hello all...i posted this on the tranny board and got no response...so i figured to ask some fellow v-6ers to help out...ok...heres the issue at hand...when my torque converter locks up...and i'm giving like minimum throttle...the car jerks alot sometimes like its unlocking and locking...so today i pulled the plug to the tcc switch and noticed that the contact pins on the connector where corroded...so this could possibly be a problem...right?? ok...and another thing...when exactly is the tcc sposed to lock up...on my car on normal driving...like 1/4 throttle...it locks up at 25ish we'll say...and then again around 40ish...but i think i might be having trouble telling the difference between the lockup and a shift...also...how could i visually check the convertor...i pulled the dust shield a few weeks back and it looked ok to me...it was a rebuilt one when the tranny was rebuilt...cause without it locking up...the tranny shifts fine...but with it locking up/unlocking up...its jerking me around...so...how could the convertor go bad..thats the final question...hope you guyz can offer me some expert advice...thanx again...

 

When it jerks, do your rpms jump? Can you hear it in the engine? You can tell when it's locked and unlocked. Jerking is a result of deceleration with the converter in a locked state...it jerks and bucks. Mine does this too. Now, your torque converter only locks ONCE... The lock point is 40 mph..no less than that..minumum throttle to maybe 1/4 locks it right at 40 or slightly past...but generally, it's 40. 25-ish, there should be nothing happening except a shift. Not even Overdrive engages at 25. Furthest you'll get is 3rd gear. Clean up the connections..as with any electrical device, corrosion causes problems..the TCC is simple to control. It's an electrical on/off signal. If I were you, I'd tap into the line and run a manual control up into the cabin. So you can drive with it off, and flip the switch to lock it. Only difference between locked and unlocked is, locked gets you better gas mileage, but it's a p.i.t.a. Your Torque Converter is fine..the problem is solely in the TCC. Does your tachometer and speedometer work properly? These influence TCC operation.

 

alright...thanx for the input nixon...here's the deal then...my speedo works good...tach does too...but there is a shift at around 10...and another at around 20...thats when i'm just taking off easy...then at around 25...the rpms drop drastically and the car feels really sluggish...so thats why i feel that its the tcc locking up...and then once again at 40ish...so something is locking it up earlier than it shoud...becasue actually...at 40 it is shifting into overdrive and then there is nothing after that...like no shifts or anything...so something is either shifting wrong or locking up wrong...because without it plugged in...i get 2 normal shifts...then the od shift at about 40...so maybe whats happening is that its locking up earlier than it should...because thats what it feels like...like i said...25ish...rpms drop...car gets sluggish...like going up a hill i have to keep hitting the throttle down to get some rpms to get up...i'm gonna clean the contacts this week...and maybe even put a new switch in there if its not too tough...but yea...that sounds like it to me...i hope...because i drove it today w/ no tcc and it ran great...another thing...at about 65...when i slam it...is the tranny sposed to drop into 2nd or 3rd...i'm talking WOT shift...thanx again...

 

well 2 things are happening.... your shifting into OD and the CC is locking up. Want to try an easy fix, reset the Cable on the Throtle body. Article in tech section.


This is happening beacsuse your cable is out of adjustment. Its reading more throttle then is actually there. Meaning the trans thinks is going faster then it really is.

Personal note, thats why I hate automatics!. Give me the manual baby.

 

thanx guyz...hey chc...sorry about the headers thing by the way...it was a good thing you were doing...i just don't have enough money for stuff like that...but props go out to you...but yea...i think i'll put a new cable in actually...cause its original...the guy who did my tranny said it was good...but i don't know if he ever pulled it out...but how easy is it to install one...i saw where it goes into the trans...is it as easy as unbolting what holds it in...and then popping the new one in there...or is there a catch...thanx again nixon and chc...i'll get on that this week...until then...bye bye gas mileage...

