2000 Trooper; 4x4; 3.5L V6; 140k miles; Automatic; No Check Engine or Tranny Lights; No Codes.

When the truck is in Drive it is not engaging in 1st gear. Reverse is fine. If I give it a lot of gas it will eventually start, but it seems like it is starting in 3rd gear. I can put it in L and it will drive fine.

Before this started happening I had an intermittent missing while accelerating at about 35-40 mph...then this started happening.

Also had two dead batteries in the past 6 months.

Have what sounds like a heat shield rattle...not sure if this is related or not, suspect not.

Here is what I have done so far:

Checked the tranny fluid level-was good and not burnt smelling.

Replaced the alternator, serpentine belt and battery (again) after the second dead battery-from what I have read the 4L30E tranny is very voltage sensative. Even the slightest voltage issue can cause problems. I am now seeing 14.5 VDC at the battery with the engine running with the headlights on.

I am still a little confused about what caused my dead batteries in the first place-I have not been driving the Trooper since this tranny thing started-but I did start it once a week. The battery died in like a two week period.

I checked all of my ground connections that I could find-all seemed tight.

I checked all of my fuse connections-all good.

I disconnected the winter mode switch-I thought that maybe the winter mode switch was stuck on-didn't fix anthing.

I read some posts about cleaning the mode switch-but I do not have any confused dash shift indications-so I don't think this could be the problem.

Everything else seems to be fine.

I love and miss driving my Trooper!

Any help would be appreciated.

Happy Holidays!

SteveO

 

steve
i had a similar problem with my trooper. its a selonoid in the tranny. it cost me 3500 to fix at aamco. long story short.

 

3500 for a solenoid?
That sounds more like a tranny shop ripoff.
I know this is a common problem,tell me it wasn't $3,500.00

 

yeah it was aamco, the screwed me over but i got them back. they had to fix it 3 times for free, paid my towing bill and aamco corporate sent me a letter of apology. plus i got the manager fired and reported them to the BBB.
people seem to forget; we as consumers have the power. not the other way around. now the tranny is under a lifetime warranty.