No overdrive 1996 AW4

I have a 1996 XJ 4.0 with the AW4. I was having shifting issues where if it was in D it would shift from 1st right into 4. Shifting with the handle it would shift from 1st to 3rd to 4th but the torque converter would not lock up. After reading I changed all 3 shift solenoids. Now if in D it shifts 1st 2nd 3rd but when it tries to go to 4th it is like neutral. Thought the overdrive solonoid i got was bad. Got another one put it in and same thing 1st 2nd 3rd gear fine 4th is like it shifts to neutral. If I slow down it will downshift or if I leave the handle in 3 it doesn't try to shift to 4th. Not sure where to look next.

Hmmm.. My aw4.. Dropped outta OD... On a long ride.. Guessing it got hot not sure.. It did it once before but.. It wouldn't downshift into 1st gear either... I let it sit for 15mins.. Shifted into overdrive for the rest of the night... I just dropped my trans fluid.. It wasn't too bad looking.. So I'm not sure ... But maybe try a good flush... I'm still learning the xj life...

Check the connectors near the trans dipstick tube.

Click on the following link and go to Post #10.

http://www.cherokeetech.com/VBull/s...uiser-s-Mostly-Renix-Tips&p=103796#post103796

Will do Aswell! Thanks^^

Can't hurt, and might help. Good luck.

I've rarely had much luck messing with the tranny. But have had some successes.

First thing to do is check your TV valve adjustment. Not likely to be your whole problem, but it is a starting point. It has a large influence on pump pressures and will mess with your shift points.

Then I check out the main valve adjustment, manual shift valve. Make sure the adjustment is correct, you don't want any half shifts. A fairly primitive valve really, if the valve position is misaligned (shift cable) things are unlikely to work well. I have pulled it apart in the past and found solids in there, which can't be good.

I always check my shift solenoids (ohms) from the TCU connector, from there you are checking the wiring and the solenoid. It is possible to have a connector full of water or coolant and the solenoid signal can bleed between solenoids/wiring. It is hard to check for solenoid bleed over, shorts between solenoid circuits, through water, with an ohm meter. You can use a nine volt battery and check for voltage bleed (nine plus volts bleeds through water, well). Voltage bleed through a corroded, water or coolant polluted connector is unlikely to be good. I once corrected some pretty startling tranny issues just by cleaning and drying out the inside of the connector.

In the OBD 1 and OBD 2 setups the PCM has some input into TCU programming. The neutral safety switch and the speed sensor are much more important. The speed sensor is likely to throw a MIL code if it is inoperable.

OHM test the grounds, even the dash ground.

The brake switch !!!!!

I once found a mostly plugged tranny cooler line. On a hunch I tried to blow through it (with my mouth), no go. I then applied 60 PSI of shop air and blew a wad of trash out of there. May or may not be a factor, but is sure not to be good if it happens.

In other words I check the peripherals before I start tearing into the tranny, Other than fresh fluid and a clean filter. For the simple reason that I'd feel like a real dunce if I swapped a tranny out and had exactly the same problems with my new tranny.

From what I glean looking at the shift chart, solenoids one and two have to be off when in fourth and one is on and two is off in neutral. A stuck open solenoid is a possibility, but likely to affect other gears also, like reverse. A bad fourth gear brake is a possibility. But I'd be unlikely to jump to conclusions before checking out the sensors that supply relevant info to the PCM and TCU. Have you checked the brake switch yet, two parts to that switch, one for the brake lights and another to the PCM/TCU.

Kool.. Haven't got that far in depth.. But I'll see if it loses overdrive again.. An go from there ima start checking my main connectors thanks again!.