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DD Jeep Crew! I need your help...


My 1996 Jeep "ZJ" Grand Cherokee has lost first gear... It's an automatic 4.0L.. and it just happened one day... so i don't know what to do lol. It also has seemed to lost 2nd gear when left in Drive... but if I drop the lever to 2 it will shift into second.. so something is fux0red.


Any ideas? Having to take off in 2nd sucks haha.

Sounds like either the computer for it, or the valve body is screwed up. Don't know a whole lot about autos though, you try any of the Jeep forums?

hmm... yeah i don't know shit about auto tranny's either... I just reg'd on jeepforums and posted there

Sorry to hear about your troubles. And also sorry to be another auto-tranny retarded jeep driver.

I saw your thread on jeepforum, hope you get good responses.

i have the same problem! omg!

I think my mom's car had this problem before (either that, or it would only go in 1st). One of the sensors I believe went bad... something cheap, it was a simple fix. Comb the crap out of Jeepforum... that is the only Jeep-related forum I used at the time, and I found the answer there. Also check http://www.nagca.com/ and Jeeps Unlimited if you have no luck.

Pretty sure there was some sensor though, giving it a faulty reading in the trans, the computer was locking 1st out to protect the trans. Happened in a 95 ZJ 4.0 w/ quadratrac.

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/sh ... st+gear%22

Sounds like what we did.

mine's a 96 Cherokee (not GC)


same deal though, right?

[quote=""pezcore""]mine's a 96 Cherokee (not GC)


same deal though, right?[/quote]

Maybe... I believe the XJs used Aisin-Warner transmissions for all years besides 84-86 (which used TorqueFlites, like my old 1984 2.8). The ZJs & WJs use Chrysler corporate transmissions. But the ECUs on both cars were programmed by Chrysler, so perhaps a sensor failure causes the same response regardless of the trans. Hmm...

Mine (96 GC) got to the point where it only had 2 gears, forward and park. Yes, any shifter position other than 'P' moved the vehicle in a forward direction

I paid 2k to have the tranny rebuilt, more than the entire vehicle is worth. Now thats dedication to your jeep

my Xj wouldnt shift out of first into second....and it would bog a lot...it was a clogged cat....i took a mallet and beat the cat to hear if anything would rumble in there and sure enough honeycomb was loose and clogged it....so i put a flowmaster and high flow cat on it bc well....its been 9mths since not driving my vr4 so i wanted to hear something louder than stock

btw my jeep broke today too...brakes failed....no fluid...rear cylinder is leaking im pretty sure

my Xj wouldnt shift out of first into second

thats what mine USED to do. then it changed into not starting in 1st. i drive in 3 all day to not piss off the people behind me.

Looks like it's a pretty common problem. Heres my thread on jeep forums
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392973

I am going to try to pull the codes tonight. Man, i wish everything on my car will throw a code when something is wrong haha.

got my jeep fixed....rear pass wheel cylinder...when jeep forum ppl said springs would be shooting everywhere from the rear drum and brake setup...they were right....i suggest ppl wear goggles lol

dont want to jinx it, but the jeep was completely fine today. drove it in D without issue. was very rainy these past couple of days though, so i wonder if that has something to do with it...

Why is there not a Jeep subforum yet?