# Jeep Cherokee XJ, 1997, RPM surges when accelerating? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** cherokee, transmissions, jeep, throttles\ **Created:** [November 15, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510 "2016-11-15T22:55:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marshgray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marshgray/32/4639_2.png) [@Marshgray](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marshgray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/1 "2016-11-15T22:55:06Z")
Hey everyone, I have a '97 Jeep Cherokee Sport, around 187,000 miles on the odometer. Once a month or so, I will have a day where when I accelerate, the RPM’s will surge up and down, but it will feel like it is coasting, as if I do not have my foot on the pedal. There is also an audible “rattling” sound, much like a rattlesnake rattle, right under the steering wheel it seems. It will happen for about five or six seconds, and it will then go back to normal for another month. - Side note, (This has only happened twice), I had a moment the other day where I could not accelerate for a few seconds, until an audible “popping” sound was heard on the right side of my engine, and then everything went back to normal. RPMs stayed around 2-2500 during that time. Some have said it could be the throttle position sensor? I also think it could have something to do with my transmission, because I checked my dipstick and it is a reddish-brown color. It is very light brown and you can still make out the red, so I just assume this is just used but it is still functioning normally. No metal chips or anything. Thank you all! -Marshal Radulov ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/2 "2016-11-15T22:59:42Z")
Have the transmission fluid serviced including removing the pan. If there’s metal chips, it won’t be on the dipstick but in the tranny pan. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Marshgray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marshgray/32/4639_2.png) [@Marshgray](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marshgray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/3 "2016-11-15T23:00:33Z")
Would that cause the acceleration surges when and only when accelerating? also would that mean my transmission is toast & I need a rebuild? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/4 "2016-11-15T23:01:50Z")
First. Is the Check Engine light on? Tester ---
**Author:** ![Marshgray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marshgray/32/4639_2.png) [@Marshgray](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marshgray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/5 "2016-11-15T23:03:17Z")
Not for anything related to that. Once, it had a check engine light for a day and went off, about a month ago. I looked up code, it said “NO BUS”, some wiring connection for my computer or something. Surely that isn’t related to this problem? It hasn’t been on since. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/6 "2016-11-15T23:08:16Z")
Then have the transmission fluid serviced, just because of the color you describe. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/3/30514a47431ccff6649830b861341d576ce781cb.png) Tester ---
**Author:** ![Marshgray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marshgray/32/4639_2.png) [@Marshgray](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marshgray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/7 "2016-11-15T23:10:39Z")
Definitely “Red/Light Brown Semi-Translucent”. Do you recommend just replacing gasket and fluid or doing a whole pump thing where they take all the fluid out? I could do the gasket replacement & refill myself. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/8 "2016-11-15T23:18:25Z")
A pan drop only removes 30-40% of the total amount of transmission fluid that the tranny holds. The rest stays in the valve body, torque converter, and the tranny cooler/lines. So it would be the same as only changing half your engine oil. If you want, you could just do a pan drop to change the fluid just to see if there’s any metal in the pan. And if none is found, take it to a shop and have all the tranny fluid replaced. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Marshgray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marshgray/32/4639_2.png) [@Marshgray](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marshgray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/9 "2016-11-15T23:20:49Z")
Sounds good. In the event that there IS metal in the pan, that would mean game over for my transmission right? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/10 "2016-11-15T23:22:08Z")
YEP! Tester ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/jeep-cherokee-xj-1997-rpm-surges-when-accelerating/96510/11 "2016-11-16T03:22:30Z")
Concur, it does sound like an automatic transmission problem. Good advice above. I’ve had rattling sounds like that happen b/c of a bad electrical connection which caused a relay to turn on and off rapidly. In my case it was a relay related to the EGR function. The “Bus” diagnostic code might be related to that. But I doubt it is the cause of the surging rpm symptom.