XJ AW4 Shifting Problem

CJ2YJ2TJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2006
Location
Raleigh
Hoping some of you XJ gurus can help me. New to Cherokees but not to Jeeps. I bought a 99 XJ over a month ago from a Jeep dealership that was a local trade in. 2 owners clean title. 4.0 auto 4x4 with no signs of any leaks, air conditioning worked (which seemed to be rare), only 88k miles and overall very clean and maintained. I test drove it - shifted smooth and tracked straight even at high speeds with very little vibration if any. Get it home and let the girlfriend drive it and notice it sometime doesn't catch immediately when you go from dead stop to accelerate into 1st and will then finally engage after a short delay and mild clunk. It really never did it for me so this confused me. Then I realize I don't use the A/C where as she always wants it on. So after weeks of being dumbfounded I put it all together that the A/C seems to the culprit of the shifting issues. I know the AW4 is an electronic transmission and was curious if the somehow the A/C is pulling on its ability to shift smoothly? I am getting tranny fluid and filter changed tomorrow since previous owner may not have recently to see if this helps. Any other ideas? Or is this just the "Chrysler clunk" in a very random and mild form? It only does it in 1st and seemingly only with air conditioning running. After that it shifts flawlessly. Any thoughts/help/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys. :beer:
 
my '99 clunks everytime I put it into gear or take off from a start. I always just assume it was a mount or something....
 
if it's the aw4 why would it have the "chrysler clunk" ?

have you checked the fluid?
my first guess, since it seems to happen when the ac is on, is that it is a tps issue. when the ac is on it raises rpms slightly to compensate for the load on the engine, if the tps is not reading correctly it could be sending a false signal to the trans.
 
if it's the aw4 why would it have the "chrysler clunk" ?
have you checked the fluid?
my first guess, since it seems to happen when the ac is on, is that it is a tps issue. when the ac is on it raises rpms slightly to compensate for the load on the engine, if the tps is not reading correctly it could be sending a false signal to the trans.


maybe I used the wrong term - I have read many threads elsewhere where people just write off hard shifts in cherokees as a common problem. my bad if I misused it.

As for fluids - they and the filter will be changed tomorrow.

Thanks for the TPS idea - I have changed that before on my TJ and will replace the XJ's after fluids change if no progress is made. Thanks
 
cherokees can have 2 different trannies, the aw4 or the chrysler(a500). the a500 has a lot of end play and causes wear in the sunshell which creates the clunk.

the aw4 is a great tranny and is nearly is troublesome as the a500. (but good for me)

i wasn't saying you were using the wrong term, it's just a different issue.
also look into adding another ground to the tps circuit, i will see if i can find the tsb on the issue.
 
cherokees can have 2 different trannies, the aw4 or the chrysler(a500). the a500 has a lot of end play and causes wear in the sunshell which creates the clunk.
the aw4 is a great tranny and is nearly is troublesome as the a500. (but good for me)
i wasn't saying you were using the wrong term, it's just a different issue.
also look into adding another ground to the tps circuit, i will see if i can find the tsb on the issue.

Thanks for the help. If I can't figure it out I will be bringing it to you. You are right by me.
 
sounds like either a low fluid problem or the screen is clogged some and not letting the pump keep good pressure until its up and going. Just a guess though.

The AW4's are great trannys and actually are designed/built/something by toyota. (Asin Warner)
 
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