Cherokee SRT8 Forum banner

Why Shifter Lever Assy breaks on Jeeps

172K views 127 replies 74 participants last post by  Oberlanderperformance 
#1 · (Edited)
After several short term "limp modes' followed by famous 'circled" PRND on EVIC decided to check SLA module, also known as electronic shifter module (ESM), inside. Several people here claimed that after replacement of SLA module they got rid of the problem.

I started with some homework and found German (Mercedes) white papers about 722.6 gearbox. Documents stated that inside the module there are 12 Hall sensors to detect lever position. Hall sensors are known as pretty reliable ones cause they are contact-less sensors. Interestingly, I didn't found any claims on SLA module on several Benz sites.
However when I disassembled SLA module, I found that Chrysler put cheep mechanical contact system inside instead of just a bit more expensive but far more reliable Hall sensor system.
My guess is that it might be a main reason of SLA module failures. Most of them are reported at 30K-40K mileage, right after starting the car in cold mornings. Morning condensation along with a sufficient amount of conductive material accumulated between lamelles may cause position misreading.

The good thing is that it's possible to clean them using contact cleaner, which I did. By the way Chrysler says that it's non serviceable unit and wants more than 300 bucks for part only.

This is picture of PCB

These are lamelles before cleaning

After cleaning

Contacts are different - gold plated for gear position and nickel plated for autostick


I think that's one of a good examples, why Chrysler cars have worst reliability figures than Daimler ones.
 
See less See more
4
#33 ·
Would cleaning this board improve "Auto Stick" response? I have a 2007 and Auto Stick is pretty picky on upshifts, I really have to tap it to the right pretty hard to get it to upshift.

My coworker has a 2010 and he can upshift with his pinky in Auto Stick, so smooth compared to mine.

Seems like cleaning the board might help with the connections, anyone care to chime in? Thanks in advance!
 
#34 ·
My guess is - it should help. Look at the picture downshift area is black "triangle" zone, in to the down -left at the picture. Upshift zone is separated squared zone at the top side of the picture.

However i didn't noticed huge improvement in autostick mode after cleaning.
 
#38 ·
Don't bother too much about it
static is an issue during extremely dry summer and winter times.
For that dump spring times you are quite safe, unless you are in Sahara or Baja
 
#37 ·
Another happy customer here! I did this last weekend and the CEL issues are gone. I did it in my garage, touched a few metal pieces of the truck and tool box to ground out any static electricity I may have had no me and then pulled the contraption apart to clean it. I did the actual cleaning on my wooden work bench so I didn't have any static to worry about.
 
#39 ·
my rig goes in on wednesday to have the shift assembly replaced, is this a sticking plaster repair ? will it happen again ?
 
#41 ·
so for you guys that did this clean, has it worked for all for all of you? and how frequently were you guys getting the CEL and symptoms? cause right now my symptoms will happen every ohhh 2 days. so im wondering if its the ESM that needs to be replaced or if cleaning this shift assembly should fix it.
 
#46 ·
Wtf

ok so i am at the stage of sliding the shifter assy over where the knob is. but it is stuck on there like a mofo. I removed two visible screws but the right hand side is STUCK so im assuming there is two more screws underneath the assy that cant be seen cause they are covered by the part of the shifter assembly you can see while driving that has the PRND on it. how the hell do i remove that to get to the two remaining screws... there are two clips on the left side but one is like 100% specifically designed not to come off... im so confused now.
 
#50 ·
ok so i am at the stage of sliding the shifter assy over where the knob is. but it is stuck on there like a mofo. I removed two visible screws but the right hand side is STUCK so im assuming there is two more screws underneath the assy that cant be seen cause they are covered by the part of the shifter assembly you can see while driving that has the PRND on it. how the hell do i remove that to get to the two remaining screws... there are two clips on the left side but one is like 100% specifically designed not to come off... im so confused now.
there are two more screws ander the rubber insert in the "phone" pocket to the left of the shifter
 
#48 ·
REMOVAL





1. Remove any necessary console parts for access to shift lever assembly and shifter cables. (Refer to 23 - BODY/INTERIOR/FLOOR CONSOLE - REMOVAL)
2. If necessary, remove the bolts holding the shield, covering the gearshift and park lock cables, to the shifter assembly and remove the shield.
3. Shift transmission into PARK.
4. Disconnect the transmission shift cable (3) at shift lever (1).
5. Remove the shift cable retainer (4) from the notch in the shifter assembly.
6. Verify the key is in the LOCK position and disconnect the park lock cable (5) from the shifter mechansim cam and the notch in the shifter assembly.




