AW4 Slipping A lot = time to replace?

My AW4 seems to be slipping a lot when its coming out of or going into 3rd gear. Atleast I'm assuming the high pitched sound is the clutch packs/bands slipping thats what the two tranmissions shops I asked thought. It seems to fairly consisitently. When I was going up some hills locked in 3rd on the freeway today, I kept hearing this whistling sound and every time I'd go from power to coast or coast to power it would do the whistling sound. I plan to go to CA fairly soon, would it be a decent idea to swap it out before then? If so, There's a yard near me that has either some 92's around 100k or a 96 at about 65k, would both be simple swaps or is one different? I thought I read CheapXJ mentioning something about 96's being the bastard year for wiring.

Thanks in advance,
Kevin

You might like to try just flushing out the trans fluid with some Dexron II and see what happens from there. The trans in my 93' Sport was slipping a bit when I bought it, and after a fluid change, it seemed to help a lot.

Best of luck with it all.

Unfortunetly it has new fluid/filter/TPS as of a few months ago but I'll see what happens, some more new fluid may not hurt Is there a way to do a complete flush without taking it to a shop with some nice tools? I just drained the pan when I did the filter change.

Hi Verrive,

I'm not too sure how to do a complete flush - normally I take mine to my local AAMCO guy - he was the only tranny guy in my area that knew the right fluid to use in an AW4.

From reading other posts on it, I've gathered that there's a send and return line that leads to and from the trans cooler - and the trick is to disconnect the return line and send that into a big bucket to catch the old fluid. Then, turn the engine on, and while the trans pump is pumping the old fluid out into the bucket, keep putting new fluid in the filler until only new fluid comes out of the return line and into the bucket. The difference should be a dark brownish colour for the old fluid, and reddish for the new.

When that happens, stop the engine, let it cool off a bit, then reconnect the return line back onto the trans, get a level off the trans dipstick, and fill it up until the fluid is back at the right level.

NOTE : as I mentioned earlier, I haven't done this personally as I don't have the space in my apartment parking lot to do such a job. The above is just a summary of some research I did a while ago. It might be a good idea to run a search on the subject, there are a lot of clever guys that frequent this site and I'm sure that if you look hard enough, there will be a full description of how to do it right. Failing that, a full flush at AAMCO ran me about $100 or so plus tax.

In the interim, does anyone else know if I left anything out ?

Best of luck with it.

Quarterwave

Quarterwave said:

I've gathered that there's a send and return line that leads to and from the trans cooler - and the trick is to disconnect the return line and send that into a big bucket to catch the old fluid.

Click to expand...

I've done a lot of search on this subject on Forums, and your description is pretty much what I've understood. The only confusing thing to me is which is the return line, how to identify it, and where to disconnect it. The best I understand, it's the line going into the side of the radiator, below the lower radiator hose, but I am not sure. My '89 has the factory towing option with tranny cooler.

Would somebody with hands-on know-how please clarify?

-Maz

If you are confused just unconnect one line (get a big rag) and have someone crank it over. Where is the fluid coming from. Its pretty simple determine the flow once you figure out what direction its going in the system. Typically it goes from the tranny to the radiator base, left to right I believe, then out and to the additional cooler if you have one and back to the tranny.

Maz said:

The only confusing thing to me is which is the return line, how to identify it, and where to disconnect it.

Click to expand...

The forward line in the tranny is the pressure line, going to the radiator/cooler and the rearward one is the return from the radiator.

Thanks folks. I really appreciate the feedback, i.e., unconfusing me. I think I got it. I took her out to get the tranny fluid hot since I was going to do the pan drain method (before seeing your posts), a few times over. Then, the voltmeter got low, just above 9. Dang it. One problem after another. Now I gotta chace the battery vs alternator vs ground corrosion thing. Thinking I didn't tighten the belt enough when I changed the power steering pump. (just rambling half asleep behind the keyboard)

Thanks again for the how2 ... Maz

Let ebveryone know how the flush went and if it helped with the slipping.
I'm old school and never change the trans fluid. I just keep checking it and add if needed, but it sounds like the smart money is on the flush solution.