2000 Cherokee here with the AW4 and it is a factory 4x4 RHD postal jeep in the family since new. 263,000 miles on the original engine/transmission and it makes 200-250 stops a day and brisk take offs and it has never been serviced once and started slipping in reverse 5,000 miles ago. Also, we run it out of engine oil all the time and have driven it days with no oil in it and the oil light flickering and we are just tying to see if it will blow up at this point. It will be junked soon for other issues "rust" so it doesn't matter. I must say I am very impressed with these transmissions and engines.
I rebuilt my aw4 after 280k. The transmission was working fine but the torque converter went out and sent metal through the whole transmission. The weak point on the aw4 is the sprags, the clutches are strong. The over drive unit is also a weak point at higher horse power. We did the transgo 340-2 reprogramming kit and shift kit with the rebuild and that really tightened things up it's a hoot to drive. I also use a large cooler and it likes to run at 140 degrees I've done lots of towing too. My wife's Cherokee has nearly 300k on the stock transmission I'll be putting a new torque converter in that as preventive maintenance while the transmission is out to fix freeze plug on the back of the block. I've had 2 other Cherokees with over 300k on the aw4 they are stout transmissions. Over the years of breaking minor things we started running royal purple max atf and haven't had a single issue on that fluid. The torque converter went out after running +4 for most its life probably because big tires and stock gears and using OD. I recommend people run the royal purple fluid now but the whole +4 issue is when you have a transmission that's worn in on merc fluid the +4 is a more slippery fluid among other things and will cause issues on a worn transmission. +4 is also a better fluid handles heat better and blah blah blah it's my opinion that royal purple gives you the best of both and that's what we run now it's good stuff. Big tires and stock gearing will also tear up the torque converter if you have to run big tires with stock gears drive the jeep in 3 it's way nicer on the hwy. I reccomend 4.88 for 33s I had 4.56 but 4.88 are a little increase over where you were stock so it does 4th/OD nicely at 65 70mph. I think I'll also mention that I get rid of the cooler in the radiator I bypass it and run an auxiliary cooler. If you drive in 32f or colder weather a lot you can get a thermal bypass cheap and easy to install but I just let warm up. The engine and transmission are 2 separate things and warm up differently the transmission builder we use at the shop recommends running as close to 140 as you can get anything under 200 at least. he's very familiar with the aw4/a340 in other vehicles and I've had good luck running that cool too he showed me the insides of an aw4 that runs at 140 after many miles and there was very little wear and we've been running various aw4s at 140ish for years and hundreds of thousands of miles we daily drive Cherokees same with a couple of our friends. Those transmissions run crazy hot with just the radiator cooler even with the factory auxiliary cooler it's too hot. Thanks for the informative video
@@HealthSupercharger miles. We have 2 over 300k miles right now but both have had new torque converters installed otherwise they are essentially completely original. I've talked to some people that refuse to get an aw4 rebuilt and just buy used ones because they've had such bad luck after a rebuild but I think that has a lot to do with bad builders. I've got a couple rebuilt ones 1 is a spare never used I had rebuilt and modified then another modified one that I'll hopefully never have issues with anytime soon but it takes a beating. I actually really enjoy the aw4 transmission I'm quite familiar with them and cherokees in general.
@@HealthSupercharger Our 2000 Freedom is ready for the 360k MILE service. We live at 7800 feet asl and it gets 21-24 mpg :O serious average is 22 mpg. Wheeled and trailed often.
i have had my 1996 jeep grand cherokee lerado 5.2 engine. awd and a used transmission i got that had 200k miles lasted me 12 years before i had to get another 400 doller used transmission hahaha. i love it. i did everything all gaskets and timing chain all that a year ago. having this truck and no leaks is a rare feeling thing to me now. its like brand new ,man .
I just put a deposit on a 1993 Cherokee that came out of Denver. There is no rust anywhere. The underbody had a couple of surface rust spots but almost all of the original undercoating is still on the underbody. All 4 doors are solid, just as the rocker panels & floor pans are. Still has a spare tire mounted inside, with the original tire cover. Comes with 2 sets of tires, (All Good with no odd ball sizes mixed in) the big ones were for when the original owner decided to add a 2'' lift on it. So it's sitting up at the moment. He's right about wanting these off the road. They are simple, shittier gas mileage but well worth the extra $10 a week it'll cost me. I only drive 4k miles a year anyway.... I started looking for 1990's Jeep Cherokee's after I bought this 2010 Jeep Patriot last year. The instrument panel looks more like a christmas tree with all those flashing red warning lights. I have to hold the shifter in Drive or it pops out of gear. I replaced the shifter bushing and now I can't pull the key out of the ignition. So it has to be the cable unless there's an adjustment area at the Trans end of it. The Patriot, Compass, Liberty are all junk and if you have one that's running fine, before you tell me I'm wrong, check out the UA-cam video's on those models, or just keep driving it, your wallet will tell you to dump it........
