3800 Trans Trouble! ?

[Toasty]

Think my trans is on the way out... maybe just TCC solenoid??

here's the rundown (97 GP GTP)

noticed last week car wasnt shifting real firm, didnt seem to shift at proper points sometimes, even once at a stop it acted like it was in neutral. checked the fluid and it was brown, a hit of burn smell, but not bad. so i got the fluid and filter changed out. car seemed to shift smoother, but still not always soon enough without letting off the gas (wasnt flooring it at the time either)

on the way to work this am, just before i get to work, the check engine light comes on. seems to be a bit slow from the stoplight, but not bad.

on the way home from work, the light is still on, but the speed from stop light is OK. however, car does not seem to be shifting into overdrive. (at least i think i could count 1, 2, then 3. so take it easy to keep the RPM's down. i get close to home, and hit stoplights again. at the first light, i start to take off, and car dies (this says TCC solenoid to me, but not sure..read on) obviously it wont start in drive, so i try to put it in park I CANNOT PUT THE CAR IN PARK. so i do neutral, and it starts, so i drop into 1st and it goes--- i could get it into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, but didnt have a place to try the overdrive. get it home, still no park, but reverse does work.


i might try and limp it over to the advance auto parts on boughton to get the code, but have not decided that yet....


unless somone out there has a code reader i could borrow? it would really suck if i limp the car over there and cant get it back!!!


any ideas???????????????

Click to read more...

 

[Toasty]

Think my trans is on the way out... maybe just TCC solenoid??

here's the rundown (97 GP GTP)

noticed last week car wasnt shifting real firm, didnt seem to shift at proper points sometimes, even once at a stop it acted like it was in neutral. checked the fluid and it was brown, a hit of burn smell, but not bad. so i got the fluid and filter changed out. car seemed to shift smoother, but still not always soon enough without letting off the gas (wasnt flooring it at the time either)

on the way to work this am, just before i get to work, the check engine light comes on. seems to be a bit slow from the stoplight, but not bad.

on the way home from work, the light is still on, but the speed from stop light is OK. however, car does not seem to be shifting into overdrive. (at least i think i could count 1, 2, then 3. so take it easy to keep the RPM's down. i get close to home, and hit stoplights again. at the first light, i start to take off, and car dies (this says TCC solenoid to me, but not sure..read on) obviously it wont start in drive, so i try to put it in park I CANNOT PUT THE CAR IN PARK. so i do neutral, and it starts, so i drop into 1st and it goes--- i could get it into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, but didnt have a place to try the overdrive. get it home, still no park, but reverse does work.


i might try and limp it over to the advance auto parts on boughton to get the code, but have not decided that yet....


unless somone out there has a code reader i could borrow? it would really suck if i limp the car over there and cant get it back!!!


any ideas???????????????
[/b]

alright... i decided to take my chances, and take the car to get the codes read...

here's what i've got

PO742 Torque Converter Circuit Stuck ON (guessed that one)

second:

PO756 Shift Soleniod B CKT Performance or Stuck OFF



and to top it all off, after getting the car back home, i can shift back into park again.


any help on the shift solenoid B thing?

 

[Toasty]

nobody?

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

nobody? [/b]

working on it

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

alright... i decided to take my chances, and take the car to get the codes read...

here's what i've got

PO742 Torque Converter Circuit Stuck ON (guessed that one)[/b]

shorted ground wire, bad solenoid (i would say 50/50 chance) find a pinout and check the resistance across the TCC solenoid and check for a short to ground on the PCM controlled wire

second:

PO756 Shift Soleniod B CKT Performance or Stuck OFF



and to top it all off, after getting the car back home, i can shift back into park again.


any help on the shift solenoid B thing?


[/b]

shift solenoid B is one of the two solenoids that are cycled to provide the various gears, it could be mechanically jammed or possibly an intermitent connection...find the pinout and check the resistance across the leads and check for a good steady power on one wire (KOEO) and no short to ground on the other (OFF) and check for continuity to the PCM

you may be able to backpin the B solenoid wire and manually ground it with the KOEO while listening by the transmission for the solenoid clicking...if you do hear it clicking rig the A solenoid and listen to it...if it sounds different then you have a mechanical issue with the solenoid...



good luck

 

[Toasty]

<div class='quotemain'>alright... i decided to take my chances, and take the car to get the codes read...

here's what i've got

PO742 Torque Converter Circuit Stuck ON (guessed that one)[/b]

shorted ground wire, bad solenoid (i would say 50/50 chance) find a pinout and check the resistance across the TCC solenoid and check for a short to ground on the PCM controlled wire

second:

PO756 Shift Soleniod B CKT Performance or Stuck OFF



and to top it all off, after getting the car back home, i can shift back into park again.


any help on the shift solenoid B thing?


