Did a carb swap several years ago - installed a TCI TC Lockup kit at that time. The vacuum switch broke when I was installing it, but it comes with a provision to manually lock it with a toggle switch, and I've used that for last few years, only locking at 45+mph - and everything worked fine.

Few weeks ago, I got a vacuum switch installed finally, but it didn't seem to work, and I thought I had wired it wrong - at the same time I was cleaning up alot of wiring under the hood and assumed I made a mistake somewhere. Haven't drove the car much since this.

Today I look it over, and see that the vacuum line I ran to the vacuum switch was totally collapsed :eek!: When I pulled it off, it hissed at me - it had vacuum on it (I'm assuming from the vacuum ball) that released. Given this amount of vacuum, I'm pretty sure that the vacuum switch was working, and that the TC was locked - the whole time! And that's why I couldn't see any difference in rpm's when I tried to activate it manually.

So I started checking wiring - and I do have my manual switch wired correctly. The TCI harness has 3 wires:

1) Red - connects to switched 12v+
2) Black - connects to vacuum switch, and vacuum switch connects to ground - when switch gets enough vacuum, the ground is connected, and the solenoid activates the TC lockup.
3) Green - this is the optional manual switch wire - you connect it to a toggle that is connected to ground - that way you throw the toggle, makes a ground connection without the vacuum switch, and locks the TC

During my wire check, I noticed that this green wire IS connecting to a ground source, even when not connecting to anything (I cut it off my switch to test). So my questions to the tranny gods:

1) Most important - is it hurting the tranny to have the TC locked always?
I know that the 700R4 is internally made to not allow the TC to lock under any circumstances in 1st gear, and that locking in 2nd, 3rd, 4th is fine for the tranny usually, as it's made to allow this on occasion.

BUT is it OK for it to be locked always?

2) Guesses on why all of a sudden this green wire has a ground when it's not supposed to UNTIL I give it one with a toggle switch?

3) Think this connection and the constant vacuum to the TC switch caused the TCI solenoid in the tranny to fry itself? I'm assuming I connected the vacuum switch to a bad spot, since it got vacuum and never released it - I connected inline where the vacuum line runs to the vacuum ball - which always holds vacuum for the heater controls

4) Am I testing this green wire correctly?

First, I set my VOM to 20VDC, connected one lead to + battery terminal, and touch the green wire with other lead - I got a 12v reading. My thought is that I should not get a 12v reading unless that green wire is connected to a ground somewhere.

Second, I set my VOM to OHMS, connected one end to the green wire, and the other lead to a ground - on this setting it went to 0 - indicating that there is continuity between the green wire and a ground, telling me the green wire is grounded.

Again - the green wire should not be connecte to a ground source UNLESS I connect it (to manually lock the TC).

This is all telling me that maybe the solenoid has fried itself and that's why I have ground to the green wire which I shouldn't. And yes I checked - the green wire is not shorting anywhere outside the tranny.

for any input/ideas