Actually the AW4 in the ZJ Grand Cherokee is 100% identical. The thing is that it was only used in the 1993 ZJ only paired with the 4.0l. The MJ came with the same AW4 too.
I love the aw4 trans... I've been beating on mine with stock 3.55 gears for years on 33s towing trailers, jeeps, etc and I rip on it daily I got another one sitting in the shed when it finally gives out
Actually the trans fluid change info is not a "total" myth. Yes, change the fluid in the manufacture recomended internals. If you buy used and you don't have records? Still change it. It will shows it's true condition after that to include, yes slippage that was showing just before. I learned this from being a transmission tech.
@@HealthSupercharger whether or no to change it can also be dependent to mileage on the vehicle. If mileage is high for the model, changing it could also accelerate damages. All transmissions need complete fluid flush and change on a regular basis. Some more often than others. Rule of thumb is approximately every 50-60,000 miles.
I bought the wagoneer XJ 1987. Previous 3 owners never changed the ATF fluid. I just took a look and its horrible. The fluid is the darkest of any fluid ive ever seen. The sad thing is that the transmission still runs okay Neutral and reverse just went last week on me. Im for sure buying a new one. Not because its a bad tranny but because it proved its 200k miles strong.
most important thing on an auto trans? care of the fluid is THE most important thing. dont over heat it, dont mix it, dont neglect it. i might even add ditch the cooler in the rad. if that corrodes out and fails, then it will kill your trans and mess up the cooling system. making them separate adds a level of redundancy. if the cooling system fails, then fix it. if the trans cooling fails, then fix that.
Bradley this makes sense, do you know if the 98 Mitsubishi montero sport also has a similar system where transmission and coolant can mix if the cooler corrodes???
I did a 4x4 transmission swap in my 96 XJ and I put ATF in it, it always shifted soft from 1st -2nd and now it’s delayed shift until I reach almost 400 RPM or if I let of the gas. I replaced the solenoids, filter, adjusted the tv cable. I think it’s the bands, other than that I’m out of ideas.
On the subject of trans fluid. Do not use Dex4. I did a transfer case and trans fluid change. The fluid at a big box store was labeled Dex/merc. Wondering if I made a mistake on the trans. There was no dex3
Changed fluid it was great changed filter put atf+4 now I'm waiting on my transmission guy to finish rebuilding mine haha. Will definitely be using dex/merc this round.
Hey Ronnie I was hoping you could help me with a diagnosis on my oem tacometer that just stopped working after a battery change? And also could you tell me how to locate the wire to tap into and put in a aftermarket one? Thanks in advance Mark.
Great video, thanks! Question: I have an 89 I got from pops and don't know if its ever had its Trany fluid changed. I'm looking for Dex/Merc but I can only find the Valvoline High Mileage SYNTHETIC fluid. Do you know if synthetic will work fine on an 89? I would change it in increments maybe every 1k miles.
I have a tj and I got stock in a mud so bad that the mud and water when in side the transmission and engine, I rescued the engine but I’m having problems with the transmission, still have water in side and I don’t know in this point what to do !! Any body have this problem before?
Hey how can I know for sure if I have the AW4? I have a 98 Cherokee and it leaks and the fluid level barely shows on the dipstick (while running of course). But I just want to make sure I get the right fluid for my transmission
ATF +4. Dont listen to this guy saying dexron 3 / mercon. and personally I strongly recommend you substitute in a bottle of "Lucas Transmission fix" even if you have no issues with it currently and your just changing the fluid and filter for peace of mind.. it will keep everything working smoothly and help it last longer. If your having any kind of slipping or shuddering on overdrive lock up, use 2 bottles. It will DEFINITELY make a difference. Also install an auxiliary transmission cooler. You want the trans fluid to go out the trans, into the factory cooler in the radiator, out of that into the auxiliary cooler, then back to the trans. Don't remove the factory cooler from the loop all together unless it's an off road only rig. The factory cooler also helps warm up the fluid in the cold winter months and that's definitely a good thing on a daily driven vehicle
@@robert-bg9pf Jeep didn't change the fluid spec on the AW4 (A340 like in a lot of Toyotas) until the last XJ was on it's way out of Warranty and IMO it was to simplify their own supply chain since nearly all of their autos at that point used ATF+4. Aisin does not suggest anything other than DEX III. Most "Dex/Merc" fulfills the Dex3 requirements. Make sure you check the label on the back to verify. Some people have been fine with ATF+4 others have had trans failures not long after.
