Another question about the aw4

[blazerguy912]

So i wentwheeling not too long ago kind of hard, and my 96 cherokee has started to give me a weird problem. It has about 180k, i bought it used at the beginning of the year and now its lifted 6" with 33's.

Anyhow, When I put the tranny into drive, i press the gas and it hardly moves, it feels like it is stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear..or even 4th. I start pressin the throttle harder and it will eventually catch up and start movin but it doesn't seem to shift. Now when i put it into 1-2 gear manually, it will start off in first gear as it should...I checked my fluid, looks clean and level..No leaks..The first time it happened was after i went wheelin and i was literally 2 min away from my house...Then i left it overnight to cool down and then it worked fine the next day. Then, the day after that, it started doing it again when the engine was semi-warm.

So my question is, short and simple, what is happening to my aw4???!

[wannabejeep]

It kind of seems like some electrical connection or TCM problem to me but that's just a hunch.

[customcreationsllc]

Not positive on that one but most electronic transmissions when cannot read all the sensors like the speed sensor it will go into limp mode which is normally 2nd gear and that is all you get.

Start by reading your codes.

[Zullock Holmes]

Idk about that speed sensor affecting the AW4, when i had my spare transfer case in the green jeep for a while last summer i had no speed sensor connected and the tranny shifted and drove relatively fine.

[Jeep Creep]

reset your kick down cable. its next to your throttle body, should be a button. i forget the exact sequence but i think you push the button down and while holding it down, open the throttle wide open. release the button then close the throttle and you should be all set.

[blazerguy912]

So i got a different tcm, put it in..same shit happening.
Then I tried resetting the kick down cable and it seemed to work for a little bit, but it did it again.
What I have noticed is that when the engine is cold and I want to shift to drive, the lock button is harder to press in than usual..Is that normal?

So what I did was flush the fluid, put a new filter in, and now added Lucas additive. I have heard before that people used to say that too much tranny fluid can also be what is causing problems. I think it has happened with my blazer, and it fixed it. Could too much fluid be it? It's in the operating range on the dipstick though....

[clean4drxj]

the AW4's are far and few between on giving someone an actually issue, I'd assume a good place to start would be the correct fluid, correct operating level on dipstick(engine running when checked) and clean.

[Zullock Holmes]

I think i semi-cooked my torque converter in the white jeep. basically in 3rd gear if i wasn't over like 2500 rpm it would literally disengage and i'd be rolling in neutral pretty much.

It only does it when its cold though, so i just give it more gas and it grabs and normally goes away after a couple times lol.

[clean4drxj]

I think i semi-cooked my torque converter in the white jeep. basically in 3rd gear if i wasn't over like 2500 rpm it would literally disengage and i'd be rolling in neutral pretty much.

It only does it when its cold though, so i just give it more gas and it grabs and normally goes away after a couple times lol.

whats the fluid look like, how does it smell?

[Pat]

Just had this happen to me this fall. Do you notice the volt gauge moving erratically? Mine would be stuck in over drive, i would have to shift into first then 3rd then over drive, no second. Turned out the ECU ? I think it was the ECU had to be changed, maybe it was the TCM

[blazerguy912]

UPDATE:
So I added the Lucus tranny fluid additive and it mostly did the job. The first problem I had went away, but now when it shifts, its a hard shift...like it revs up how it should to the right rpms and then when it shifts, it basically bumps into the next gear..like you feel a small jolt/bump...but that only happens sometimes..

Like I said, I replaced the fluid and filter and all..no check engine codes...Also did replace the TCM, but it was used, so I wonder if its just a fluke that it's bad too because I pulled it out of Chuck and Eddies myself...

Now people say that their solenoids had to be changed when something like this happened, but they got the codes to come on...Do the codes only show up for the 97+ cherokees? or would it still show for my 96? Because I am thinking about replacing them anyways to see if maybe they might be the reason....Any opinions?

[jeepkid03]

I'd try another TCM. Also, since it happened right after wheeling check all the wiring connections and make sure they are clean and tight. I wouldn't use the Lucas, thats probably why its shifting harder. Also, with stock gears it wouldn't hurt to throw a tranny cooler on it.