Transmission won't upshift when cold

[rural router]

My 2000 cherokee is at the trany shop. It started acting up about a month ago. First drive in the morning, it wouldn't upshift from first to second right away. I'd have to go 1/4 mile before it would shift. It got worse, sometimes it wouldn't shift for about 1 mile. I added a pint of trans treatment thinking an internal seal was hard and leaking when cold, it didn't help. So off to a good transmission shop in my area. He checked to see if the computer was sending a signal to upshift, and it was, so they replaced a solenoid for the first to second clutch yesterday. That didn't fix it, so today they replaced the valve body, or just one valve, not sure. I hope that will do it. $700 so far. This is a righthand drive that has been delivering mail for 122,000 miles. That transmission shifts alot, but he said there was no debris in the pan, and the fluid looked good. It has had regular service since new.
Scott

 

[saar]

What about the wiring to the ECM?
Did you check it?
Saar

 

[54cj3b]

sounds like it may be gum build up in 1 of the valves caused by over heated fluid

just a thought cause I have had that issue more than I ever want to remember

 

[rural router]

Valve in the valve body was sticking. They cleaned it up and it works now. Bill came to $800. 2 soleniods for valves, trans filter and new fluid, and then pull the pan again to clean the sticking valve. Now I have 800 in a trans with 125,000 on it, might have been better off in long run to put in a rebuilt. They did check the signal to the trans from the computer, and it was sending the signal to shift, if that's what you mean by checking the ECM.
Scott

 

[54cj3b]

rural router I take it your a mail man

Boy they saw you coming a mile away
another $50 you could have had the whole trans rebuilt

 

[rural router]

That's what I'm thinking too. It started as 400 for the solenoid, when that didn't fix it, it was 400 more. I think they charge about 2000 to rebuild.
Scott

 

[rural router]

Guess what? after driving it 2 days, it is back to not up-shifting when cold. Called the shop that did the work. He says the valve body must be warped, rebuilt valve body for the asia-werner trans are not available, so now my only option is to replace the whole transmission, or just live with letting it warm-up before I drive it. Yet I'm out $800 to the shop, and the result is nothing. I don't understand why it worked fine for 2 days before acting-up again. Should I ask for my money back. I took it to the shop and left instructions to diagnose the problem. $800 for a diagnosis.
Scott

 

[Jester32]

Is it an aw4 or a 45 rfe

 

[Jester32]

Sorry I think it's the 42re not 45. Messed up

 

[rural router]

It's aw something. Asia-werner
Scott

 

[Jester32]

I would clean the neutral saftey switch and the speed sensor. Easy and cheap. Quite often seals in the trans will leak worse when cold. Clutch pistons won't apply proper etc. it would have to be pressure tested to do a proper diagnoses. Next time it sits overnight check the fluid in the morning with the veh off if it's over full by lots it will narrow a few things down. Then check it warm running like proper to make sure it's good

 

[rural router]

My regular mechanic was the first one I talked to about this before I took it to the transmission shop. He thought an internal seal leaking right away too, then softening up when warm. So the fluid level, I got it back after all the work, and it is almost 2 inches high on the dipstick when hot. The shop said that won't hurt anything. Seems like it should be at the proper level for a reason, I'll drain some out. Where is the neutral safety and the speed sensor?
Thanks, Scott