I have a 2000 Wrangler with a 4 liter and manual five speed. I'm the second owner and the first owner was a nurse that used the jeep as a highway commuter car. The jeep has not been wrecked, rolled, or ever stuck.
Over a year ago the reverse lockout pin was found (broken) while changing the transmission fluid. I took it to the dealer under warranty and they rebuilt the transmission. However, as soon as I picked up the Jeep there was a shift problem. That's when upshifting into 2ndfelt like a tooth or two was grinding past. It would shift and stay in 2nd gear, but it was like the clutch was only partially depressed while upshifting - like a lazy upshift micro-grind. Shifting up to 3rd had a similar feel, but was less noticeable. Downshifting was as it should be. No grind, but smooth shifting.
So, I took it back of course. They tried a number of things, including rebuilding the transmission, clutch, throwout bearing, etc. Nothing helped. And after five overnight trips to the dealer (30 miles away) they told me there was nothing they could do. When they test drove it, it was like they were driving the Pope-mobile and they would always take about three seconds to shift from one gear to the next - and with that time lag, the problem is less noticeable - but I could still hear it from the passenger seat. However, that kind of shift is not normal or comfortable. I didn't throw a big enough fit and the warranty eventually expired.
The problem stayed and eventually got to the point of occasional full fledged grinds when shifting into second. Before having a lift put in the Wrangler I wanted to be sure the transmission was going to be good for the next 50,000 miles or so, so I took it to a one man transmission shop that was recommended by a long time general automotive mechanic I have known for years.
He couldn't find anything really wrong with the transmission except a little abrasion on the shaft - and he replaced the shaft. He thought the dealer had been using the wrong fluid and initially the transmission shifted better with the fluid he used. However, after only about 1,000 miles, the shifting problem (not the all out grind) is back.
Unfortunately, while it was shifting better, I had a lot of work done on the Jeep. Now I have a 4 inch lift, new tires, new differentials, and new drive shaft, but the transmission is annoying as hell. I can shift REAL slow, or double clutch when going up to 2nd, but that's not a cure, there is still something not meshing like it should.
So, finally, any suggestions? I've even starting thinking of a new transmission, but the wife is going to kill me if it comes to that.
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