if any of the electronics from the old transmission, must be transfered to the new transmission?

Thanks for any help,

Mike W
 
It's been a long time since I messed with one, but Chrysler has always had issues with the electronic valve bodies on their auto transmissions. IIRC, this would be transferred to the new transmission and is likely the source of the problem.

It sounds to me like they completely blew the initial diagnosis and they owe you $4k. You may need to lawyer up on this one.
 
Mike, I hate to hear you are going through this. I love Jeep vehicles, and luckily I have been able to do most of my own work on them. I went through this same type of deal but for less money with my Jeep dealer.

I could not nail down the cause of the problem I was having so I too it to Jeep. $800 and change later they said it was the steering box, so I had them do the work. In less than a month it was doing the same thing again. This time they said it was something else in the steering and it would cost me another $500 and change. I told them bs since I already paid them to fix the same problem I was having again. They said they would take off the labor but charge for the parts, but I argued that one too. In then end they gave me the part and did the work for free.

I know this is not the same, but this is a bunch of crap. Unless they can come up with something pretty convincing, I would be looking at a lawyer. Also maybe the local news if they do one of those on your side type of things.

Dealers are too quick to just start swapping stuff out without really knowing the problem. This is the type of stuff that makes me worry about buying newer vehicles, they are harder and harder to diagnose. I have seen too many times where they just start throwing parts at a problem, and the owner has to pay for all of it.

I hope you get this worked out. Let me know what happens.

---------- Post added 06-25-2012 at 07:23 PM ----------

Mike, here is the Jeep forum I visit.

JeepForum.com - Jeep & Off-Road Discussion Community


They have a lot of info there.
 
Thanks Oilwell and Marc. This is crap for sure! I just dropped it back off at the dealer today. I will let you know what they say. I have read on line that others have have the same issue and been through the dealership making the wrong diagnosis. So far, no one has posted the fix. Most traded or sold the Jeep.

One person I spoke to is currently going through this same thing with his Rubicon. He took his to a local shop. The shop owner replaced the electronics in the transmission. The guy said it worked for a week or so and it started doing it again. This stumped the transmission shop owner. The shop owner found a service bulletin on line saying to install a transmission oil cooler. I thought the Jeep already one installed?

The shop installed the transmission cooler for free and the guy said it has been 10 days and no shift problem. I am having a hard time believing this really fixed the problem. If it does work, I believe the trans cooler is covering up the real issue.

I looked for that bulletin and did not find it. :headscratch:

Mike W
 
My wifes grand Cherokee has had tranny problems since we bought it. Except hers has been a governer pressure switch that's in the transmission. Each time I get it replaced,it shifts fine for about a month then it goes back to shifting hard into 2nd and kicking out of OD. I'm thinking the Chrysler trannys just can't be fixed.
 
marc2000gt said:
Dealers are too quick to just start swapping stuff out without really knowing the problem. This is the type of stuff that makes me worry about buying newer vehicles, they are harder and harder to diagnose. I have seen too many times where they just start throwing parts at a problem, and the owner has to pay for all of it.
Click to expand...

Truth! I can't tell you how many people came into the shop I worked at with a Ford that had an EGR code and they had spent $1500 at the dealer to have it fixed and all it needed was two $8 hoses. Talk about some pissed off people!

Heavy_Metal said:
One person I spoke to is currently going through this same thing with his Rubicon. He took his to a local shop. The shop owner replaced the electronics in the transmission. The guy said it worked for a week or so and it started doing it again. This stumped the transmission shop owner. The shop owner found a service bulletin on line saying to install a transmission oil cooler. I thought the Jeep already one installed?

The shop installed the transmission cooler for free and the guy said it has been 10 days and no shift problem. I am having a hard time believing this really fixed the problem. If it does work, I believe the trans cooler is covering up the real issue.
Click to expand...

Isn't your problem the opposite? It happens when it is cold? The 07-11 Wranglers do not have a trans cooler on them from the factory. This is stupid and has resulted in many of them catching fire and burning to the ground. There are many documented issues with the trans due to overheating and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if a cooler fixes the problem. For 12 they added a cooler, but they also moved to a different auto trans as well.
 
The guy I talked to with the 2006 Rubicon said he had the same problem. When cold, it would shift hard into second and weird into third until it warmed up. The transmission guy he is working with thinks the following happens:

1) Jeep goes into shop. Tech pulls fluid overheat code
2) A bunch of parts are changed or transmission replaced in error.
3) Code cleared in computer
4) A week or two goes by and exact same problem occurs
5) Bring it back to the shop and all stand around and doing the :headscratch:
6) Tech checks for ECU codes and finds same overheat code

The guy told me that his mechanic thinks that the transmissoin is indeed overheating and throwing the code. Once the code is thrown, the transmission shifts weird until the code is cleared. He thinks the additional transmission cooler prevents the fluid from overheating and therefore, prevents the code from being thrown again.


In my case, I took it back to the dealer and they have no idea what to do. My jeep is still in the shop. They think that they flashed the computer with the wrong program. They said there is a file that has special programing to break in the new converter. I can't believe re-flashing the ECU would cause this problem again. At least they are not charging me and the Jeep is kept indoors. Free storage...:sigh:

Thanks for the help,

Mike W
 
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