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Everything you ever wanted to know about the AW4

Stop telling people how to do things the wrong way please.

It may work, but it's also in no way the right way to do it and the circuit in the older TCUs is NOT designed to handle being fed an AC signal that can reach 30 volts peak to peak at high speeds.
 
Searched the thread to no avail...

Can anyone shed some light on where the shifter lock solenoid is located? For example, on cold days (prior to the vehicle being "hot"/fully warmed-up), once I shift into D, the shifter button cannot be pushed until I come to a complete stop. If I go straight to 3 upon starting out, the button seizes up as well, but I can forcibly push it into D (but then it remains there until the vehicle is stopped - I can't pull it back down to 3 or push it into neutral).

Is the solenoid responsible located within the transmission, or is it external?
 
I'm honestly not sure. That's one of the few things that wasn't pillaged from my 96 before I left it to the crew at Rausch Creek. And my 91 MJ never had the voluntary recall for that installed, and it's all been ripped out and replaced with manual trans stuff at this point so there's no way to check really.

I'll take a look through the factory parts catalog and see if I can't figure it out. If all else fails, I've got most of the parts lined up for my mantrans swap on my 98, so I can check then.

I can tell you it isn't physically part of the steering column, it isn't part of the cable to the transmission itself, and it isn't part of the floor shifter mechanism, which pretty much pins it down to being part of the steering/ignition interlock cable from the ignition switch assembly to the floor shifter mechanism, but that's all I have for you right now.
 
Thanks man, that'd be much appreciated - I found my old thread from 2 years ago about the topic but didn't get too far with it. My latest project is a '98 5-speed, so I can't butcher it to check it out.

I may just need to do what was suggested in the old thread - pull the center console, identify the lock cable, and trace it back to its origin. I think you're right about it being part of the ignition interlock cable (which I assume also locks when the vehicle is running, in park, with no foot on the brake?), just strange that it only manifests itself as in issue in these isolated (moving) circumstances.
 
Yeah, I can't find it in the parts catalog under either steering column or transmission shifter. No idea.

If I remember I'll butcher one at the junkyard Saturday and figure out how it works.
 
I had the console off of mine not more than a month ago and didn't see it there... but will have to check again.
 
Are there any write-ups on swapping the tailshafts of a 2wd and 4wd transmission? I roasted my 4wd and have an extra 2wd on the side of my house. Looking at the exploded view of the transmission it seems like a daunting task. Id rather not buy a "new" transmission.
 
I changed a 2WD to a 4WD, no reason why you couldn't go the other way. I would suggest having a transmission guy do it though. Actually, since you'd have to completely disassemble both transmissions anyway you could possibly use the parts from the good trans to fix the bad one.
 
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Yeah, you are going to want a whole bunch of new seals and crap too at that point... you should probably just pick up a good rebuild kit, combine it with the best parts from each unit to rebuild yours.
 
In need of some urgent help, so if someone could please correct me if I am wrong, that would be great

I have a 1998 Cherokee sport. It is a 4.0/AW4 combo with 258,000 miles on it(TIRED) .
I have the chance to buy a 1996 4.0/AW4 drivetrain with only 28,000 original miles...

I read the differences with the model year changes for the AW4 and am a bit worried...

Am I correct in thinking that I will be able to use the 1996 AW4 in my 1998 SO LONG as I use a 1997 TCU?
I notice some say the 98 model change was a mid year change? is there a chance that I could still have the 1997 style TCU? how would I tell?

Nonetheless. If I do have the newer TCU, would I be able to just simply swap it out for a 1997 TCU and use it in conjunction with the 1996 AW4 in my 1998 XJ ???

Pretty urgent matter, im out of town and the motor I want to purchase is where im at, and I would be taking it home with me :)

ANY HELP would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Thanks, Brian
 
brianglawson said:
Am I correct in thinking that I will be able to use the 1996 AW4 in my 1998 SO LONG as I use a 1997 TCU?
Click to expand...
My info says yes, but you may need to swap the connector housing or shave down some polarizing tabs or something on the connector according to some. I haven't tried this myself.

brianglawson said:
I notice some say the 98 model change was a mid year change? is there a chance that I could still have the 1997 style TCU? how would I tell?
Click to expand...
I believe they are wrong, but look at the transmission housing near the bracket on the driver side for the shift cable. In that general area (right above and forward of the shift arm going into the transmission, I believe) there should be an input speed sensor with a cable going to it. If there is, you have the 98 and later design. If there isn't, you have the 97 and earlier design.

brianglawson said:
Nonetheless. If I do have the newer TCU, would I be able to just simply swap it out for a 1997 TCU and use it in conjunction with the 1996 AW4 in my 1998 XJ ???
Click to expand...
My info says yes. Again, I haven't tried this, and I just converted the test mule 98 XJ I was using for all of this stuff to an AX15 last weekend, so I really can't test it now unfortunately.

brianglawson said:
Pretty urgent matter, im out of town and the motor I want to purchase is where im at, and I would be taking it home with me :)
Click to expand...
Wait, are you swapping the motor or the transmission?

If you just want the motor out of the drivetrain and your AW4 is shifting fine, just swap the longblock, put your 98's sensors and such on it and it will work great.

If you want to swap both (not sure why, but whatever) you might need to swap a 97 TCU in, which my info says will solve the problem.

Personally I would buy the parts, swap the engine, sell the AW4 and buy one that fits your year for sure, but that might just be me.

AW4s take an astonishing amount of abuse to kill. Despite my best efforts over a 4 year period I removed mine last weekend for the AX15 swap still shifting crisply and handling whatever I threw at it, including towing 3500lbs at high speed in overdrive, without overheating, slipping, or shifting badly.
 
My AW4 went to full slip on me... basically ceased to function... had to limp it home, stopping every 10-15 miles or so to let it cool. did a service drain(left the fluid in the torque converter...), added a trans cooler... and its been OK since.. but it shifts hard, etc... I have slowly changed it over to new fluid, 5 quarts at a time... but it still shifts hard going into reverse, and every once in a while ill get a hard shift moving forward. The torque converter prior to that was sometimes iffy about whether it would want to lock up. I personally have a bad feeling about how much longer it would actually last... And I WOULD LOVE to have my jeep back to a state where I can fully depend on it again...

Ive had the jeep for ten years. Im 26 now... so the Ten years, and 148,000 miles that I personally put on it where fairly hard driven. Towing, Climbing, and I am from the mountains, so it had a fairly hard life. Thankfully.. my driving style eased up around 22-23... and ive been slowly reconditioning the jeep since... but this would be the final step in making it solid and sound :D

Spoke to the guy today, the motor and transmission is actually a 1997 combo. 4.0 and AW4 and np231 out of a 1997 Cherokee.. SOO im feeling a bit more confident that the 1997 TCU would solve my problems... I definitely would just prefer to swap in the 28000 miles transmission/motor combo and have the security of a nice, low mileage motor/trans :D

Being a 1997 motorset/transmission. I would think the 1997 TCU should solve my problems. what do you think?
 
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I can get the Combo for just over $1,000 bucks... so im thinking it would be a worthy purchase... 1997 4.0/AW4/np231 with only 28,000 Original Miles... Super clean.. ALL accessories.. My power steering pump and exhaust manifold are shot anyway... hell id spend $500 just replacing those two items... Do you happen to have a part number handy for a 1997 TCU?
 
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