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Shift Speeds

DanMan2k06

DanMan2k06

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Damascus, MD
I've came across this info before but had no luck finding it so I though I would ask. My transmission may or may not be acting funny. I say this because I hate it and it sucks but unfortunately may be normal. At 40mph, under any load, any pedal position, and any incline/decline - the transmission shifts and locks into overdrive. Short of having my foot literally on the floor. It will stay in OD, again, at any position, load, hills, unless i let go of the gas, and reapply it to the floor. If I simply let go and give a sliiiight bit more throttle (trying to downshift and use third) it simply goes back into 4th and locks without any other thought.

So, my question is, what are the normal shifting speeds supposed to be at? I feel like it should be more around 45-47 before OD kicks in, but it's at exactly 40mph regardless. 2 inch budget boost, and 235/75/15's all around. Bored throttle body and late model intake, don't know if this has anything to do with it...
 
Hmm looks like I'll mess with the TV cable. Also, if I don't let off the gas and reapply harder up a hill, or downshift by hand, the trans will STAY in OD until the speed drops to about 25 mph... So if there is a huge mile long hill up ahead, and I'm going 50. If I keep my foot in a constant position I will slow to about 25 before it shifts itself out of gear.
 
That's definitely not right. You might want to do a quick search on it, but I believe the TV adjustment is to (with the heep off of course) depress the button on the TV cable end by the throttle body, and then push the pedal to the floor until you hear a click or two.

After the TBS, intake swap, TBS removal, I was getting strange shifts until I adjusted the cable. I don't know that this is your issue, but mine shifted much better after a little tweaking.
 
Well I messed with it today. Got rid of my what-I-thought-was-a-bad-trans syndrome. I used to have a pretty bad slip around 30mph between 2nd and 3rd on decel, and it's gone now. But it's still not bumping out of OD right.

Could my OD solenoid be bad? I know there is a thread floating around with how to do it at the ECM without dropping the pan. Search time.

EDIT: After re-reading a few adjustments instructions, my cable adjuster doesnt "ratchet" at all? I can depress the button and slide the conduit in and out, but when I release the button and move the throttle nothing moves or clicks. Just stays where I put it when the button was released.
 
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Ugghhh did some more messing around today. Something is DEFINITELY wrong with the OD. I've never pushed it, but decided to last night. I got on a long, straight, uphill grade. Put the pedal to the floor until it shifted into 4th (which now seems to be 42-43 :) ) and kept my foot constantly on the gas. Didn't move an inch. Sure enough it started getting sluggish, slowed to about 35, 30, and finally around 27mph I had to let off because my trans felt like it was really hating life. Also at this speed, no matter whether I slammed the pedal to the floor or not the RPM's stayed constant. I'm guessing because it was just so bogged.

I'm still looking into the OD solenoid, but not finding too much :(


Can't wait to do my manual swap......
 
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Maybe your TPS is bad? When it went bad on my Renix I was getting all kinds of erratic shifting habits. I know the newer XJ's don't use the same TPS, but it probably still affects shift points.
 
I have a 97, which sucks because some parts are the same as the previous years so I do have the older style TPS. It has been replaced about 3 months ago however, so I doubt that is a contributor. I'll check the resistance again though.
 
Nope, I checked the TPS, cleaned, jiggled, and re-connected all the throttle body electronics, and it changed nothing. The TV cable adjustment helped with my shift SPEED (as in slippage between gears), but did nothing to the shift points, nor the overdrive problem. I think I have a bad solenoid or two, but I have an AX15 waiting to go in, so I think I'll just live it out.
 
They say you're supposed to push the release button, and slide the cable all the way into the holder. Then open the throttle valve wide open, and it should click once, twice, maybe three times. Mine clicks twice. However, I find this is usually a little too much. The trans kind of clunks when going from reverse to neutral, and seems to kick when shifting. So I just push the button and pull a liiittttle more cable out until everything feels right.
 
The throttle-tranny cable controls the hydraulic pressure in the tranny, and hence shift firmness. If its way out of whack it can cause slipping as you've discovered. If it feels about right now, then leave it as is.

The actual shift points are still controlled by the trans computer based on the throttle input (TPS) sensor and the output shaft speed sensor. I'm betting you have a bad TPS sensor, even though you replaced it 3 months ago (Autozone crap quality maybe?). They also do not like getting power washed.
 
Did you look at the TCM and the rest of the wireing relating to the AW4? I think the signalls are not reaching the transmission to tell it when to shift. In addition, the TPS may be the cluprit even though it was replaced reciently.

The fact that it goes into 4 and OD means the shift solonoids are good, ie; the get power to them and responds. What you are not getting is the cut off of power to the OD solonoid and re-applying of power to the other 2 solonoids which controls the other gears. Again, the TPS is mostly responsible for this.
 
i sort of have the same issue with overdrive, so i'll give you a free bump

my AW4 doesn't like to downshift out of OD unless i take my foot off the skinny pedal
 
DanMan2k06 said:
Well I messed with it today. Got rid of my what-I-thought-was-a-bad-trans syndrome. I used to have a pretty bad slip around 30mph between 2nd and 3rd on decel, and it's gone now. But it's still not bumping out of OD right.

Could my OD solenoid be bad? I know there is a thread floating around with how to do it at the ECM without dropping the pan. Search time.

EDIT: After re-reading a few adjustments instructions, my cable adjuster doesnt "ratchet" at all? I can depress the button and slide the conduit in and out, but when I release the button and move the throttle nothing moves or clicks. Just stays where I put it when the button was released.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if I missed it or not. What did you mess around with to cure the slip in 2nd and 3rd?
 
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