7. Disengage all wiring connectors (2, 3) from the shifter assembly (1).
8. Remove all bolts (2) holding the shifter assembly (1) to the floor pan .
9. Remove the shifter assembly (1) from the vehicle.
 
#51 ·
OK....You have no idea how much I appreciate this info! I have a 2005 Laredo and have had this problem for 2 yrs now. When I took it to the dealership, they said it could be one of two things wrong and that I would just have to drive it until it got worse for them to be able to tell the fix. I thought this was the craziest thing I had ever heard. For me the problem comes and goes. Sometimes it will be a couple of months and other times it is a constant problem and I'm scared to pull out into traffic. I plan on working on this fix real soon. I can't wait to do this and I can't thank you guys enough....well, if it works.
 
#52 ·
Done!!!!!!! :)

Ok, I just did this cleaning mod on my ESM, hopefully it is the issue. I cleared the CEL, and drove around some of the hilly streets that seems to trigger it more often and nothing. I am keeping my fingers crossed!!
Yesterday when I was pulling out of Costco, my truck went into the limp mode and I couldn't get out of the parking lot since the way out has a small hill. I had like 10 cars behind me and I was not very happy. It did take like 10 seconds for it to kick out of limp mode and away I went.
 
#53 ·
Also thank you all for the pics and disassembly instructions....VERY much appreciated and if not, it would have been at the dealer with a bunch of guys running all kinds of tests, flashes etc etc and then to come to some unkown conclusion!!
 
#54 ·
Yes I'm digging up an older thread but this one saved my bacon.

My wife pulled out of the garage yesterday morning just to have the Jeep go into limp mode. All gear icons lit up, hard shifting, and a CEL. I was dreading pulling the entire N2O setup out, swapping tires back over to stock, and going to the dealership. Up here Lithia Jeep is INFAMOUS for shotty work and using any excuse to void warranty.

Very thankful for the OP of this thread and those of you who added pictures and directions. Did it just like instructed, Jeep runs like a top again. Thank you.
 
#57 ·
i do mastering so now so they're custom consoles usually. i like to use some 409 mixed with water to clean those first with q tips. then just water on a q tip to rinse it. then dry it with a dry q tip, then apply the fader lube with...a q tip. :)

if you use a contact cleaner it's going to eventually eat through that conductive carbon and ruin it completely.
 
#58 ·
Cool bro!!!! The reason I asked is cuz I use to fix AMS Neve Logic 1, and Log 3 audio consoles and also Digi Design D-Command audio consoles with Pro Tools... I don't work on them now, but mostly work on Avid Media Composer, and maintain our 128 TB of storage on a ISIS with Interplay... Cool stuff bro!
 
#60 ·
Hahahahaha... Yeah it is man! Yeah its a baby console compared to the Euphonix consoles we have here to master the show with... I don't work on thos consoles tho....
 
#62 ·
My ESM has been faulting since 2009, I'm on my 4th replacement.
Did the cleaning and all is good for a week now.

I gave my story to some local radio and tv stations and called Transport Canada
to report this issue because chrysler doedn't care about our safety. Hopefully
something will happen soon and the news gets out like Toyota's sticky gas pedal
recall issue did and chrysler is forced to resolve this problem because I'm not going
to pay $1100.00 every 15 months or have to clean the ESM every 6 months so I
don't get killed one day while driving.

To all those that have this issue, please say something so this can be made a recall.
Call your local tv and radio stations let them know so other people will atleast know
about this issue.
 
#63 ·
I can vouch for the DeoxIT, it's great stuff! Had an old (ok, ancient... :D ) Crate guitar amp laying around that the potentiometers were all in horrid shape from dust, dirt, grease, oil, etc... Pulled the amp apart and cleaned them (and the switches) out with the DeoxIT (I used D5), works good as new. Great product, I use it on most any electrical connection that needs cleaning now. You just want to be sure it dries before you power on, overnight is plenty safe.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top