XJ question

[mvusse]

I know, this is an MJ site, but since the XJ and MJ are closely related I'm hoping someone here knows the answer.

 

Will a 2000 XJ AW4 work in a 1996 XJ, or are the computer controls different?

[cracker]

I know, this is an MJ site, but since the XJ and MJ are closely related I'm hoping someone here knows the answer.

 

Will a 2000 XJ AW4 work in a 1996 XJ, or are the computer controls different?

 

Depends on if you want it to talk to the TCU or not - if you are rigging it with a manual shifter, it's literally no different to install. If you want it to talk to the TCU, you have two options: swap the output speed sensor rotor, sensor, and tailhousing from the older trans onto it, or build the small circuit lawsoncl designed to convert the newer signal into the older one.

 

A few more details and some links:

(output speed sensor differences and ways of fixing them in these threads...)

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthrea...#post243739279 Frank Z's post on swapping the rotors/sensors

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=999938 SimpleXJ's thread on the same thing, also notes the tailhousing is different - note I seem to recall on my 99 AW4 there was only one groove for the retaining ring, but I'm not entirely sure.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1021599 - see lawsoncl's posts in this thread if you want the electrical magic method.

 

A few other notes -

* as far as I know, 91-97 (yep, 97) AW4s are the same, however you will need to splice about 4 wires to put a 97 trans into a 91-96 or vice versa, they decided to change the connector but nothing else. No big deal, a caveman can do this splice job with tools from the autozone electrical aisle. The colors for the solenoids match perfectly and there are only two wires left for the OSS, which should match or be close and can be swapped anyways since it's just a reed switch on these years.

* 98-01 AW4s have the 4 pulse/rev sensor and add an input speed sensor of the same type, 87-97 AW4s have a 1 pulse/rev output sensor and no input sensor. You can put a later into an earlier and just ignore the input sensor but going the other way will involve a full rebuild and some machine shop time, it's simply not worth it.

* putting a 97-down AW4 into a 98-01 XJ MAY be possible by splicing the harness for the AW4 (since 97-down only have ~5 wires in the harness while 98-up have 7 due to the new ISS addition) and installing a 97 TCU to get around the input speed sensor being missing. I have not yet tested this because I don't have a 97 TCU on hand yet. I still need to make sure that the ECU doesn't request a firmware version or something from the TCU via CCD bus, if it doesn't, this combo will work perfectly.

 

(information supplied to me by Kastein from a private message I sent him the other day)

[mvusse]

Thanks for the in-depth information, although your first link does not seem to work for me.

 

I think I will pass on the 2000 and go with a 91-96 or possibly 97 to keep things simple, then.