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97 Sport Wont shift out of 1st gear

1K views 19 replies 3 participants last post by  tony779 
#1 ·
I have held off on posting anything until I felt that I have done/tried/tested everything that I can find on here and in the manual. It's a 97 Sport 2wd auto and will not shift out of 1st gear until you hit about 3K on the tac and then manipulate the gas pedal to make it shift. I have recently replaced the solenoids and they still test good. The CPS and TCM have both been replaced, (CPS new and TCM used) and the TPS test proper voltage. Fluid level is good and fluid is VERY clean, as I have dropped the pan about 5 times over the last year for different reasons. I am at a loss and that is the only thing it is doing wrong. All other shift points are perfect and very smooth. In fact, the 1-2 shift is smooth, it just wont do it on it's own. I have disconnected the TCM and it shifts manually with no issues.
 
#5 ·
I have adjusted the TV cable to manual specs and then a little forward and a little back and it's not helping. It feels like a vacuum issue to be honest, but it shifts manually w/ the TCM unplugged so I figure it has to be electric. So far all electric connections are checking out so I am at a loss.
 
#6 ·
I have adjusted the TV cable to manual specs and then a little forward and a little back and it's not helping. It feels like a vacuum issue to be honest, but it shifts manually w/ the TCM unplugged so I figure it has to be electric. So far all electric connections are checking out so I am at a loss.
How, what, where, are you checking the electrical connections? From the TCM connector?
 
#7 ·
I tested all connections from the TCM input and from the connectors as well, just because I could and have seen some weird wiring things. Actually, let me rephrase, I haven't tested the speed sensor properly yet because the sheet I have says the speed sensor resistance is unk for the 97. I will get out the manual and test it per their instructions and see what it says. That is the only thing I can think of and I am not even sure that it would cause this as the troubleshooting sheet says my symptoms would be caused by TSP, TV cable, or bad valves, something else but that is on my other computer. Can you tell me if the line pressure in the trans would cause this? Like I said, it shifts fine manually, but I guess I shouldn't stop at just electrical testing since I am coming up with no answers that way.
 
#8 ·
I tested all connections from the TCM input and from the connectors as well, just because I could and have seen some weird wiring things. Actually, let me rephrase, I haven't tested the speed sensor properly yet because the sheet I have says the speed sensor resistance is unk for the 97.

You are probably referring to my test procedures. At the time I wrote that I didn't know what the OSS should read but since then I found out it should read Open when tested it with an Ohmmeter.


I will get out the manual and test it per their instructions and see what it says. That is the only thing I can think of and I am not even sure that it would cause this as the troubleshooting sheet says my symptoms would be caused by TSP, TV cable, or bad valves, something else but that is on my other computer. Can you tell me if the line pressure in the trans would cause this? Like I said, it shifts fine manually, but I guess I shouldn't stop at just electrical testing since I am coming up with no answers that way.

If the line pressures are good manual shifting would prove it.
Read up on the Transmission control inputs in your FSM, section 21.
 
#9 ·
I was, in fact, referring to the test sheet that you posted. I have searched the AW-4 section in the manual and it only tells how to test it with an ohmmeter with the leads on the connector and spinning the output shaft, I have to buy some alligator clips for my multimeter before I can test it properly. However, I did check the sensor for cleanliness and the sensor itself is loose in the mount. The bolt is not loose, but the sensor itself spins about 1/4 turn. I am thinking that is not a good sign but I really don't know if it is supposed to do that or not since that is not specified. Usually when something is designed that way they mention it specifically in the manual. I also forgot that I did not clear the TCM memory after swapping the CPS, so I am going to do that as well as test the speed sensor. Hopefully one of those two things will give me a definite answer to the problem.
 
#10 ·
I was, in fact, referring to the test sheet that you posted. I have searched the AW-4 section in the manual and it only tells how to test it with an ohmmeter with the leads on the connector and spinning the output shaft, I have to buy some alligator clips for my multimeter before I can test it properly. However, I did check the sensor for cleanliness and the sensor itself is loose in the mount. The bolt is not loose, but the sensor itself spins about 1/4 turn. I am thinking that is not a good sign but I really don't know if it is supposed to do that or not since that is not specified. Usually when something is designed that way they mention it specifically in the manual. I also forgot that I did not clear the TCM memory after swapping the CPS, so I am going to do that as well as test the speed sensor. Hopefully one of those two things will give me a definite answer to the problem.
It is not supposed to turn at all. Replace it.
 