Hey Cherokee Ronnie, I've had a slight issue with my 2000 xj, sometimes when accelerating up to around 35-45mph, the car will stutter and make an awful sound, if I Iet off the gas for a moment and then reaccelerate, it goes away, and it doesnt always happen either, just sometimes seemingly at random. Not sure what it could be. Thanks for your time and knowledge.
My 95 Cherokee w/ a/t aw4 accelerates slowly from a stop. Seems like it's starting in 2nd. But if i use 1-2 it drives fine. There's no kicking or hesitation. Can you help?
Chris, I also have a ‘95 Cherokee with AW4. Mine demonstrates the same issues as yours and I was reading that some guys have fixed this by replacing the Transmission Control Module. I’m sure there is a place to find out the procedures to test the component with a multimeter. I have yet to do this with mine and have just started looking into this issue.
Chris Lippold, was it a brand new one? I was thinking about getting a brand new one rather than a different used one that could’ve developed the same shifting issues over time.
Jared Petretti it was a used one but i figure that problem doesn't seem like a common problem so i changed it thinking if it had a different l problem at least i couldve figured it out and bought a new one them, however it drives identically, so our say the old one and new one are good
Chris Lippold Right, makes sense. Well I’ll try to diagnose mine and let you know what I find out. Where was your TCM located? Pretty sure previous owner ripped the TCM out of mine because there was just a big plug hanging under dash, but I could be looking in the wrong spot.
Hey ron I'm getting motor oil dripping on my starter and oil filter youthink my oil filter holder seal is bad causing motor oil to leak do u have a video on how to replace the seal for oil filter holder
I'm experiencing a vibration right at 1500 rpm in park neutral or drive the balancer seems fine I'm leaning toward cracked flywheel ...any advice before I yank the trans?
Hi Ronnie...I have a 1999 xj 40. On first start up she idles then dies. Second attempt and a little warm up she's ok for the day until next start for the day? Could you help on this thanks.
I've had this happen. Hadn't used it in a long time so I had to use the jumper pack and keep it a little above idle to keep it from dying. Now that its being use almost daily hasn't happened since. So in my thoughts it might just be a near dead battery. But that's just me.
HAY RON HAVE A 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE ,AT START DRIVE WHEN COLD TRAN SLIPS .THEN AFTER WARMED UP ITS FINE?CAN YA HELP ME OUT?THANKS TOM FROM EASTERN KENTUCKY
You MUST!!! Use ATF+4 in the aw4 it says so right on the dipstick, never use dex/merc in a chrysler trans or they will burn up dex/merc doesn't have the same additives and it will tear the clutches out, i have a 2000 xj with 262,666 miles and i have changed the fluid and filter with ATF+4 and still running strong
The AW4, AKA a340 by toyota, is in no way shape or form a Chrysler developed transmission. Its core components were developed in Aichi, Japan by Aisin-Warner. It is one of the most reliable transmissions ever developed. I personally have 360k on mine with the original fluid in it. They even have a museum piece dedicated to it in Japan: ua-cam.com/video/23VaFy5PMug/v-deo.html&index=12. It was originally developed to use the most advanced fluid at the time which was GM's Dexron II. The only fluid available today that completely matches this fluid's characteristics is its direct supersession, Dexron III. The only place Dexron III is still available in its original formulation is from Toyota, P/N 00718-ATF00. Dexron/Mercon IV and above are not a direct replacement for Dexron II/III according to both Toyota and Aisin-Warner(taken directly from service info). Comparing the datasheets for both show very different viscosities. The same can be said comparing ATF+4 to Dex II/III. Ronnie is 100%. Dexron III will net you the best performance and longevity in this particular trans. The only other fluid availible that meets the exact same specifications is Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF and it turns out the Toyota stuff is made in the very same Exxon chemical plant but is usually much cheaper.
