Tranny Died, Options?

First, thank you guys for a whole ton of info when I was shopping for a built XJ. (Ended up picking this one up for 8.5k) Although I didn't buy it from somebody here I got a lot of useful information. Its been great to me this far.

However, my first XJ that I've had for about 4 months now has decided to send its transmission to the great Junkyard.:explosion:angel:

Quick Cherokee Info:
2000 XJ limited 4.0, 4x4 (AW4 transmission I'm pretty sure.), ~97k millage. Besides that it's got a 8 inch lift, 35" tires, ARB lockers, dana 40 front/60back, etc... I'm not sure if that stuff is too relevant to the question though.

During a 2hr trip out of town, I felt it shift hard. Check engine light went up and upon trying to accelerate I got nothing but a none to pleasant wurring noise. The tow company took me to the nearest dealer, a GMC/Buick. They are quoting me $3.7k for a jasper transmission. (300k warranty)

I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations. I'm not exactly mechanically savvy (more of a computer guy :compwork enough to rebuild a transmission. But I loved my ZJ and now my XJ. However If I'm going to have to buy a new Transimission what do you guys recommend? Should I try and shop around for a used one? If mine died at 97k I can't imagine 100+ will survive too terrible long. Is there a more durable option then the AW4? Or did mine die simply to chance and rough miles? (Previous owner seemed to have far more mechanical knowhow and kept it pretty well maintained.) Another company quoted me $1.9k for a used transmission with 117k on it.

Maybe I should just pony up and pay the 3.7k?

All recommendation or comments are appreciated!

TL;DR - Tranny died at 97k, I don't really want to pay 3.7k for a new Jasper Transmission. Best options? Junkyard? Get a used one through the dealer? Or just wait for the eventual entropic death of the universe...

I would shop around, does 3700 include upgrades?, regardless shop around. Those transmittions aren't a whole lot used.

See I just don't know enough about transmissions. Not even sure what upgrades would be relevant. But no I doubt that included anything other than a base transmission from Jasper.

I'll continue to poke my nose around, however I've mostly gotten quotes for new/rebuilds. 4k from jeep and 5.4k for a rebuilt.

The AW4 is a solid Transmission, I do not think it's typical for one to die at 100k miles. A used one would probably last you a long time if it was maintained right. It's not too hard to change yourself.

I would not pay nearly 4k for a rebuild. Local shops around here rebuild them for 1,500ish. Maybe it's more $$$ where you're at?

go to a transmission shop and not a dealership. a rebuild shouldnt be 4k. even with labor.

to give you a reference we paid ~ 2500 for the built trans for my wifes GTO 2 years ago. lots of upgraded bits in it. labor for R&R a trans shouldnt be more than 7-800 dollars from a reasonable shop. shouldnt take more than 6-7 hours of shop labor.

when i had the E4OD in my old 4x4 powerstroke rebuilt i think it was 2200 parts and labor. that was around 10 years ago though so my amount might be skewed a bit.

Thanks of letting me know that Jr/Dan. I live in a pretty small town, with very limited options. Where my vehicle broke is a bit bigger, I'll call around there and see if I can get a better deal. $3,7k still the best quote I've gotten. I'll also double check with them and see if that's stock or with any sort of upgraded bits in it.

If you didnt discuss "upgrades", they wont quote you a price featuring upgrades.... wishfull thinking. Thats the "towed in with a broken transmission" price.

I would check with auto dismantlers/junkyards, or even your local chapter here on naxja.

People LOVE to act like the aw4 is a super reliable transmission.... i went thru 2 or 3 in 5-6 years, and moved onto a manual transmission, at least when that goes i have nobody to blame but myself.

Are you sure its your transmission? When it kicked out of gear on the highway, did you hear a gear reduction noise, as if you were in 4lo? I had a tcase shift into 4lo at 75mph

I'd get an unknown junkyard trans before I bought anything from Jasper. Take it to a real tranny shop for a good idea. Many shops like dealers don't rebuild trannys anymore and simply replace them.

The AW4 transmission is the one of the longest lasting most reliable transmissions ever made. It's not uncommon to see them go 400,000 miles before they fail. There are multiple trail stories that they will tolerate complete loss of fluid at least once and others who bought spares thinking they'd surely need one because they'd blown every transmission they've ever owned and not only did they not need the spare but they had trouble selling it because nobody else had blown theirs either. As others have suggested I would try to get it over to a transmission shop. I find it hard to believe repair or rebuilt replacement would cost more than $2,000.

md21722 said:

The AW4 transmission is the one of the longest lasting most reliable transmissions ever made. It's not uncommon to see them go 400,000 miles before they fail. There are multiple trail stories that they will tolerate complete loss of fluid at least once and others who bought spares thinking they'd surely need one because they'd blown every transmission they've ever owned and not only did they not need the spare but they had trouble selling it because nobody else had blown theirs either. As others have suggested I would try to get it over to a transmission shop. I find it hard to believe repair or rebuilt replacement would cost more than $2,000.

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^^ This.

I'd look into Smart Parts transmission. I've had good results from them in the past with my old 87 Ranger A4LD transmission. It came with newer upgrades and a shift kit, and the torque converter was included. The AW4 is just over a 1k plus freight, and has a warranty.

I second (or third?) finding a cheap one on CL. Around here, there's always someone parting out a Cherokee that broke in half from the rust with 150K miles. That's still "young" for an AW-4.

md21722 said:

The AW4 transmission is the one of the longest lasting most reliable transmissions ever made. It's not uncommon to see them go 400,000 miles before they fail. There are multiple trail stories that they will tolerate complete loss of fluid at least once and others who bought spares thinking they'd surely need one because they'd blown every transmission they've ever owned and not only did they not need the spare but they had trouble selling it because nobody else had blown theirs either. As others have suggested I would try to get it over to a transmission shop. I find it hard to believe repair or rebuilt replacement would cost more than $2,000.

