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AW4 no TC lockup

WebDog

WebDog

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Center City, MN
Yesterday I was driving on the freeway and all of the sudden I heard a grumbling noise, it was mainly on decel. Shortly after I lost TC lockup, it would lock intermittently. It was also shifting a bit jerky after parking it for a little, almost like it tried to go into tc lock and then popped out.

The trans temp was shooting to 230 also after this happened.

I have had a slight howl from the bell housing area ever since I built the jeep 3 years ago.

I tested the TC soleniod and the ohm test passed and I can apply 12V and hear it engadge. I tested it driving around the block and it would not lock the TC.

So what could be the coulperte? The TCU was bypassed for tests.

Would a torque converter with 20k miles on it 3 years old fail? and would it drive mostly normal?

Valve body?

I have spent about 3 hours searching the forums and nothing like this came up...
 
Well pulled the pan and found large metal fragments, so I am going to pull the trans and tear is down to see what failed.

308019_2306833103761_1037288951_32643359_462222413_n.jpg
 
From the looks of that mess, other than an inspection to see what did happen, I would would grab a working used one and do swap. What did the fluid look like?
 
Ecomike said:
From the looks of that mess, other than an inspection to see what did happen, I would would grab a working used one and do swap. What did the fluid look like?
Click to expand...

The plan is to pull it out and do a complete tear down. No mater what way I go rebuild this one or find another one I am still going to do a rebuild kit with new clutch packs and a new TC.

I absolutely hate doing transmission jobs and want it to last as long as possible. This transmission has a little over 200k and has has TC lock issues (brake pedal switch) so it has been baking for at least a few years lol...


The funny thing is it still drives pretty good, and the TC lock was intermittent so that makes me wonder if maybe the valve body was getting clogged up with the pieces?
 
Got the trans out and found the problem... :(

I have a source on a AW4 with unknown miles, so I would want to do a rebuild. I am also going to price out a rebuilt one as I don't have much free time and would be nice to have a warrantee.


308017_2310481274963_1037288951_32647552_72410280_n.jpg
307880_2310477714874_1037288951_32647550_1262240964_n.jpg

301361_2310475874828_1037288951_32647540_1482280058_n.jpg
309496_2310473994781_1037288951_32647534_1740752178_n.jpg
 
That was pretty much expected based on what you found in the pan. Very unusual for an AW4 to do that.

A whole lot of NAXJA'rs just grab used ones from a JY, because they almost never fail.
 
Boveevil said:
I believe quadratec has a new aw4 with electronics and new TC for around $1300. No idea of shop and labor cost to rebuild one.
Click to expand...

Thats not a bad price at all, I would need to get a 23 spline tcase but I found one local reman for 300...

It would be nice to have a brand new drivetrain. Tomorrow ill have to call around and see options and prices.
 
Ecomike said:
That was pretty much expected based on what you found in the pan. Very unusual for an AW4 to do that.

A whole lot of NAXJA'rs just grab used ones from a JY, because they almost never fail.
Click to expand...

I have access to one but no idea on the miles on it, I am more of the kind of person to spend the money for the piece of mind. I have done a lot of cheap repairs and end up doing them over more than once, and I hate pulling transmissions.
 
The only thing I hate more than pulling transmissions, is rebuilding one, :cheers: LOL. I just did my first swap of used AW4s. My old one (87) needs new o'rings/seals only, just due to age and miles on the seals.

I bought a spare 4 years ago (imported it from Dallas to Houston via NAXJA buddy piggy back, LOL), and swapped them out recently, and the swapped used one runs better than the other one ever did, has more fluid pressure, more power (I bought the 87 in about 2004). I have never seen an AW4 do what yours did, or even heard of one doing that! Most of their problems are electric, TCU-solenoid wires or solenoids, and every once in a while, but rare, a bad valve body or TC, but very rare. My used one that died (bad seals/o'rings) had a clean as a whistle pan when I first tried to fix it, hoping it was a bad solenoid, but alas the diagnosis was shot seals internally, loss of hydraulic pressure. No clutch material, no metal in the pan at all! But just changing the seals looks like biotch!

Also, I do not trust rebuilt transmissions by others. Had way too many fail, way too soon, went through 7 of them between 1978-79 on my old dodge charger..... One of the reasons I love XJ's is the engines and transmissions seem to last forever.
 
Last edited:
Ecomike said:
The only thing I hate more than pulling transmissions, is rebuilding one, :cheers: LOL. I just did my first swap of used AW4s. My old one (87) needs new o'rings/seals only, just due to age and miles on the seals.

I bought a spare 4 years ago (imported it from Dallas to Houston via NAXJA buddy piggy back, LOL), and swapped them out recently, and the swapped used one runs better than the other one ever did, has more fluid pressure, more power (I bought the 87 in about 2004). I have never seen an AW4 do what yours did, or even heard of one doing that! Most of their problems are electric, TCU-solenoid wires or solenoids, and every once in a while, but rare, a bad valve body or TC, but very rare. My used one that died (bad seals/o'rings) had a clean as a whistle pan when I first tried to fix it, hoping it was a bad solenoid, but alas the diagnosis was shot seals internally, loss of hydraulic pressure. No clutch material, no metal in the pan at all! But just changing the seals looks like biotch!

Also, I do not trust rebuilt transmissions by others. Had way too many fail, way too soon, went through 7 of them between 1978-79 on my old dodge charger..... One of the reasons I love XJ's is the engines and transmissions seem to last forever.
Click to expand...

I am talking to a shop in Phoenix that was recommended from pirate4x4, and they can rebuild mine for about $1200

new heavy duty gear set,front & rear planets,sun gears & sun shell,use a master o/h/ kit with red eagles & still use a road runner tow & go converter and a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty.

I am leaning towards that route.

I need to figure out shipping, but I am assuming that I can ship huge bumpers I can ship a trans with UPS and I get pretty good rates on the heavy items.
 
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