AW4 transmission issues

[Thursty]

Hey guys. I need some help diagnosing a problem with the AW4 auto in my '95 Cherokee.

I fired the Jeep up to head in to town this morning. From the beginning it seemed the trans was sluggish when shifting as if it were low on fluid. This became more pronounced the closer I got to town, about 6 miles of driving. Just as I was nearing Checker Auto I had to stop for a traffic light. In order to just get the Jeep moving I had to keep the throttle floored and then there was nothing. I was lucky to coast to the side of the road and get out of traffic but could go no farther. A friend came and towed me to his shop where we checked it over. The fluid was up and not burned but we didn't have time to drop the pan. Also, if the Jeep sits for a short time and is started again the trans will go into gear and move the Jeep around. This only last for a short time and then the trans quits again. This trans is in my '95 Cherokee with 126,000 miles and only about 1,500 miles since the fluid was last changed.

Has anyone had any experience with this issue? Thanks for your help.

 

[jmaxj]

In plug the tcu and see if it will shift manually, if so that's the problem if not I would say its a pump

 

[Thursty]

Thanks jmaxj. I will try this today and we'll see what happens.

 

[Thursty]

Any other suggestion?

 

[N-Smooth]

there should be a "trans" fuse in the pdc that sends power to the tcu, check that. regardless you should be able to shift manually anyways, you just won't have all gears.

 

[Thursty]

So... I drained the pan and the fluid looked and smelled clean though the filter was filthy to the point of being clogged. I then bolted the pan back up and let it sit over night. When I checked the pan the next day the fluid that continued to drain was dirty and smelled burnt. I checked the solenoids in the trans and they checked out fine. I decided I would put in a new filter and fill the trans with fluid and see what happened. I started the Jeep up and it shifted through all the gears just fine. When I hit the road it only made it maybe a mile before I lost all power again. Next I plan to drain the pan and check the filter. After this I will unplug the TCU and see what happens. I think all the crud in the filter is clutch material and the trans needs to be rebuilt. Any thoughts would be appreciated.