@@jacobs2309 i dont think so, my AW4 has 263,500 miles on it and its original with atf+4 in it, it may be an asian transmission but it does not require dex merc or any gm trans fluid of any kind
Aisin-Warner not "asian." They are the OEM and they have engineered their trans to use Dexron II, so "must use ATF+4" is simply not true. On the other hand, do you have to use Dexron II? Of course not. Will it still work with pretty much any trans fluid? Yes, it will. But, according to the engineers that have designed the transmission, for the best performance and longevity of this particular trans, use Dex II/III. How much better performance and how much longer life is really hard to say, but that is the fluid they designed the trans around. Chrysler also specified Dexron II/III in earlier models that use this trans before they made the switch to their in-house fluid. I imagine chrysler switched to ATF+3 then +4 at the time as a cost saving measure since they use it in many of their in-house transmissions and its specs were close enough to Dex II. Dexron was and still is a licensed GM product. Every company that uses the "Dexron" name and fluid has to pay GM licensing fees hence the savings by switching at the cost of some performance and longevity loss which may actually be a plus in the mind of an executive going for a planned obsolescence approach. Ronnie actually mentions this.
@@erichimes3062 Yeah you're right. It was an AMC thing that involved long time Component Vender Borg-Warner. AMC hired Borg-Warner as a vender to supply the Transfer Cases for vehicles with a 4x4 system , like Jeep. How Aisin-Warner came to be was, in order to do business in Japan, you must have a full 50% Japanese Partner. Here, Borg-Warner with Aisin, started Aisin-Warner. With that being said, it's evident how the AW4 , AW - 4 speed got it's name. Aisin is a member of the Toyota Group & is still active in Japan. This reminds me of GM with the Saturn & Honda Partnership where Honda supplied the drivetrains for the Saturn Vue from 2004 to 2007. Amazingly those years were having no problem hitting 250K to 300K Miles, with a lot of Vue owners who said they were hitting the 340K to 375K mile range. When you look at the years, 2004-2007, getting over 250K and no issues, it should have helped secure Saturn staying in business. That move already managed to give the Saturn Division a bigger piece in the Automotive Pie, thanks in part to Honda. In a division that was already pumping out some great vehicles. I believe it was because of the 4 years of the Honda Drivetrain helping Vue's to break the 200K Mile life expectancy, ended up helping push GM to make the decision to end that relationship...
Hey, I was just reading about this on pirate4x4 so I'll just copy and paste the part I think your looking for. "The 2wd AW4 has the tail cone on it while the 4wd version has an adapter that bolts to the transfer case. In order to convert the 2wd version to the 4wd type, you need to change that adapter at the rear AND change the output shaft. In other words, you have to totally disassemble the transmission and put it back together to swap out that output shaft. find a 4wd version and you'll save yourself a bunch of headaches." Hope that helps.
2000 Cherokee here with the AW4 and it is a factory 4x4 RHD postal jeep in the family since new. 263,000 miles on the original engine/transmission and it makes 200-250 stops a day and brisk take offs and it has never been serviced once and started slipping in reverse 5,000 miles ago. Also, we run it out of engine oil all the time and have driven it days with no oil in it and the oil light flickering and we are just tying to see if it will blow up at this point. It will be junked soon for other issues "rust" so it doesn't matter. I must say I am very impressed with these transmissions and engines.
I rebuilt my aw4 after 280k. The transmission was working fine but the torque converter went out and sent metal through the whole transmission. The weak point on the aw4 is the sprags, the clutches are strong. The over drive unit is also a weak point at higher horse power. We did the transgo 340-2 reprogramming kit and shift kit with the rebuild and that really tightened things up it's a hoot to drive. I also use a large cooler and it likes to run at 140 degrees I've done lots of towing too. My wife's Cherokee has nearly 300k on the stock transmission I'll be putting a new torque converter in that as preventive maintenance while the transmission is out to fix freeze plug on the back of the block. I've had 2 other Cherokees with over 300k on the aw4 they are stout transmissions. Over the years of breaking minor things we started running royal purple max atf and haven't had a single issue on that fluid. The torque converter went out after running +4 for most its life probably because big tires and stock gears and using OD. I recommend people run the royal purple fluid now but the whole +4 issue is when you have a transmission that's worn in on merc fluid the +4 is a more slippery fluid among other things and will cause issues on a worn transmission. +4 is also a better fluid handles heat better and blah blah blah it's my opinion that royal purple gives you the best of both and that's what we run now it's good stuff. Big tires and stock gearing will also tear up the torque converter if you have to run big tires with stock gears drive the jeep in 3 it's way nicer on the hwy. I reccomend 4.88 for 33s I had 4.56 but 4.88 are a little increase over where you were stock so it does 4th/OD nicely at 65 70mph. I think I'll also mention that I get rid of the cooler in the radiator I bypass it and run an auxiliary cooler. If you drive in 32f or colder weather a lot you can get a thermal bypass cheap and easy to install but I just let warm up. The engine and transmission are 2 separate things and warm up differently the transmission builder we use at the shop recommends running as close to 140 as you can get anything under 200 at least. he's very familiar with the aw4/a340 in other vehicles and I've had good luck running that cool too he showed me the insides of an aw4 that runs at 140 after many miles and there was very little wear and we've been running various aw4s at 140ish for years and hundreds of thousands of miles we daily drive Cherokees same with a couple of our friends. Those transmissions run crazy hot with just the radiator cooler even with the factory auxiliary cooler it's too hot. Thanks for the informative video
are you talking in miles or km? when you say that these can go 300k???
