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Everything you ever wanted to know about the AW4

Yo AJTorris, if you figure out if that year trans is backwards compatible I will sell you a year 2000 (same as the 99) AW4 that the previous seller claimed had less than 25,000 miles on it for $200. See my recent Craigslist post. https://post.craigslist.org/manage/3834363932/vabty

I am up in Santa Rosa, CA about 5 hours from Bakersfield.

Also, see my thread as it has some history behind this trans and why I am selling it and info that may help you out.
http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1099992
 
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let me clarify my question now that ive had coffee, what is the purpose and what are the driving changes between the 2? i have never touched the switch since my jeep shifts fine and i am paranoid of funking something up. i understand it changes shifting, but i have no clue how. also, how can i tell if my TC is locking up or not? this is all new territory for meh.
 
AJTorris said:
Ok i had issues with my trans this weekend. ended up somehow loosing 3 bell housing bolts on the trail and the fourth was really loose. needless to say the trans shifted and broke an internal part, poured fluid out of the bellhousing (front seal destroyed) and also burnt up the trans fluid pretty good.

So i have been looking for a trans. I found a 99 Xj that was rolled for a decent price. (about the same im seeing around just for the trans). Now i know sensors are different and im sure the plugs are as well.

If i get the 99 could i swap all the sensors over to it and the tailhousing with the senor from my 93 along with the oblong part inside the tailhousing? Then that would keep my electrical harness and no issues with the plugs. Right?
Click to expand...
You would also want to swap the entire harness going into the main trans housing (aka drop the bellhousing and swap the whole harness over) as well as POSSIBLY the solenoids off your old valve body. I don't think that's required electrically but they might not plug in nicely to the connectors, not sure, compare and figure that out.

I think what you are saying makes sense. I just spent the entire day busting my ass in the junkyard though, and I am tired as hell, so there is a good chance I am not thinking at 100% right now.

livin4wheelin said:
So what I can tell from the OP if I swap the 98 tcu in my jeep to a 97 tcu it will eliminate my need for the ISS? Am I correct with that assumption?
Click to expand...
I believe so. Someone posted that that worked for them in here, and I and others had conjectured that it might, so I would bet on it, but I haven't verified it personally. I have one sitting on my desk waiting for testing in my 98, though.

It will eliminate the need for the ISS, but it will also require using the old style OSS and rotor, which is a reed switch instead of a magnetic coil. I am guessing you want to eliminate the need for an ISS because you put a transmission with the older style sensors in the jeep already though so I think you should be set.
 
I know it won't require messing with it, just possibly swapping the solenoids from one to the other so the connectors plug right in. I've heard rumors that various year splits (no one agrees what the split is so I'm not sure if it's 100% bullshit or people/companies are just bad at year splits :rolleyes:) may or may not have different connectors on the harness where the solenoids plug in inside the trans pan. Any idea if that's correct? You are far more knowledgeable with the hydraulics than I am.
 
I have a 99 VB downstairs when Bryson sent me the core from his 99. I'll take some pics.
I don't think that changed at all though.
 
99 VB solenoid. I don't think this is different. Now there is a small harness that connects all the solenoids and comes out of the trans body to a plug. It is possible that terminates differently depending on year...but anyone that can cut and connect two wires shouldn't let that stop them. In fact, even if the plug at the solenoid is different... a simple cutting off of the original connector and crimping on the appropriate female blade connector would make that work solidly. $4 at Auto Zone. Psshhht. This is not an issue.

 
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Hey Ken,

I am putting a 97+ dash and harness in my 90 MJ but my current AW4 and 231 are strong. As long as I use a 97 (not 98-01) wiring harness can I retain my 1990 AW4 assuming I swap the NSS and internal harnesses with the 97 counterparts? Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Collin
 
child9 - I fully agree, but some people don't like to splice harnesses even if it's simple. I suspect both of us have been working on splicing harnesses and debugging AW4s for long enough that we've lost perspective on what is and is not an easy swap :spin1:

BIGSLVRXJ said:
Hey Ken,

I am putting a 97+ dash and harness in my 90 MJ but my current AW4 and 231 are strong. As long as I use a 97 (not 98-01) wiring harness can I retain my 1990 AW4 assuming I swap the NSS and internal harnesses with the 97 counterparts? Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Collin
Click to expand...
I believe so. You definitely do need to swap the NSS as you said, the 97+ NSS has another pin so that the TCU can positively identify which forward gear the shifter is in rather than guessing whether it's in 3 or broken (96- simply left no terminals connected if the shifter was in 3, iirc.)
 
Kool I found the well of knowledge. So I think I'm having the same issue as BigBluetrg from page nine of this thread, need the circuit diagram to put a 00 aw4 in the place of a 96 aw4. Sort of was passed down this xj after everyone else gave up. Just about got the wiring harness all butt crimped back to stock (had to get those finger twists with black tape out of there)
Anyway, the old blown up stock 96 tranny has yet to be located to get OSS rotor from tailshaft, so I figure the next option is to build the conversion circuit.
Wish someone would had done just a little bit research before buying a tranny that all the bolts fit, paid someone to put it in, then figured out the wires dont mach up.:doh:
So here I am, a noob with a XJ flying my kite.

00 tranny into a 96 chassy:wstupid:
 
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Nevermind.
Took it out for a test drive, almost had my wife sold on the idea of having a Jeep, and the thing looses all the red stuff out of it. Pushed it over to a gas station to feed it some fluid and hopefully coax it home, only to have the clerk come running out of the store to get me to stop pouring fluid out onto his parking lot.
What to do, What to do. What to do?
 
Where is it leaking from? Some seals are easy to replace, others are total bastards. That's the difference between a 20 minute fix and driving it home, and riding the flatbed of shame...

As for the circuit - if you can solder it should be easy to put together. If you can't I might consider hitting the JY for a magnet rotor etc, but I usually prefer the electronics solution seeing as the transfer case and tranny tailhousing have to come off to get at the stupid thing.
 
That sucks dude... you are going to have to pull the tranny to replace the input seal and possibly the bushing that keeps the torque converter centered. Whoever slapped that jeep together should have their tools taken away and their hands cut off.

I'd almost recommend putting a known good 96 tranny (96 will plug right in, 91 through 95 and 97 will fit with minor wire splicing) in it, just for the simplicity of the project. Any 91-97 tranny will have the proper OSS drive rotor, too, so two birds with one stone.
 
I agree. Think my words were "Some one needs to put a boot up his *ss" Should have seen the sorry mess he left the wiring in. Dont know what TCM im working with.
Anyway, got some #'s off that tranny.
Model# 231J
Assembly# 5209 9212AB
Serial# 10 28 99 C3
Ratio 272
I'll post these on the other thread too.
 
That's your transfer case - IIRC that's the same case I have in my 91 MJ, though it came out of a 99 XJ. I can look it up to make sure later but 9212 last 4 digits sounds very familiar.

What I really need is a pic of the connector for the NSS (it'll be near the dipstick tube) - it should be a grey connector (iirc) roughly square-ish with a handful of pins. That will tell if the dumbass swapped the NSS from the 2000 into the jeep or left the stock one, which would make more sense.

Also, the part number off the TCU (it's mounted to the lower dash panel on the passenger side, right up over the footwell) will tell me if it's the right TCU for the 2000 or for the 96. Hopefully it's the 96 TCU.
 
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