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Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
That's the second time in two weeks, a poster has been caught by a previous owner swapping in an incompatible year transmission. The 97 in the tag you posted was probably the manf year. I kinda wonder how they even plugged the harness in under the hood without getting creative. The problem here is that the newer transmission puts out 4 pulse per revolution on the rear output sensor, versus 1 per revolution (that change happen at the same time they added the front sensor). This results in the trans computer thinking your going 4x as fast, and then upshifting way too early and bogging the engine down.
1987-1990 AW4s are bolt-in... as long as you also swap the input gears in your transfer case, or the whole transfer case. Remember that the NP231 input gear cuts changed in 94 or 95 and that the rear output of the transfer case changed from 95 to 96 when selecting a donor. I would NOT suggest this swap unless in dire straits (need to get off the trail, need to get to work tomorrow or be fired, etc) as you are limiting yourself to a rapidly disappearing selection of 21 spline spare parts in the boneyards.
1990.5-1996 AW4s are bolt-in.
1997 AW4s are bolt-in, except you have to cut and splice the wiring harness connector. Again, 5 butt-splice crimp terminals and a few minutes and this is done. You may need to add custom wiring for the transfer case indicator lamps (see this bullet under the 87-90 section, above.)
1998-2001 AW4s require more work. All the transfer case input gear info from 1990.5-1997 applies, on top of that, the sensors have changed! You can either build the circuit given here by lawsoncl or swap the transmission tailhousing, sensor drive rotor, and output speed sensor as shown here by Frank Z to make this work. You may need to add custom wiring for the transfer case indicator lamps (see above.)
so i may be having somewhat of a similar issue, but mine is this.
manual shifting ..1st gear picks up and goes but doesnt pass 2.5k and when it shifts into 2nd , its boooogs down like WAAAY DOWN! and 3rd is the same and D is the same....
now shifting with in (D) it will not pass 2.5k in any gear. it doesnt seam like it shift through gear but almost gliding through and then hits 4th and bogs ( almost stalling out) .. i have replaced the tcm and found a fuse blown to the tcm ( replaced) has a little bit more pick up and go but is still sluggish as all get out. i put about a quart of trans fluid in a day with no significant sign of leakage. ANNNNYONE have ANY idea what this could be or be related to? im 🤏🤏 close to changing a transmission! is this a relay for the tcm??
I kinda sounds like your in limp mode so try resetting your computer and driving it and see if it stops if you haven’t already
Last edited by Ayden Smith 2006; 01-03-2021 at 12:42 PM.
I kinda sounds like your in limp mode so try resetting your computer and driving it and see if it stops if you haven’t already
There is no limp mode. From his post earlier saying he has a front input speed sensor, I believe he has a 1998 transmission installed in a 1996. The mismatch causes it to upshift 4x as fast and he's in 4th gear by the time he's doing 20mph.
01-02-2021, 12:37 AM
