usnit78

Hello,
I am brand new to the Jeep world. i just got a 1996 cherokee sport but i am have problems with the tranny! when its cold it seems to shift good but when it warms up its crazy! symptoms: no passing gear, no overdrive, forced to shift manually! the fluid is good and the TV cable is adjusted and tight. please let me know if you have had similar problems and what you can suggest on a fix! i have taken it to 2 tranny shops and both sayt is a "toyota" transmission and will have to be rebuilt! $1800-$2500. most of my friends say its not worth it but i am really begining to likethis truck, it has some real potential. thanks in advance and happy trails!

cantab27

i just had same **** with mine, drain oil went alright for a bit and then died in the middle of no where, have been told they are toyota..do what i did and put a 2nd hand one in.mine cost $500.00 with a 90 day warrenty..im not good on the tools but did this myself...get a few mates to help out and if ya get stuck ask away on here..good luck mate....mines been sweet as and goes strong again..

1badz

Im in the same boat kind of. My jeep is RWD so this gives me the opportunity to do a 4x4 conversion by buying all the parts at a junkyard (everything i need for under $400). Probably going to get the transmission freshened up as well. Changing out a transmission isn't that hard, especially in a Jeep. I changed one out by myself in my Camaro (with no room to work with) in one day. Shouldnt be too bad. Ask around for help if you need it. Good luck!

ColoradoJeepXJ

Occasionally, my automatic will start doing weird things and I have found that disconnecting the battery for a little while to let everything reset seems to work. It’s not fixing whatever the real problem is but for me, it works as a band-aid.

BuckB91XJ

If disconnecting the battery fixes your tranny problem then your issue is most likely with the Transmission Control Unit (TCU). Basically the computer that controls your auto tranny. Pulling the battery cable flashes or reboots the ECU and TCU each time you do it.

usnit78

thanks guys for all your input! i was thinking about getting a used one and putting it in but 3 things are against me, its very cold here right now(virginia), these jeeps are hard to find in the junk yard not picked apart, and three if i do find one what are the chances that i wont end up at square one again?! are these tranny's strong? plus my family will be in it alot too so there is a big safety and reliability factor here! i will still welcome more suggestions! thanks again!

cantab27

go with a 2nd hand one..ask on here for one, there might be one in your area..they are strong as ..get some sort of warrent with it if ya can..not hard to put in mate..dont let this put you of jeeps great wagons lots of fun with a few mods..

BuckB91XJ

USNIT, The PO of your Jeep must have really dogged it's world. The AW4 is one of the toughest auto trannys out there. I'd dare say it would stand up to a small block V-8. The one in my XJ has definitely stood up to the 4.0 HO. I have had it in some pretty hairy spots, too. I would go with a known good donor out of a JY XJ anyday.

usnit78

that is part of the reason i think it might but something more simple! BTW it shifts good when its cold but acts up when its warm! also the cat converter needs replacement, would that have an effect on the way it shifts? hey Chief, what was your rate in the canoe club? as you can tell by my username i was an "IT" stationed here in Norfolk! the buthole of america LOL!!!

BuckB91XJ

Anybody will tell you that heat is the killer of auto trannys. I've heard of servos going bad in the AW4. That might explain why it's good cold and starts to act up when hot. A servo just starting to go bad. You CAT will have nothing to do with your tranny shifting funny. Don't tell anybody but, my local muffler guy cut my cat off and slung it in the weeds 2 years ago when I had my 2.5" exhaust and FM 40 put on. My auto tranny still works like a champ to this day.
I still am in the old Canoe Club. Gonna give SCPO one more shot, then if I don't make it it's retirement time. I am an "AT". I've spent all of my career on the west coast, mostly at NAS Whidbey Island, Wa. My squadron was on the Vinson when we brought her into Norfolk after a 9 month World cruise to go into rework in 2005. It was a B***** trying to get a flight out of Norfolk back to Wa.

usnit78

as always, thanks for the advice Chief! so do you think i should just shell out the $1800 for a rebuild and a warrenty? good luck on making ATCS!!!

COSXJFAN

If you HAVE to replace it, just find a used one. The AW-4 should be good to at least 200,000 miles, and used ones should be readily available. 2K for a rebuild is a little more than I'd want to shell out, when I could find a decent used one for less than $500.00!! HTH!!