Get your 84-96 XJ to Crawl in 1st gear

[TheBigDogg]

I have been readin up on this since the first time I took my XJ wheeling.
I was wondering why i couldn't crawl down steep hills, the trans would shift into 2nd gear and i would have to ride the brakes sometimes, and when it did start to slow down it would shift back down into 1st and throw me forward in my seat.

Well I found a pretty simple fix for this and today I installed a switch to lockout the solenoid controlling 2nd gear, and with the switch flipped, 1st gear is locked in and 2nd is locked out.

Ready?

here we go
[b]I chose a spot for the switch, last weekend I went to one of the local JY and picked up a switch for the fog lights on a 89 XJ, and I am going to put it in the same spot on my XJ[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0470.jpg[/img]
[b]then removed the instrument panel cover, mine only had 2 screws[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0471.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0473.jpg[/img]
[b]Now I have access to where I am mounting my switch[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0474.jpg[/img]
[b][color=#BF0000]You don't have to use this kind of switch, almost any type of switch will work, you only are connecting 2 wires, unless you have one that lights up, and you only have to ground the 3rd wire conector[/color][/b]
[b]The following pics are me getting the switch ready for install[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0475.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0476.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0477.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0478.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0480.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0481.jpg[/img]

[b]Ok now the real fun begins, I stopped myself at this point, I disconnected my battery, just as a safty precaution[/b]
Remove the lower panel to gain access to the Trans Control Unit
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0482.jpg[/img]

[b]Unplug the connector and locate wire #15, it will most likely be [color=#BF80FF]VIOLET[/color][/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0484.jpg[/img]
[b]Now your going to cut the wire, but make sure you leave enough room to work with, remember you will be connection a wire to each end you just cut.[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0485.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0486.jpg[/img]
[b]I used red wire, if I was to do it all over again, I would have found some Violet wire. I used heat shrink to connect the wires together.[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0488.jpg[/img]
[b]Now all you need to do is run the other ends of the wires to the switch, I ran them along the panel, then up under the dash, and out where the switch is going to be located[/b][img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0489.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0491.jpg[/img]
[b]I used the factory connector for the plug that I took off the donor XJ and connected the wires then heat shrinked them[/b][img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0492.jpg[/img]
[b]Then I zip tied the wires together and cleaned up any loose wires, and installed the switch assembly back into the factory location[/b]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0493.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk215/thebigdogg49/1989%20Jeep%20XJ/IMG_0494.jpg[/img]

[b]I finished puttin everything back together, hooked the battery back up and went for a test ride. First i tried it in 2WD with the trans selector in 1-2. WOOHOO it stays in 1st gear, then I stopped, flipped the switch and it drives normal, then i tried it in 4lo, OMG talk about crawling!!!!

Well I hope this will help some of you if you were ever wondering how take your XJ crawl.

On a easy to hard scale from 1-10, I would rate this a 3, not to many tools, you can use diffrent type of connectors, electrical tape, whatever floats your baot!!![/b]

[Bert338]

What a great write up. Nice job.

[Dirty LJ]

Great write up!!!!!!

I would have loved to have this information back when I had my 87 and 97 Cherokees!!!!! I hated the fact they wouldn't stay in 1st gear!

Do you know if it works on the new body style XJ's? 97 to 01?

[AJ99]

there are a few different ways to do it. (On all automatics) They also have a shifter you can wire in where you put the jeep in Drive and shift the gears manually!

[igofshn]

Good write up, but you could have saved yourself trouble by just shifting into 1st gear.

[TheBigDogg]

[quote="igofshn"]Good write up, but you could have saved yourself trouble by just shifting into 1st gear.[/quote]
there is no just first gear, the lowest option is 1-2 together

[igofshn]

You are saying if you put it in first, it shifts into second??? Most vehicles just don't have a second gear unles the vehicle is in 3rd or drive

[AJ99]

cherokees will shift into second. It sucks. the actual shifter goes P-R-N-D-3-1,2

[TheBigDogg]

or if you are having problems understanding what AJ wrote try this:


[b]P
R
N
D
3
1-2[/b]

[Hollow Delusion XJ]

great job Harry I still want to find out how to do it 2 the new body XJ... 97+

[Mickey]

Hey Harry can I get u to help me install one on mine? Since u already did it and all... I hate when it shifts Into 2nd...!

[TheBigDogg]

[quote="Mickey"]Hey Harry can I get u to help me install one on mine? Since u already did it and all... I hate when it shifts Into 2nd...![/quote]
I sure will, wait, depends on the year......

[Mickey]

Think my tranny is off an 01 cherokee

[Hollow Delusion XJ]

[quote="Mickey"]Think my tranny is off an 01 cherokee[/quote]

they are actually a little different... but if you guys make it work... make a write up too.. I would not mind doing it to mine too... I have a 97+ too!!!

[Mickey]

They actually sell kits for the newer years... I was just trying to go the cheap way about it... lol