@@HealthSupercharger miles. We have 2 over 300k miles right now but both have had new torque converters installed otherwise they are essentially completely original.
I've talked to some people that refuse to get an aw4 rebuilt and just buy used ones because they've had such bad luck after a rebuild but I think that has a lot to do with bad builders. I've got a couple rebuilt ones 1 is a spare never used I had rebuilt and modified then another modified one that I'll hopefully never have issues with anytime soon but it takes a beating. I actually really enjoy the aw4 transmission I'm quite familiar with them and cherokees in general.
@@HealthSupercharger Our 2000 Freedom is ready for the 360k MILE service. We live at 7800 feet asl and it gets 21-24 mpg :O serious average is 22 mpg. Wheeled and trailed often.
i have had my 1996 jeep grand cherokee lerado 5.2 engine. awd and a used transmission i got that had 200k miles lasted me 12 years before i had to get another 400 doller used transmission hahaha. i love it. i did everything all gaskets and timing chain all that a year ago. having this truck and no leaks is a rare feeling thing to me now. its like brand new ,man .
I just put a deposit on a 1993 Cherokee that came out of Denver. There is no rust anywhere. The underbody had a couple of surface rust spots but almost all of the original undercoating is still on the underbody. All 4 doors are solid, just as the rocker panels & floor pans are. Still has a spare tire mounted inside, with the original tire cover. Comes with 2 sets of tires, (All Good with no odd ball sizes mixed in) the big ones were for when the original owner decided to add a 2'' lift on it. So it's sitting up at the moment. He's right about wanting these off the road. They are simple, shittier gas mileage but well worth the extra $10 a week it'll cost me. I only drive 4k miles a year anyway....
I started looking for 1990's Jeep Cherokee's after I bought this 2010 Jeep Patriot last year. The instrument panel looks more like a christmas tree with all those flashing red warning lights. I have to hold the shifter in Drive or it pops out of gear. I replaced the shifter bushing and now I can't pull the key out of the ignition. So it has to be the cable unless there's an adjustment area at the Trans end of it. The Patriot, Compass, Liberty are all junk and if you have one that's running fine, before you tell me I'm wrong, check out the UA-cam video's on those models, or just keep driving it, your wallet will tell you to dump it........
Actually the AW4 in the ZJ Grand Cherokee is 100% identical. The thing is that it was only used in the 1993 ZJ only paired with the 4.0l. The MJ came with the same AW4 too.
I love the aw4 trans... I've been beating on mine with stock 3.55 gears for years on 33s towing trailers, jeeps, etc and I rip on it daily I got another one sitting in the shed when it finally gives out
hey you can't beat em i know what you mean when i first got into jeeps i saved all the tranny i could get and i haven't had to use one yet lol
Boy, why the background music man ???, Your information is v v good.
I've used valvoline maxlife atf. It's the best product valvoline makes tbh its crazy how smooth it is after a fluid exchange.
It took them a while but the manufacturer s finally figured out that they don't make money from cars that last forever.
Actually the trans fluid change info is not a "total" myth. Yes, change the fluid in the manufacture recomended internals. If you buy used and you don't have records? Still change it. It will shows it's true condition after that to include, yes slippage that was showing just before. I learned this from being a transmission tech.
you mean change it before buying vehicle??
@@HealthSupercharger whether or no to change it can also be dependent to mileage on the vehicle. If mileage is high for the model, changing it could also accelerate damages. All transmissions need complete fluid flush and change on a regular basis. Some more often than others. Rule of thumb is approximately every 50-60,000 miles.
I bought the wagoneer XJ 1987. Previous 3 owners never changed the ATF fluid. I just took a look and its horrible. The fluid is the darkest of any fluid ive ever seen. The sad thing is that the transmission still runs okay
Neutral and reverse just went last week on me. Im for sure buying a new one. Not because its a bad tranny but because it proved its 200k miles strong.
