Kids went mudding, grand cherokee is SICK!!

[OWhatAThrill]

1041332

Ok, I am posting for one of my 17 year old son's friends. She has a 1996 Grand Cherokee. Seems some of them decided to go mudding last night. Got it stuck in water up to the bottom of the door, with the whole inside carpet (excluding trunk area) getting wet. Now it appears there are transmission problems. Will barely take off in drive. Have to rev it high to get it to move. Wouldn't start at one point, but started later. The boys took it and changed the transmission, they said the reverse stopped working after they changed the fluid. They said there was water in the transmission fluid. The girl is here, sobbing. Course blame is going all around, from the one who suggested it, to the one who was driving it, who was supposedly told by the owner NOT to go in "that" direction because of a known huge holes but the driver did, PLOP! is the report. Any suggestions?



PS. Just had a report that they put in the wrong kind of transmission fluid. "NOW" they read the manual.

Also, that you sometimes can actually drive the truck when its in neutral, and when you put it in reverse, it "gets up on its honches, like it's trying to go, but doesn't move" <was verbatium> and then when they take it out of reverse, it lowers itself back down. I'm talking to the girl now, telling her about changing all the fluids. Its sad, she's asking how to tell her parents, and her grandmother who bought her the truck.

[addsig]

 

[RookieJeeper]

1041333

the only thing i can suggest is change ALL the fluids. transfer case, engine oil, front and rear differentials. you say just the transmission fluid was changed? if so then definetly change the axle fluids. have them run a water remover through the gas tank, anything to do with fluids. [addsig]

 

[RAVEN13xxx]

1041334

We had the same problem with a 97 at the shop I work at. Ended up rebuilding the trans.[addsig]

 

[OWhatAThrill]

1041335

Any idea what rebuilding a transmission or a new transmission costs?[addsig]

 

[RAVEN13xxx]

1041336

rebuild is about 500 if you take it out and put it in. 750 or so if they do it. A new one is about 3x that.[addsig]

 

[nanaeight]

1041339

I did the same thing in my Wrangler, but it cranked up after I got it out of the water. Definately change ALL the fluids (oil twice). Have someone check the air intake cause if that got wet, you're gonna have some serious trouble. Fortunately, in Wranglers, those are high enough up in the front not to get wet, but I don't know much about Cherokees or where the air intake is. I would spend the hundred or so to get a professional to change your fluids for you. If the truck wasn't in the water too long, your transmission shouldn't have taken on too much water. I was stuck for ten minutes with water above my seats and I didn't take on too much. Sorry I can't give you a "ray of hope". Of course, I could be wrong....[addsig]

 

[balloo93]

1041348

Clean everything out. Mud and water act like a mild abrassive on just about everything. I would check the diffs, transferr case, and you have already messed with the transmission. Make sure the trans filter was replaced.



If there is water in the diff, you'll need to replace the axle seals and more than likely axle bearings.



I'd make sure the one who drove it in does all the maintence. [addsig]

 

[MudderChuck]

1041363

I´ve had a little experience in the soup. I´m not going to venture into the transmission other than to say get it up as high as you can and wash everything underneath with a highpressure cleaner before you do anything else. The transmission problem could be as simple as the shift cable ot linkage being out of adjustment (or stuffed full of gravel and mud) (try the easy stuff first). Then remove the rear brake drums and clean with a high pressure cleaner. Then remove the front tires and clean the front brakes with high pressure water. Then take a good look in the alternator with a mirror and flashlight, then clean out with, high pressure water. Remove the starter and inspect and clean as necessary with high pressure water. Next clean every moving part where it contacts a seal with high pressure water. Then clean everything again to make sure you didn´t miss anything the first time. In the long run it will save somebody alot of money. Mudding is fun, but everybody needs a good bath afterwords with hot high pressure water. If you take the carpets up, on the outside edge (just lift up the outside as much as possible without removing the whole carpet), clean them with high pressure water mop up whats left in the floorboards and lay down newspaper (alot) it will soak up most of the water overnight and the next morning clean them with a foasm carpet cleaner and vacumm until near dry. After a few years I got it down to a system and could do it in a few hours. It could be worse at least they wern´t hurt or busted. There are worse things than getting the car dirty. Besides Mud is good clean fun.

[addsig]

 

[laxdw]

Hello everybody. After reading this post about going for a swim I am wondering why they even sell snorkels? BTW getting water in the air intake isn;t the end of the world... I have seen a lot go in and all it does is slow the RPMs down a bit ( hense you can run a out of the hood intake in the rain). I was wondering though since I will be getting my 2000 xj soon and lifting it 5.5 in on 33s what can I do to prevent "bad Things" when I decide to take her for a swim? Is there anyway that I can make it water proofable? In terms of being able to go into water up to the doors and not have to replace all the seals and fluids?

 

[88Wrangles]

RE: studding tires

you need to run all the vent lines up high enough that they won't be submerged. That is how you get water in...through the vent lines. Water in the intake= bad idea. Water does not compress in the engine like fuel and air does...Causeing it to go bye-bye!!