Just curious what you did? Help needed!

So, it's been a while .... lol. Anyway was wondering if anyone here has experienced a similar problem as I am having and what you did to fix it? So the pile ( 2000 XJ) has been sitting for a while. I finally decided to make some of the needed repairs so I can wheel again AND now I have another issue that wasn't there last I moved it. So I throw a battery in it get it started and when I go to move it to a location better suited for some work the damn thing would hardly move.... I come to find out that it wants to start in 3ed gear! If I shift the RADdesign rail shifter into low/1 it starts off fine and I can upshift and drive as normal. Before anyone asks, I checked the fluid and it's fine! I have very limited time to work on this thing so I thought I would reach out to my fellow wheeler friends here and ask for your thoughts. I am guessing at this point that maybe the TCU took a crap or one of the solenoids has died for the AW4?? Thoughts?? :wave:

I got huge discounts of cars that had critters chew the wires while the vehicles sat: Inspect your wiring harness.

Not sure if the 2000 still has the separate fuse for the TCU but I'd go there first

Off the top of my head:

1.) TCU Fuse (if there is one)
2.) TCU has gone bad (though that's not highly likely)
3.) NSS really dirty?
4.) Solenoids sticking

I should know more about the RAD shifters than I do. Is there anything electrically connected with it that might be shorting, come loose, etc.?

Well if the tcu is not plugged in you would have 1st and 3rd no 2nd ...if the wiring to the sensor on the trans was broken you would be stuck in 1st gear with the tic still plugged in and working.

Just wanted to say thanks for the replies! I will be looking into all of the suggestions! I am REALLY hoping it's not chewed wiring..... :shiver:

freerider15 said:

Off the top of my head:

1.) TCU Fuse (if there is one)
2.) TCU has gone bad (though that's not highly likely)
3.) NSS really dirty?
4.) Solenoids sticking

I should know more about the RAD shifters than I do. Is there anything electrically connected with it that might be shorting, come loose, etc.?

Click to expand...

No electrical connections on the version I bought.

1-tonxj said:

Well if the tcu is not plugged in you would have 1st and 3rd no 2nd ...if the wiring to the sensor on the trans was broken you would be stuck in 1st gear with the tic still plugged in and working.

Click to expand...

Good point!! The AW4 is my weakness and I am not nearly as knowledgeable as I should be with it.....

ColoradoRaptor said:

Good point!! The AW4 is my weakness and I am not nearly as knowledgeable as I should be with it.....

Click to expand...

It's not AS bad as others make it out to be.

If some of those others aren't working, try grabbing a multimeter (and an extra set of hands), and do continuity testing between the TCU and the solenoids, and the TCU and the Junction box, and TCU and the PDC. I have a location of a wiring diagram and pin outs (FSM) to walk through. Having been through these on the buggy, once you look it over, you realize there's a lot less to this system than you might think.

freerider15 said:

It's not AS bad as others make it out to be.

If some of those others aren't working, try grabbing a multimeter (and an extra set of hands), and do continuity testing between the TCU and the solenoids, and the TCU and the Junction box, and TCU and the PDC. I have a location of a wiring diagram and pin outs (FSM) to walk through. Having been through these on the buggy, once you look it over, you realize there's a lot less to this system than you might think.

Click to expand...

Thanks!!

Update. Yall ready for a LOL....... well, that piece of crap battery that I had in there was not producing enough voltage..... the damn BATTERY was the culprit! :doh:

The best fix is an easy one!

Lol...that reminds me I need to pick up new batteries to replace ...lol...stolen new batteries .