200k miles strong with horrible maintainence
woow
most important thing on an auto trans? care of the fluid is THE most important thing. dont over heat it, dont mix it, dont neglect it. i might even add ditch the cooler in the rad. if that corrodes out and fails, then it will kill your trans and mess up the cooling system. making them separate adds a level of redundancy. if the cooling system fails, then fix it. if the trans cooling fails, then fix that.
Bradley this makes sense, do you know if the 98 Mitsubishi montero sport also has a similar system where transmission and coolant can mix if the cooler corrodes???
Huge tires without regearing the axles is probably the #1 transmission killer there is.
365k Miles.. this thing has been to hell and back and it still runs 😂👌
Ok i have a 98 montero sport that i just bought so i hope i will also have wonderful results?
I really need to know how to plug in all the wire harness plugs for my 2001 Jeep Cherokee. I’m looking everywhere online and I can’t find anything.
Back ground music sounds distracting.
I did a 4x4 transmission swap in my 96 XJ and I put ATF in it, it always shifted soft from 1st -2nd and now it’s delayed shift until I reach almost 400 RPM or if I let of the gas. I replaced the solenoids, filter, adjusted the tv cable. I think it’s the bands, other than that I’m out of ideas.
Maybe you're suppose to use DeX III/Merc
Leak between the valve body and the case
On the subject of trans fluid. Do not use Dex4. I did a transfer case and trans fluid change. The fluid at a big box store was labeled Dex/merc. Wondering if I made a mistake on the trans. There was no dex3
Thanks from me here in New Zealand🇳🇿
+Glen Hoori that's awesome 👍🏻
Mine dosent go into overdrive? Tried the TV cable adjusted fine. Where else shall I look?
Changed fluid it was great changed filter put atf+4 now I'm waiting on my transmission guy to finish rebuilding mine haha. Will definitely be using dex/merc this round.
So helpful!!
True that brother I put a points distributor and 258 intake on my 2000 Cherokee did away with all the electronic bull crap
Hello, do you know where to locate the solenoid wires in the tranny?
Getting ready to order a neutral start safety swith for mine. My trans has first and second gear together on the shifter. Is this the one?
you have the quadra trac awd jeep like me.
How to adjust NSS on jeep cherokee
Hey Ronnie I was hoping you could help me with a diagnosis on my oem tacometer that just stopped working after a battery change? And also could you tell me how to locate the wire to tap into and put in a aftermarket one? Thanks in advance Mark.
What year is it?
How do you date the 1997 Aisin Warner AW4 ?
Great video, thanks!
Question: I have an 89 I got from pops and don't know if its ever had its Trany fluid changed. I'm looking for Dex/Merc but I can only find the Valvoline High Mileage SYNTHETIC fluid. Do you know if synthetic will work fine on an 89? I would change it in increments maybe every 1k miles.
I have a tj and I got stock in a mud so bad that the mud and water when in side the transmission and engine, I rescued the engine but I’m having problems with the transmission, still have water in side and I don’t know in this point what to do !! Any body have this problem before?
Might have to pull it
Hey how can I know for sure if I have the AW4? I have a 98 Cherokee and it leaks and the fluid level barely shows on the dipstick (while running of course). But I just want to make sure I get the right fluid for my transmission
Bo Thomas all automatics that year had the aw4.
ATF +4. Dont listen to this guy saying dexron 3 / mercon. and personally I strongly recommend you substitute in a bottle of "Lucas Transmission fix" even if you have no issues with it currently and your just changing the fluid and filter for peace of mind.. it will keep everything working smoothly and help it last longer. If your having any kind of slipping or shuddering on overdrive lock up, use 2 bottles. It will DEFINITELY make a difference. Also install an auxiliary transmission cooler. You want the trans fluid to go out the trans, into the factory cooler in the radiator, out of that into the auxiliary cooler, then back to the trans. Don't remove the factory cooler from the loop all together unless it's an off road only rig. The factory cooler also helps warm up the fluid in the cold winter months and that's definitely a good thing on a daily driven vehicle
If its the original transmission (most likely) it'll be the AW4. They used the AW4's in the Cherokees from 1987-2001.
@@robert-bg9pf Jeep didn't change the fluid spec on the AW4 (A340 like in a lot of Toyotas) until the last XJ was on it's way out of Warranty and IMO it was to simplify their own supply chain since nearly all of their autos at that point used ATF+4.
Aisin does not suggest anything other than DEX III. Most "Dex/Merc" fulfills the Dex3 requirements. Make sure you check the label on the back to verify. Some people have been fine with ATF+4 others have had trans failures not long after.