#11 ·
Well, replaced the speed sensor, no change. Cleared the memory of the TCM, no change. Rechecked the solenoid resistance. Tracked all the vacuum lines and couldn't find a leak. I am out of ideas. May have to pull the pan and test the solenoids direct and maybe swap them out and see if it changes where the shift problem occurs.
 
#13 ·
If you've tested all TCM inputs and they're good, replaced the solenoids, adjusted the TV cable, fluid is good and serviced to full, (TPS ?)......

The valve body may be defective.

1-2 SHIFT
The 1-2 shift valve controls the 1-2 upshifts and downshifts. The valve is operated by the No. 2 (A) valve body solenoid and line pressure from the manual valve, second coast modulator valve and the 2-3 shift valve.
When the transmission control module deactivates the solenoid, line pressure at the top of the valve moves the valve down closing the second brake accumulator feed port. As the solenoid is activated and the drain port opens, spring force moves the valve up exposing the second brake feed port for the shift to second gear.
 
#12 ·
Well, just discovered another possible symptom of a possible common problem? While sitting at a light w/ my left turn signal on, my wife called me (she was driving behind me) and said that both lights were flashing. I got home and recreated the problem, the right signal flashes but is not as bright as the left or as the right signal when it is turned on. The front right signal doesn't flash while this is going on. I am now going with the assumption that I have a wiring problem, although I didn't find anything wrong w/ any of the grounds that I checked. I did only check grounds in the engine compartment though, I guess I will be tracking wiring harness problems down on my next day off.
 
#14 ·
I am guessing it is the valve body. I swapped the #1 and #2 solenoids, just to eliminate them and it is the same exact thing. I am, however, having a very hard time finding any information on how to clean out and service the valve body and there are for sure none for sale, except maybe in a junk yard somewhere. None around here though. I did find a place that sells Transgo shift kits and gaskets, in fact, it is the only place I could find and it was through a link on either this or the cherokee forum. A place called Oregon transmission, or something like that, I'll have to find it again because I forgot to save it. If anyone has a good how to on cleaning and servicing the valve body, I would be most appreciative. Otherwise, I will take photos as I go and post it later if I am successful.
 
#16 ·
I was thinking about that route too, problem is there aren't too many salvage yards around northern Colorado and the ones that are here have very few Cherokees. There's a ton of Grand Cherokees, but not many XJs. I'm already planning a trip early next week to all the junk yards around to see what's available, but may have to fall back on cleaning out the current valve body. It doesn't appear to be too hard looking at the FSM. At least I wont have to drop the whole transmission. Which seems to be in very good shape to me, other than the sticking in 1st gear, it runs like a champ.
 
#18 ·
Update: I scoured the junk yards from the Wyoming border down to south side of Denver, any and all XJ Cherokees were stripped of pretty much anything useful within a couple of days of being on the lot. So I ordered the shift kit and pulled the valve body yesterday and cleaned it up, put in the new springs and gaskets and ...... nothing really changed. Also, there was some broken hard plastic inside the valve body and on top of it as I pulled it out. So, as I was standing there going over everything I have done, I looked down and see that the TV cable has way too much slack hanging out. Keep in mind I have adjusted it 2 or 3 times during this ordeal because I keep telling myself that it is the TV cable since that has been out of adjustment in the past. Anywho, there it is all hanging out like Rosie Odonell's belly, and I try to adjust it only to find that it is completely loose within the sheath. So I have ordered a new one that will be in today and I am EXTREMELY hopeful that this will fix the problem. Thinking back, it did seem that I had to pull on it a little more than I should have when making adjustments, so I am assuming that maybe the other end of the cable where it goes into the trans may have had some sort of hard plastic piece around the cable? Maybe that broke and rubbed the cable until it broke or frayed badly? I will check it all out again today while I am changing out the cable but I should have pulled on the other end of it to see if it had play in it, just didn't think about it. MTF....
 
#20 ·
I guess this is the final update until I can get unstuck from this nightmare. It is doing the same thing after the valve body clean out/update and the TV cable swap. The only thing it does now different than it did prior is shift out of first when I do it manually with the TCM connected. TCM disconnected it still shifts perfectly. Previously, I would try to make it shift manually w/ the TCM connected and I still had to bump the gas to make it shift. So something seems to be better (always the optimist). I'll probably go see if the dealer can hook it up and run diagnostics on it, as much as I hate to do that, I just don't know if that will do any good since it is not throwing any codes. If anyone out there has any other suggestions, I'm all ears. I guess I'll probably test all the electric stuff, again, if for no other reason than to rule out that I missed it the first 7 times I tested it.
 
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