I'm very confused about the AWD concept on my XJ..

First after many searches trying to clearify how the drivetrain on my 89 XJ w/ 4.0 auto, I have to ask for complete clarification.

First thing, my part time light will not turn off, and along with it always being on, no other light indicators state what range I am in work either...

Now on my floor, I have 2H, 4H N 4L

2H, only the back wheels are operating, but part time light is on.

4H, the vehicle engages 4wd, but the front wheels are locked! I did not think they were suppose to loch in 4H. I can tell because when I go around a corner, you can feel the front jerking and when making a turn the wheels are chirping. And the part time light is on as well.

4L, the vehicle engages in 4wd low range. The wheels are locked and once again, only the part time light is on.

Is there a way to make the front wheels lock and unlock in 4H?

Thanks in advance!

No. 4H and 4L the wheels are locked. You only have a part-time 4wd system, there is no full time or "AWD" on your cherokee. Partime should only be used off road of in conditions that allow the front wheels to slip. Some cherokees (like mine) came with a different transfer case, allowing "full time" 4wd that can be used on pavement.

WHeels aren't locked in any case, unless you have aftermarket lockers! The two axles are locked power-wise, making the front and rear spin at the same ratio with equal power divided between them (or close to it). Furthermore, the t-case you have is an NP231 of some lettered variety. Only the NP242 is full-time 4wd. You should never use 4H or 4L on paved road, it leads to harsh strain on the axles and bearings and such.

If you want the front wheels to unlock, don't use 4wd on dry, hard road. There is no need for it. If you still have this problem in slick situations, you may want to get your front axle u-joints looked at, because they could be causing the chirping and binding.

Hope this helps.

the fact that your part time light is on in 2h is wrong, it should shut off so your switch for it is probably bad or something.

you don't have AWD. you have 2wd and 4wd.

Jason-RJR said:

the fact that your part time light is on in 2h is wrong, it should shut off so your switch for it is probably bad or something.

you don't have AWD. you have 2wd and 4wd.

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yes.
And with that system and that year you likely have a vacuum actuated front end. The part time light is illuminated by a vacuum switch on the firewall, under the closed cooling system "football"
CHeck for vacuum there, it's possible that there's a vacuum leak in the t-case that's keepeing the actuator locked over.
Or, it's possible that the vacuum switch on the firewall is dead after 20 years.

Confirmation of my speculation is easy.
Get under the vehicle and look for a hump on the passenger side front axle that has a cluster of vacuum lines going to it, this is the vacum actuator.
Go and look at the t-case, there should be a red tag on the back of it between the fill and drain holes, it will have a number.
231 is Command trac
242 is selectrac.
Goto Jeeps website and look at the 4wd illustrations for the liberty, it uses the same names and transfer cases.

Wow! You guys are fast! Now I wonder what type of damage was done by previous owners. Everything seems to work, but the rearend end making some odd noises. I guess I'll change all the fluid and take it from there.

Now where can I take this thing at for a test run!

What one of the two T-cases would say is the better one?

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SKIM said:

What one of the two T-cases would say is the better one?

Click to expand...

stock they're about the same strength.
plus goes to the 242 for full time mode

aftermarket support for the 231 is much better, and it can be built into a much stronger case with less effort than the 242.

search in OEM tech for a thread about converting from 231 to 242, it's very long, and is really in depth about the pros and cons of both cases.