Hey Cherokee Ronnie,
I've had a slight issue with my 2000 xj,
sometimes when accelerating up to around 35-45mph, the car will stutter and make an awful sound, if I Iet off the gas for a moment and then reaccelerate, it goes away, and it doesnt always happen either, just sometimes seemingly at random. Not sure what it could be.
Thanks for your time and knowledge.
Mick Di. Mine is doing same thing @ 50 mph. It is no small issue. What did you do about it. I have a 94.
hi everyon can i mount a 30-40le on my zj 93 with original a 30-43le ? thanks all
My 95 Cherokee w/ a/t aw4 accelerates slowly from a stop. Seems like it's starting in 2nd. But if i use 1-2 it drives fine. There's no kicking or hesitation. Can you help?
Chris, I also have a ‘95 Cherokee with AW4. Mine demonstrates the same issues as yours and I was reading that some guys have fixed this by replacing the Transmission Control Module. I’m sure there is a place to find out the procedures to test the component with a multimeter. I have yet to do this with mine and have just started looking into this issue.
Jared Petretti. I've heard that too so i changed the tcu and it changed nothing
Chris Lippold, was it a brand new one? I was thinking about getting a brand new one rather than a different used one that could’ve developed the same shifting issues over time.
Jared Petretti it was a used one but i figure that problem doesn't seem like a common problem so i changed it thinking if it had a different l problem at least i couldve figured it out and bought a new one them, however it drives identically, so our say the old one and new one are good
Chris Lippold Right, makes sense. Well I’ll try to diagnose mine and let you know what I find out. Where was your TCM located? Pretty sure previous owner ripped the TCM out of mine because there was just a big plug hanging under dash, but I could be looking in the wrong spot.
Can you shift from Drive to 1-2 or 3 while the vehicle is in motion?
Yes
100% but be quite careful doing manual downshifts in low range. flex plates and more can fail.
How do you adjust one one a jeep liberty kj 2002
Hey ron I'm getting motor oil dripping on my starter and oil filter youthink my oil filter holder seal is bad causing motor oil to leak do u have a video on how to replace the seal for oil filter holder
Bernard Zouroum make sure you check the dizzy gasket to yeah I have a video on changing the oil filter adapter
ITs a royal pain in the rear. I just went to the dealer and had the work done for $110. Three seals in that oil filter elbow. Get them replaced.
Also oil pressure switch. They leak. Tighten valve cover and oil pan as well the see how it does
I'm experiencing a vibration right at 1500 rpm in park neutral or drive the balancer seems fine I'm leaning toward cracked flywheel ...any advice before I yank the trans?
Yeah.. inspect the flywheel via inpsection cover removal
Hi Ronnie...I have a 1999 xj 40. On first start up she idles then dies. Second attempt and a little warm up she's ok for the day until next start for the day? Could you help on this thanks.
+Glen Hoori do you have any codes?
I've had this happen. Hadn't used it in a long time so I had to use the jumper pack and keep it a little above idle to keep it from dying. Now that its being use almost daily hasn't happened since. So in my thoughts it might just be a near dead battery. But that's just me.
Glen Hoori
HAY RON HAVE A 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE ,AT START DRIVE WHEN COLD TRAN SLIPS .THEN AFTER WARMED UP ITS FINE?CAN YA HELP ME OUT?THANKS TOM FROM EASTERN KENTUCKY
I have a grand Cherokee that this transmission in
You MUST!!! Use ATF+4 in the aw4 it says so right on the dipstick, never use dex/merc in a chrysler trans or they will burn up dex/merc doesn't have the same additives and it will tear the clutches out, i have a 2000 xj with 262,666 miles and i have changed the fluid and filter with ATF+4 and still running strong
The AW4, AKA a340 by toyota, is in no way shape or form a Chrysler developed transmission. Its core components were developed in Aichi, Japan by Aisin-Warner. It is one of the most reliable transmissions ever developed. I personally have 360k on mine with the original fluid in it. They even have a museum piece dedicated to it in Japan: ua-cam.com/video/23VaFy5PMug/v-deo.html&index=12. It was originally developed to use the most advanced fluid at the time which was GM's Dexron II. The only fluid available today that completely matches this fluid's characteristics is its direct supersession, Dexron III. The only place Dexron III is still available in its original formulation is from Toyota, P/N 00718-ATF00. Dexron/Mercon IV and above are not a direct replacement for Dexron II/III according to both Toyota and Aisin-Warner(taken directly from service info). Comparing the datasheets for both show very different viscosities. The same can be said comparing ATF+4 to Dex II/III. Ronnie is 100%. Dexron III will net you the best performance and longevity in this particular trans. The only other fluid availible that meets the exact same specifications is Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF and it turns out the Toyota stuff is made in the very same Exxon chemical plant but is usually much cheaper.
