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AW4 Auto Transmission won't shift 98 XJ

CJShaw

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Winfield, KS
I was driving my 98 Xj and it would rev all it wants to but won't shift into gear. I've checked the 2 fuses that I've found linked to transmission and they are good. The guy I bought it from, about a week and a half ago, said they replaced the TPS recently. It likes to sputter a little bit here and there so I'll have to rev it up to get it out of the rut. There's tranny fluid and nothing leaking. I'm at a a loss and I don't know a whole lot about trannys. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I was driving my 98 Xj and it would rev all it wants to but won't shift into gear. I've checked the 2 fuses that I've found linked to transmission and they are good. The guy I bought it from, about a week and a half ago, said they replaced the TPS recently. It likes to sputter a little bit here and there so I'll have to rev it up to get it out of the rut. There's tranny fluid and nothing leaking. I'm at a a loss and I don't know a whole lot about trannys. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Does it even try to move at all, like perhaps it's trying to start in 4th gear (solenoid problem)? Does it try to move with the shifter in reverse (eliminates electronic issues)? Any odd noises? Throttle body to transmission case cable intact? Transfer case in gear (assuming it's a 4wd, you didn't give much detail.

Long shot, but the flex plate isn't broken and/or the bolts sheared on the torque converter? You can remove the inspection cover at the lower front
face of the bellhousing and have a look.
 
It's 4wd. It wouldn't go into reverse at all. Looked like every thing like linkage was still attached. It's raining so I haven't had a good chance to look at it yet. I've had others say they think the pump went out or the torque converter.
 
First thing is to see if electrical or mechanical. The AW4 in the XJ uses a stand alone TCU. It is under the dash on the passenger side. In the wiring harness to the TCU is a fuse. Pull the fuse out. The AW4 will default to a manual shift mode. You aca use the shifter for first, no second gear shift, third and OD, reverse should work as well. If the transmission will operate in manual mode then the problem is electrical.
Possible electrical problems are a bad TCU, shift selonoids, short in the wiring or a mis adjustment/bad TPS.
If the transmission shifts fine in manual mode with the TCU disconnected it won't hurt to drive the Jeep that way until fixed.
 
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