AW4 Valve Body 1987-2001, new and ready to install. Fits the AW4. Ships fast from the USA.
A 1987-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ, Comanche or Wagoneer running the AW4 four-speed that hesitates before it drops into gear, won't hold torque converter lockup once the engine is warm, or throws an intermittent shift complaint that clears itself after a restart is pointing at the valve body long before it's pointing at a worn clutch pack. This is a new AW4 valve body built for the full 1987-2001 span this transmission ran in Jeep's XJ platform, cross-referenced to the related Toyota/Aisin A340 family.
The AW4 is a four-speed automatic co-developed by AMC and Borg-Warner and built by Aisin, which is why parts houses list an A340 reference alongside AW4-specific numbers - the two families share a lot of internal lineage even though the valve bodies are not interchangeable between them. Inside the transmission, the valve body routes pump pressure through its bores and spool valves to apply each clutch and band, and it also carries the shift and torque-converter-clutch solenoids the computer fires to time every gear change and every lockup event. When a bore wears or a solenoid seat loses its seal, the symptom usually shows up as inconsistent behavior rather than a flat failure - fine one trip, flared the next - because the pressure it's supposed to hold is no longer steady.
Intermittent, "comes and goes" symptoms on these Jeeps are frequently electrical rather than mechanical, so scan for codes and rule out a worn neutral safety switch or corroded solenoid wiring before committing to a valve body - both are common, cheaper causes of nearly identical shift complaints on 1996-2001 Cherokees. If the fault is steady instead of intermittent, or a scan tool points straight at a shift-solenoid or pressure circuit, the valve body is the more likely repair.
The AW4 ran in the Cherokee XJ, Comanche and related Wagoneer models across 1987-2001, but Jeep changed the sensor setup partway through that run - a front input speed sensor was added and the rear sensor changed around 1996, which affects which wiring harness and computer a given valve body pairs with on a swap. If you're installing this in the same vehicle it came out of, that's not a concern; if you're swapping a transmission between model years, confirm the sensor count and connector style on both ends first. If you're outside the 1987-2001 window or want a lower-cost option, the general AW4 valve body listing and the 1998-2001 version cover the rest of the range.
Drop the pan and change the filter at the same time as the valve body, refill with Dexron or Mercon ATF, and torque the valve body bolts evenly to spec rather than snugging them down by feel. Clear the stored codes and road-test through several drive cycles to confirm lockup returns and the shift complaint doesn't resurface. If a single solenoid tested bad on the scan rather than the whole valve body, a solenoid kit is the cheaper fix; if you're already in the pan for a shift-quality complaint, a shift kit firms up the shifts on the way back together, and a clutch module is worth checking if the hesitation turns out to be clutch wear instead of the valve body alone.
| Fits | AW4 1987-2001 |
| Part type | Valve Body |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Reference | A340 |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. The AW4 shares a lot of lineage with the related Toyota/Aisin A340 family and parts houses list an A340 cross-reference, but the valve body hydraulic circuits are not interchangeable between the two.
The AW4 as used in the 1987-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ, Comanche and related Wagoneer models. Jeep changed the sensor setup around 1996, so if you're swapping a transmission between model years rather than reinstalling in the same vehicle, confirm the sensor and connector configuration on both ends first.
Not necessarily. Intermittent complaints on these Jeeps are frequently a worn neutral safety switch or corroded solenoid wiring rather than the valve body. Scan for codes and check those first; a steady fault or a shift-solenoid code points more strongly at the valve body.
Dexron or Mercon ATF.
Clear the stored codes and road-test through several drive cycles so the computer can relearn shift and lockup timing against the new valve body.
No, this is the valve body casting and internal valves only. If a single solenoid tested bad on a scan, a solenoid kit is the narrower fix instead of replacing the whole valve body.