@@jacobs2309 i dont think so, my AW4 has 263,500 miles on it and its original with atf+4 in it, it may be an asian transmission but it does not require dex merc or any gm trans fluid of any kind
Aisin-Warner not "asian." They are the OEM and they have engineered their trans to use Dexron II, so "must use ATF+4" is simply not true. On the other hand, do you have to use Dexron II? Of course not. Will it still work with pretty much any trans fluid? Yes, it will. But, according to the engineers that have designed the transmission, for the best performance and longevity of this particular trans, use Dex II/III. How much better performance and how much longer life is really hard to say, but that is the fluid they designed the trans around. Chrysler also specified Dexron II/III in earlier models that use this trans before they made the switch to their in-house fluid. I imagine chrysler switched to ATF+3 then +4 at the time as a cost saving measure since they use it in many of their in-house transmissions and its specs were close enough to Dex II. Dexron was and still is a licensed GM product. Every company that uses the "Dexron" name and fluid has to pay GM licensing fees hence the savings by switching at the cost of some performance and longevity loss which may actually be a plus in the mind of an executive going for a planned obsolescence approach. Ronnie actually mentions this.
@kenny davis
AW-4 is not a Chrysler transmission. It uses Dex/Merc, nothing else. If you used ATF+4, and made it this far, you’ve been lucky.
@@erichimes3062 Yeah you're right. It was an AMC thing that involved long time Component Vender Borg-Warner. AMC hired Borg-Warner as a vender to supply the Transfer Cases for vehicles with a 4x4 system , like Jeep. How Aisin-Warner came to be was, in order to do business in Japan, you must have a full 50% Japanese Partner. Here, Borg-Warner with Aisin, started Aisin-Warner. With that being said, it's evident how the AW4 , AW - 4 speed got it's name. Aisin is a member of the Toyota Group & is still active in Japan.
This reminds me of GM with the Saturn & Honda Partnership where Honda supplied the drivetrains for the Saturn Vue from 2004 to 2007. Amazingly those years were having no problem hitting 250K to 300K Miles, with a lot of Vue owners who said they were hitting the 340K to 375K mile range. When you look at the years, 2004-2007, getting over 250K and no issues, it should have helped secure Saturn staying in business. That move already managed to give the Saturn Division a bigger piece in the Automotive Pie, thanks in part to Honda. In a division that was already pumping out some great vehicles. I believe it was because of the 4 years of the Honda Drivetrain helping Vue's to break the 200K Mile life expectancy, ended up helping push GM to make the decision to end that relationship...
Can you take a 2wd aw-4 and convert it to 4wd
Hey, I was just reading about this on pirate4x4 so I'll just copy and paste the part I think your looking for.
"The 2wd AW4 has the tail cone on it while the 4wd version has an adapter that bolts to the transfer case. In order to convert the 2wd version to the 4wd type, you need to change that adapter at the rear AND change the output shaft.
In other words, you have to totally disassemble the transmission and put it back together to swap out that output shaft.
find a 4wd version and you'll save yourself a bunch of headaches."
Hope that helps.
No.
They put aw-4 in the camanchee
I have a 98 xj needs a new transmission. Will a aw4 from a 96 work?
Nope
Cherokee Ronnie it says the engines will swap, why wouldnt the transmissions?
Thanks for the reply
Yes, same transmission was used in the XJ's from 1987-2001.
19 yrs as Chrysler/ jeep master tech it will fit just have to use the 96 torque converter
Wong shift put low gear 87. Cherokee chief
mine doesnt want to go into reverse will reverse. till you apply gas then just slips and doesnt want to move
Zachary Chandler mine did that one time I changed the filter and it seems to do okay
cherokee ronnie. i did that and no change any other suggestions?
she might be toast
My 95 does this until its warmed up. I cycle thru drive and reverse a couple of times, after it warms up, then go on my way.
Can I put AW4 in a 1989 wrangler with 258?
I don't see why not will take some custom work but it can be done
I have one for a 2wd for sale, If anyone wants it, message me. It might be able to make it 4wd, IDK.
How much and where you located
@@jesseeverett4966 I scrapped it. Got tired of it sitting in the bed of my truck
My Xj has a po740 changed the tps the fluid and solenoid but keeps popping up. How do I fix the po740 ?