94 JGC trans morning sickness

[JimG1]

4.0L shifts up and down perfectly after warming. Will not shift to 4th and 5th till warm. Works great after engine is warm. What could it be? Thanks.

[dksob81]

FLUID LEVEL

check the fluid level with tranny in NEUTRAL. let the fluid warm before checking - drive around the block.

[cement1971]

I have owned a 1997 jeep grand cherokee laredo for about 6 years now. It has always suffered from morning sickness till it was warmed up and i ignored it cause it was fine when it warmed quickly. I just a week ago decided what the heck, I am gonna change the fluid(which still looked fine) and the transmission filter. It was a messy job for me, but lo and behold, this dang jeep now shifts like a cadillac and No Morning Sickness anymore!!!! Holy crap, wish I would have done this years ago. It was just way overdue maintenance! BTW, my jeep has 234,000 miles on it. So I would try this, its cheap (under $20), not difficult, a bit messy, but just may solve your problem. Good Luck!

[fredjacksonsan]

Originally Posted by cement1971

I have owned a 1997 jeep grand cherokee laredo for about 6 years now. It has always suffered from morning sickness till it was warmed up and i ignored it cause it was fine when it warmed quickly. I just a week ago decided what the heck, I am gonna change the fluid(which still looked fine) and the transmission filter. It was a messy job for me, but lo and behold, this dang jeep now shifts like a cadillac and No Morning Sickness anymore!!!! Holy crap, wish I would have done this years ago. It was just way overdue maintenance! BTW, my jeep has 234,000 miles on it. So I would try this, its cheap (under $20), not difficult, a bit messy, but just may solve your problem. Good Luck!

+1; these transmissions like fresh fluid and there's a recommended change interval; they're also sensitive to low fluid levels.

[ErikTheRed]

The anti-drain back valve sometimes fails, allowing trans fluid to seep out of the torque converter when the Jeep sits for long periods or even just overnight. When you start the Jeep and put it in gear, the pump will circulate fluid back into the TC and you're off and runnin'...... this can take a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on conditions and circumstances.