Dear Scotty
I have a 1997 Jeep Cherokee XJ , i am the first buyer , and until now i always maintained it well , changed the automatic transmission and engine oil all the time , no problems what so ever , but its been 2 months that my car shifts gear late , and once it shifts from 2nd to 3rd gear i hear a bump from the engine part.
is it worth repair it or it is gonna be an endless money pit if i repair it.
Thanks
Please provide ALL the information with each question. What is the mileage please?
All transmissions will eventually wear out. Even if you maintain them on time. I would say that getting a quarter-century out of yours is pretty good.
Check your engine and transmission mounts, could be the source of the noise from 2nd to 3rd, and easy enough to check the condition of the rubber. Could also be internal to the transmission. 25 yrs. from a transmission is pretty good, but things do eventually wear out internally. Only you can decide if it's going to become a money pit and have it checked out by a transmission pro.
Those Aisin-Warner AW transmissions are very reliable but everything wears out eventually. Have you been using the Dexron-III fluid specified for that transmission? Chrysler changed the specification to ATF+4 after the Cherokee was out of production, but that change was made so its dealers would not have to stock the older fluid, the ATF+4 is not right for that transmission and can cause problems over time. (Chrysler didn't care since the XJ Cherokees were all out of warranty when the specification was changed.)
It's also possible you have a shift solenoid hanging up, that's a pretty common issue. Banging noise could be from bolts coming loose on the flex plate, another common issue on those.
