............ think that it needs to drop into overdrive at 35 mph?


I mean seriously. It has a hard enough time pulling its own weight at 65mph in overdrive. Not only shouldn't it be in overdrive at 35 mph, it shouldn't be in third gear either!!!!!!

I'm just venting. It's bad enough they give us these underpowered things in the name of either being cheap or fuel efficient, pick your excuse. Honestly they'd be more fuel efficient if you didn't have to drive around with your foot on the floor all the time.

 

Sorry to hear about your auto woes... I had a ZJ (first generation grand cherokee) with the 42RE automatic behind one of the old 4.0s. The JKs have the 42RE as well don't they? The premature upshifting is probably an attempt by Chrysler to squeeze out a few extra tenths of an mpg. Maybe an aftermarket programmer would alleviate this issue? Could someone with an auto and an aftermarket programmer/chip chime in?

But I will say not to hate on the 42RE as much as the Chrysler programming. On my ZJ it lasted and worked great for the entire 200K miles I had my ZJ (only one or two "quirks" started after it got over 150K miles of being driven hard)

 

I am dissapointed that these trannys dont come with a tow haul button on the jeeps equipped with a tow package

 

yeah, mine did that to.....it was awful when you had to get going again and wait for it to downshift. I now have a 6 speed, and it's much better!

 

Again, I'm just bitching and moaning.....

But seriously, these things shift at RPMs that I'm sure the I6's probably handled ok. (I haven't jumped from mine to my father's TJ recently to compare) I'm also sure a lot of my unhappiness is the gas pedal. You have to be quite determined to get it to downshift, so by the time you've fed it enough gas to get it to drop 2 gears you've lost another 5mph or so making it feel even more like a dog.

My RV has the tow/haul button behind the Ford V10. That would make a JK feel like it had a reasonably sized motor in it.

I've read enough about the different programmers to know one of them is probably the answer to my headache. I just haven't figured out how to clear $300 with the CFO yet.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I'm running 4.10's I have no idea how someone would deal with 3.21's and an auto on larger than 32" tires.

 

Just turn off the O/D when towing or driving around town.
I do that and have no issues with it going into O/D, because it's off.

 

I do. I'm constantly reaching for the button. Then I feel dirty or something and turn it back on. I guess I was thinking that if they can make the JK smart enough to ride your brakes all the time in the name of safety, they can make it stay in the right gear! (I know, I'm asking a lot)

 

I don't understand.

 

only got yourself to blame for getting an automatic, that tranny should never have been put in a jeep in the first place, but then people like you bought them so quit bitchin and switch it for a 6 sp.

 

I really don't either. For some reason I just feel like it SHOULD be on no matter what. As I say that I also spend a significant amount of time pulling the shifter down into 2nd manually just to keep it in the proper gear.

I know, I know....I should have bought a stick.