 

You might not need a new cable..look at it, does the TV cable have any slack or no? If it does, try adjusting it and see if you can't tighten it up. If your TC is locking at 25, it's locking extremely prematurely...that's not good..can damage your converter and it's just a pain in the ***. I have a switch to force-lock the TC, and once I left it on...came to a stop, took a turn, and as I was rounding the turn out the car hit 2nd and the TC locked..all I heard was this grinding, scraping noise.... Temporary solution...just leave the TCC disconnected. You'll see a drop in mileage but you cant damage it anymore that way..BUT I see you're already doing that so nevermind...or like I said, wire a manual switch..I'd vastly prefer that because I hate my lock point anyways. Every road around here is 40 mph..it's irritating as hell.

 

Yeah, it can't really lock up twice... next time you think it locks up, keep your right foot constant on the gas, and lightly press the brake pedal with your left foot- not enough to slow the car down, but just enough to turn the rear brake lights on. The TCC is designed to disengage (unlock) when the brake lights come on. This is so the car doesn't stall when you come to a stop.

But if your car DID go into lockup, when you tap that brake pedal, you'll feel the RPM's go up, because you forced the TCC to unlock. If the RPM's stay the same, the TCC was never locked up.

I don't think that a TV cable adjustment will fix things. The TV doesn't tell the tranny how fast you're going; it's not a kickdown cable. It controls line pressure, which is the fluid pressure inside the transmission. If it's been out of adjustment for a long time, the trans could've been running with low line pressure (and inadequate lubrication), and the trans could be shot. But if the trans is shot, messing with the TV cable will only worsen things.

If you do decide to play with the TV cable, get a bottle of white out. Use the whiteout to make a mark of where the rectangular slider (plastic rectangle that's directly on the exposed wire of the TV cable) goes into the adjuster (the plastic block on the engine, on the plenum). Why? Well this is your mark showing you where the TV cable was adjusted to. Now adjust the TV cable by the book procedure (also in the thirdgen.org tech section, misnamed as "detent cable"), and go for a ride. If the car acts much worse, pull over, turn the car off, push the adjuster's tab in, and readjust the TV cable to the white-out mark.

 

And there you have it!

 

I seem to be having similar problems with my TCC. I heard someone mention there was a switch somewhere on the brake pedal inside the car? Also where is this connector that was spoken of? Thanks!! I want to get this figured out so I can install my headers with no worries!!

 

If you have an automatic with cruise, there will be 2 switches near the top of the brake pedal.

One has a 2 pin connector and a vacuum line going to it...that's the Cruise Control shut-off switch.

The other switch has 2 connectors going to it. One for the brake lights and the other for the TCC unlock.

 

Cali..separate question here.....is there a way, by going through that switch, to disable the TCC's automatic lock? My goal is to disable its automatic lock and allow me to manually lock it at any time..can I do that usng my ALDL force-lock switch and by disconnecting or something the switch at the top of the brake pedal? Or do I have to run a wire to the TCC clutch control wire under the car and route it into the cabin..?

 

Why not tap directlly into the VSS output from the ECM, from inside the car? A switch there would allow you to switch between automatic or manual TCC engagement, and you could use your force-lockup switch. The wire would be listed in your GM Service Manual from http://www.helminc.com ... the same spot you'd find a complete wiring diagram for the TCC lockup control, which is on page 8A-21-2. You could also review the component system description, in the Driveability & Emissions chapters, section 6E3-C, pages 78-83. Actually, page 6E3-C-82 seems to be showing a much more clear picture of the TCC system than 8A-21-2 does. Good luck, let us know how it goes!!

 

Tom...problem is, my VSS is on its way out.. On a cold engine, my speedometer reads zero..it takes a real flogging of the gas pedal to get it to read anything else...and then it jumps around quite a bit.

 

LOL, you should probably fix that instead of goofing with the TCC, eh? But you caught me on a typo, my line should've read:

and not

My bad!

 

You don't happen to have a scanner do you Tom? Where is this wire located..do I have to take off my dash, interior panels, etc?

 

I have one, but I'd have to get it working with the new computer, scan the book in, resize it, blah blah blah, too much work, sorry! Not trying to be a *****, but I spent all that time typing up code 34 and code 54 charts and nobody uses 'em, not gonna bother again. But if you buy a Helm's manual it'll all be in there. Maybe someone else has a manual they could scan in, even better, if it's for your year of f-body.

 

No prob....maybe I'll put that manual on my to-buy list....