AW4 Transmission Issue, P1745

Hey guys,

Posted this over on Cherokeeforums as well, haven't gotten any bites yet over there so I figured I'd ask over here too.

I just bought myself a '98 XJ from one of those dirt lot used car dealerships. Knowing things might be sketchy, I took the thing to an independent mechanic to have it looked at. The Jeep turned out to be running a general transmission code P0700, and so I was able to talk the dealer down to what I thought was a pretty fair price considering I was taking a gamble on the transmission. The Jeep didn't seem to being bucking or slipping when I took it for a test drive, but the transmission fluid was black and definitely smelled a little burnt.

Drove it directly to ANOTHER mechanic after purchasing, and after that mechanic did some sleuthing he said the more specific code it's throwing is a P1745. I tried to do some research on this but was only able to find two threads, which is a little disconcerting for me. It looks like it has something to do with a solenoid issue? The thing is, one of the dudes that had that same code had to end up swapping out his whole transmission.

The mechanic said he'd have to charge hourly at this point trying to diagnose / fix the problem (checking connections, then checking actual solenoids, etc), which could end up being $200-$500 best case scenario.

I've been torn about where to proceed from here. I'm scared that if I take it home (1.5 hours away from mechanic) I'm going to end up frying the transmission completely and ruining any chances of saving it, but I'm also kinda bummed that I might end up spending $2000 on a transmission swap at the shop without any ability to really get it home anyway.

Otherwise, the Jeep is in surprising good shape for its age. 0 rust on the body / frame / rockers / floor pans. Engine still seems to be running great.

What do you guys think? Did I F up and buy something I'm in over my head for? Has anyone seen this code before? Should I just invest in a lift and a tranny jack and learn how to do the job myself?!

Thanks in advance to all.

Sad Disorganized Man

Rent a tow dolly and get it home. Consider adding a solvent product similar to SeaFoam Trans Tune. Let the cleaner/solvent do it job, then 100% change the trans fluid.

Buy a genuine Jeep Service Manual and put it up on jack stands. Change the solenoids.

Worst case, you spend a few hundred at the junkyard for a used transmission.

DisorganizedMan said:

Hey guys,

Posted this over on Cherokeeforums as well, haven't gotten any bites yet over there so I figured I'd ask over here too.

I just bought myself a '98 XJ from one of those dirt lot used car dealerships. Knowing things might be sketchy, I took the thing to an independent mechanic to have it looked at. The Jeep turned out to be running a general transmission code P0700, and so I was able to talk the dealer down to what I thought was a pretty fair price considering I was taking a gamble on the transmission. The Jeep didn't seem to being bucking or slipping when I took it for a test drive, but the transmission fluid was black and definitely smelled a little burnt.

Drove it directly to ANOTHER mechanic after purchasing, and after that mechanic did some sleuthing he said the more specific code it's throwing is a P1745. I tried to do some research on this but was only able to find two threads, which is a little disconcerting for me. It looks like it has something to do with a solenoid issue? The thing is, one of the dudes that had that same code had to end up swapping out his whole transmission.

The mechanic said he'd have to charge hourly at this point trying to diagnose / fix the problem (checking connections, then checking actual solenoids, etc), which could end up being $200-$500 best case scenario.

I've been torn about where to proceed from here. I'm scared that if I take it home (1.5 hours away from mechanic) I'm going to end up frying the transmission completely and ruining any chances of saving it, but I'm also kinda bummed that I might end up spending $2000 on a transmission swap at the shop without any ability to really get it home anyway.

Otherwise, the Jeep is in surprising good shape for its age. 0 rust on the body / frame / rockers / floor pans. Engine still seems to be running great.

What do you guys think? Did I F up and buy something I'm in over my head for? Has anyone seen this code before? Should I just invest in a lift and a tranny jack and learn how to do the job myself?!

Thanks in advance to all.

Sad Disorganized Man

Click to expand...

That trans is toast, by your own admission, that is the description of a fried auto.

Drive it home, replace the trans.

Jeep Driver said:

That trans is toast, by your own admission, that is the description of a fried auto.

Drive it home, replace the trans.

Click to expand...

Say what? The code is related to a bad solenoid, not a toasted transmission. Changing solenoids is maybe a 2-banana driveway job and under $200 to replace all the shift solenoids.

If it's shifting okay, try clearing the codes and see if it comes back. Is the torque converted locking up properly?

lawsoncl said:

Say what? The code is related to a bad solenoid, not a toasted transmission. Changing solenoids is maybe a 2-banana driveway job and under $200 to replace all the shift solenoids.

If it's shifting okay, try clearing the codes and see if it comes back. Is the torque converted locking up properly?

Click to expand...

Apparently you jump to conclusions before you read.


Look at my post, see the bold in quote, read it.

Better yet, read his first post.

Jeep Driver said:

Apparently you jump to conclusions before you read.

Click to expand...

As did you. Old fluid with a "little" burnt smell probably isn't a big concern if it's shifting fine and not slipping. A bad solenoid wouldn't be too surprising, and easy to fix.