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One of my first off roading trips was with someone who got his Cherokee stuck pretty far away from anyone. Not sure how we did it, but no one could get to is. For 20 minutes straight, he rocked it hard. I don't mean just lightly giving it gas to go forward and backwards and letting it cool down. It was 20 minutes of foot to the floor, rev limiter in drive and reverse. The floor was insanely hot. Eventually after 20 minutes the engine just go too hot and it died.

Transmission, 5 years later, is still good and that jeep is driveable!

I have just over 200k miles on my AW4, with 110k miles of that turning 33' tires. I had a shift solenoid fail 2 years ago, so I replaced all of them and installed a shift kit in the valve body while the pan was off and this AW4 is still performing as new.

A reputable transmission shop (not AAMCO!!) should be able to rebuild your trans/provide a replacement for well under $2k. I see used XJ partouts every day where the trans are selling for $150-300. I have a good spare AW4 in my garage that I picked up for less than that......which I plan on having rebuilt and will install behind my rebuilt engine.

Replacing the trans is a much easier process than doing the rebuild yourself, so if you can build a computer, then you should be able to unbolt a trans/transfer case and swap in a new/used/rebuilt trans.

Thanks for all the replies! I understand that its supposed to be a great transmission, but sadly mine either lemon'd or was used rougher then I thought. Hopefully with good maintenance the next one lasts longer.

I have a sudo-mechanic buddy (Was into fixing cars then switched to fixing planes). I think Smart Parts Auto's AW4 might be the way I go. Even if I paid him a couple hundred in either cash or beer & food, once I got the core charge back I'd still be under 2k easy.

I'll bounce that past him. Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate not getting slammed with a ~4k bill for something that should be ~2k. Especially in January.

Drakeblade said:

Thanks for all the replies! I understand that its supposed to be a great transmission, but sadly mine either lemon'd or was used rougher then I thought. Hopefully with good maintenance the next one lasts longer.

I have a sudo-mechanic buddy (Was into fixing cars then switched to fixing planes). I think Smart Parts Auto's AW4 might be the way I go. Even if I paid him a couple hundred in either cash or beer & food, once I got the core charge back I'd still be under 2k easy.

I'll bounce that past him. Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate not getting slammed with a ~4k bill for something that should be ~2k. Especially in January.

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I don't think you are listening...

Are you absolutely 100% sure it is transmission? As others have stated they are a very durable unit.

There is no way I would pay any of those prices that you are quoting (then again, I would never have paid $8500 for an XJ). The prices you are being quoted are just stupid.

Find the AW4 transmission thread here and read through it. Take that knowledge and browse craigslist for a trans or a parting out XJ of the appropriate year range and get the trans and slap it in. For cheap insurance, change the shift solenoids (they seem to be the first parts to fail and they are cheap/easy to replace). If my AW4 suddenly died, this is exactly what I would do.

Hmmm, I thought I heard pretty clearly. I'm however not nearly qualified to tell you if the grinding sound I heard is a transmission. Like I said I'm a computer tech, one who enjoys taking his jeep out with buddies and losing tires, breaking track bars and in general enjoying off-roading. I understand completely that my first assumstion of what might be broken could be wrong, and is possibly not the only thing wrong. So no I'm not 100% sure.

That's why I had the dealer tell me.

I've read through a couple of forums, I even read all of this glorious one that listed more then I ever cared to know about transmissions. >This Naxja one< Great information, but with my jeep being 2 hrs away I don't exactly have the ability to dive under it right now and give you information. Hell I didn't have time that day as I was in a rental and driving to my actual destination within that same hour.

Right now I have to go with the assumption its dead.

I believe the best path for me at this point is too pick the one up off SmartParts for 1k and do it myself. The mechanic at my work even printed out a 44 point, step by step booklet with pictures to do it myself. When it gets back here (hopefully early next week or this weekend.) I'll try to figure out if its actually something else.

My original point was 3.7k sounded high, I then got quoted 4k and 5.4k and 4.2k from 3 different places (and 1.9k for a used with 117k miles). Heck I didn't even make it sound like it was needed soon. That's why I came here, I don't know.

My options in town are far more limited then where its at though and having it towed back just so I can with my limited knowledge try and double guess what actual mechanics should of looked at seems redundant... Especially if I have to have it towed right back to where its currently at, to have them fix it.

I understand your point, even though if my understanding is right it should be stuck in 1st,2nd or 3rd depending on which solenoid(s) are bad correct? Or some kind of limp mode, because I had nothing, zero movement. My mechanic thinks its possible that it could be the transfer case and broke the splines. But since my current plan involves bringing it home I'll be sure to look at that before I pay for any transmission.

TL;DR - No I'm not 100% of anything. But the guy I paid to do his job said it's the transmission so I'm rolling with that till I find out otherwise.

You didn't list where in AZ you are, but CL has one -

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/pts/5404864264.html

Northern Coconino county. So a bit of a drive. When I get my jeep back I'll try and figure out if the Torque Converter is also bad. If not that might be a good option. Thx for the link.

You have a grinding noise and it quit moving? I'd make sure its the trans before you go slap one in. Could be in the tcase or something else.

Two very simple things a mechanic should have done in this situation, first, tranny fluid, is it burned, present etc? Then pulled the TC plug, story should have been told by that point. Far as a used tranny, why aren't you looking for a whole used Jeep? Lots of times thats a cheaper way, might even make something off of it $$, along with a great learning experience.

Take it to a tranny shop, ask them to diagnose and call you back. Don't spend $3700 on a Jasper AW4 for an XJ

Hope that's simple enough