Paul Riccioli Jr

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys.....I haven't posted on here in a very long time but I've run into an issue with my trans and have a few questions. I noticed last summer that I wasn't getting lockup and I'm starting to dig into it. I've only been able to get as far as jumping the top outside terminals of the ALDL while the key is in the on position and don't hear the solenoid clicking. If it was operating properly I should be able to hear it right?

The car is an 89 with a 700R4. I believe there's only the one electrical plug on it, on the driver side right? Aside from a loose connection there or at the actual ALDL there would be no other wiring problems right? I have to have a buddy doublecheck that he didn't accidently disable lockup when we programmed the PROM last but he says he wouldn't have. If it was disabled at the ECM then jumping the pins wouldn't work either right?

Assuming my connection at the trans is good and it's not disabled in the computer then I should assume the TCC solenoid is bad if I get no audible click when I jump the pins at the ALDS right?

Thanks for any advice.

OrangeBird

iTrader: (1)

I will tell you all I know about the TCC .......

First off , the solenoid gets +12V whenever the key is on and the brake pedal isn't being pushed . This +12V comes from the "gauges" fuse on a wire that is pink with a black tracer , and goes to the switch on the brake pedal . Leading from this switch , the wire is purple and ultimately connects to the red wire which is feeding the +12V to one side of the solenoid . The "logic" of when the solenoid should engage is that the ECM is controlling the -12V side of the circuit and when the ECM grounds terminal C1/A7 the solenoid will allow the TCC to engage . There is a "fourth gear (pressure) switch" in the valve body that lets the ECM know that the transmission is actually in fourth gear (one of the requirements for lockup , others being road speed and engine temp , for example) .

Now , as to the solenoid itself ;

This is not a big solenoid in the sense of the one mounted to your starter which does the mechanical work of engaging the bendix to the ring gear (as well as hitting a high current switch to turn the starter motor on once the bendix is fully meshed with the ring gear) but instead is a tiny little solenoid that is moving an even tinier little pintle valve to allow transmission fluid pressure to engage the TCC . I tell you this because I'm not 100% certain you would or should be able to hear the solenoid operating while testing , since the motion (about 3/16") of a pintle valve this tiny may well be all but inaudible .

I will close my post with a photo of every electrical component located in the transmission itself , as you can see all that is in there is the solenoid , 4th gear sw , and some wire with the plastic connector that the 3 wires plug into .

I hope this helps you out somewhat .....