[/b]

shift solenoid B is one of the two solenoids that are cycled to provide the various gears, it could be mechanically jammed or possibly an intermitent connection...find the pinout and check the resistance across the leads and check for a good steady power on one wire (KOEO) and no short to ground on the other (OFF) and check for continuity to the PCM

you may be able to backpin the B solenoid wire and manually ground it with the KOEO while listening by the transmission for the solenoid clicking...if you do hear it clicking rig the A solenoid and listen to it...if it sounds different then you have a mechanical issue with the solenoid...



good luck
[/b][/quote]


sheesh... i figure myself at least somewhat mechanically inclined... but that's almost greek to me



maybe someone might be willing to help?

 

[Toasty]

I've got wiring diagrams...having trouble interpreting

 

[Toasty]

another question....

would either of the codes i offered explain the instances when i could not shift into park, and then be able to later??

 

[1BADGTP]

Yes I think It would Be this one PO756

 

[Toasty]

Yes I think It would Be this one PO756
[/b]

maybe i'm confused, but i thought the shift solenoids only mattered to forward gears. (in this instance, the 2-3 shift) not affecting park... here's what i was originally thinking on the park issue....


i am suspecting that not being able to get the car in park was a result of chunks of something preventing the vehicle from getting into the park gear, then later on when that chunk moved, it would go into park, and it is not affected by either code present. .... that being said, when both the codes show up and not being able to shift into park at the same time, that says to me that something mechanical is causing both the park/no park problem and codes/damage to the shift solenoid/tcc solenoid, not electrical.

(so basically mechanical issue (chunks of something) are causing both the park gear problem and the solenoid code problems--NOT the other way around-- the solenoid problems can NOT be causing the park issue)

tho could a loose/missaligned shift cable cause both problems?

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

<div class='quotemain'>
Yes I think It would Be this one PO756
[/b]

maybe i'm confused, but i thought the shift solenoids only mattered to forward gears. (in this instance, the 2-3 shift) not affecting park... here's what i was originally thinking on the park issue....


i am suspecting that not being able to get the car in park was a result of chunks of something preventing the vehicle from getting into the park gear, then later on when that chunk moved, it would go into park, and it is not affected by either code present. .... that being said, when both the codes show up and not being able to shift into park at the same time, that says to me that something mechanical is causing both the park/no park problem and codes/damage to the shift solenoid/tcc solenoid, not electrical.

(so basically mechanical issue (chunks of something) are causing both the park gear problem and the solenoid code problems--NOT the other way around-- the solenoid problems can NOT be causing the park issue)

tho could a loose/missaligned shift cable cause both problems? [/b][/quote]

your correct in that debris can be the cause of your problems...the new trans fluid has more detergents than you old used fluid did...when it was flushed was the transpan dropped before or after the flush? was the pan dropped at all?

the trans cable could cause an issue...but i'd look at the most recent changes fiirst unless you have noticed lots of slack in your linkage...

 

[Toasty]

cant say ive noticed slack in the linkage, but wasnt really watching for that.


the pan was dropped and filter replaced, but not sure what order it was done in, as far as flush or filter first, i wasnt the one doing it, wasnt watching.

that being said, i know i felt the trans not shifting when it shoud (at least into 3/4) before the flush. also once when coming to a stop, the trans did pop out of gear. shifted from 1 to park a time or two and it went back into drive. all of which prompted me to check the trans fluid and find it a shade of brown, small hint of smell to it, but it didnt seem too bad at the time-- which led to the filter/fluid change.

so i dont think the flush broke it, it just didnt fix it--- since one of the first suggestions for troubleshooting a sticking TCC solenoid is to flush the fluid. (i talked to the mechanic that dropped the pan, said the only thing on the magnet was normal clutch type dust.


other that these recent issues the trans seemed ok... although if i am remembering my vehicle correctly, there were a few times (i.e. maybe 2/3 in the past 6 months of daily driving) that if i stomped the gas from a stop, the trans would shudder just a bit. so maybe that was telling of a problem back then


I'm hoping to check out the linkage/plugs in the next day or so, but if it does look to be solenoids where the trans has to come out, i might just find a used trans and swap the whole thing. -- since i figure if i have to take the trans out to change solenoids (maybe slightly possible to change in car, but no easier than pulling trans) i'd want to change all of the solenoids, and the side cover gasket should be replaced after removal --- that's a chunk of coin right there, and then to have it be a mechanical issue? its kinda not worth it there.


i just really dont think i can drop the coin on a rebuilt one. --even as much as i'd love to support the guys over at wbody store.