newb needs limp mode help please

[97claw]

i just got a 97 talon auto tranny non turbo. i think its stuck in limp mode, the guy i got it from said it needed a shift selenoid which he paid for and i put it in. that did fix the problem! ive checked the fuses tried to swap out the tcu idk maybe both are bad. i cant find any1 who sells the etax relay and im going nuts i dont have any money right now to pour into this thing due to christmas pleases help me fix this problem. everytime i get the cel codes pulled its always something different so i dont know if im getting close or not. right now im gettin codes p0700 and p1787. and i have no clue at all how to pull the tcu codes. i took the tcu apart and it dont look burnt or anything. any advice will help thanks

 

[rbwtrans]

Your transmission is called an a604. One of the most common things to go bad is the input speed sensor. I'll tell you though, you're chances of fixing this thing without scanning the TCU are slim. It could be anything. Blown fuse (in PDC under the hood, near the battery), relay (above the brake booster (middle one, I believe), Wiring, TCU, speed sensors, solenoid pack, or plain old transmission failure. Unfortunately, Autozone (or any other parts store for that matter) aren't going to be able to scan that for you. Your best bet is to take it by a transmission shop that will do a diagnosis. The shop I work at does them for free. Maybe you can find one local to you that will do that for you. I will be glad to help you with code definitions and probable causes if you can get it scanned. I don't check back on my posts often, so a PM would work best for getting in touch with me.

I just checked the P1787 code. OD hydraulic pressure switch failure.
Possible causes - Bad solenoid pack, wiring, TCU, or OD clutch failure.

Have you tryed disconnecting your battery since you replaced the solenoid pack?

 

[97claw]

Ive disconnected the battery multiple times, its the relay furthest to the right but I cant find any1 who sells them, ill check the fuses under the hood and im gunna call around to c if I can find sum1 to test it for free. Would it b a selenoid pack in the trans mission or the one I replaced? If its inside how hard is that and or the clutch to replace? Thanks alott

Just got back from a shop he didnt really say much I guess the p1787 code was gone now all I have is the p0700 and incorrect gear ratio for 1st and 3rd gear! He said he thinks my transmission is shot. Any suggestions?

 

[rbwtrans]

Replace the input speed sensor. When they fail, the TCU will give you "incorrect gear ratio x" because it cannot calculate which gear you are in without the input speed sensor. It also takes a while for the TCU to realise that the sensor is not reading. Each gear requires two internal elemants to apply to form the ratio. The only element that is shared in 1st and 3rd is also required for 2nd, so I wouldn't say the transmission is bad. The input speed sensor is cheap ($25 or so) and easy to replace. It's located directly under the cooler lines on the transmission. Did you plug it back in after you replaced the solenoid pack. I usually disconnect and remove it when I replace the solenoids.

There are no internal solenoids in this transmission. The solenoids and pressure sensors are all located in the solenoid pack.

 

[97claw]

I pulled the plug I didnt know if that came out or not ill pick one up when I get the money wheres the cheapst place to get one and do u think it could b the end clutch if that dont work? And thanks for the info about the selenoids im startin to catch on

input sensor was a fail....anything else?

2 more questions....can I use a test light to test my tcu and it looks like I dont jave the #6 pin?

 

[luv2rallye]

See: TCU Codes.

The TCU may not have the capability to directly drive a test light. If you try it use the smallest 12v bulb you can find (like 2 or 3 cp).

If light doesn't work, use a voltmeter to read the codes - preferably an analog one to see the needle swings (eg. cheap needle one from Radio Shack or Harbor Freight). The pulses are only 0.5s long which is going to be very difficult to read with a digital one.

 

[97claw]

Ok ill try it when I get a chance thanks

I found the codes the previous owner had printed out they were for incorrect 3d ratio tcu malfunction bad shift selenoid and a tps codr....maybe I should try the tps since I replaced the ss?

 

[97claw]

ok idk if i did the tcu check correctly i used a led light and i tried to go off the how to diagram and i have no pin nor wire that goes to the number 6 slot i tried 4 and 6 on the bottow row and all i got was a quick flash? and i sent ipt a email asking about the clutch kit they sell (if that is my problem) and they said it wont work because the a604 does not have end clutches? is this true? ive found diff clutch kits online but idk if they are the right kits or not (if that is my problem). other than that my only other questions are how do i test the tps, what do i do about my tcu testing problem , if someone could point me in the right direction to the end clutch situation, any other suggestions i could try, and last but not least....WHY IS MY LUCK SO BAD!?!?!?!?!?

 

[luv2rallye]

Don't use an LED. They're polarized and even when forward biased, will probably try to draw too much current. Try a very small incandescent bulb or better yet, an analog voltmeter.

Are you sure you identified pin 6 and 4 correctly? Notice the perimeter of the connector looks trapizoidal to aid in identification. Some connectors are shown from the wire side (so look inverted from the other connector or flat side). Pin 16 should read +12V to chassis ground. Use that to identify if the connector pinout is inverted (pin numbers swapped left to right so pin 16 is really pin 9).

TPS testing: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/323258-how-do-i-test-my-4-wire-tps.html#post151742361. NT has black-green instead of black. Also you don't have a yellow-red (closed position switch).

 

[97claw]

Ok I'll have to wait for the voltmeter and go take another look at the set up but i matched the picture to the terminal side by side. i even popped it out to be sure no wire went to it. Theirs only 7 wires going to the plug, does that sound correct? Thanks for the tpr link I'll be sure to check it first thing in the morning.

Even if its a 12v led?

 

[luv2rallye]

Theirs only 7 wires going to the plug, does that sound correct?

I don't have a NT and the manual doesn't show the actual number of wires going to the plug - it just shows 16 available pin slots. My 99 GST has 10 wires (on 16 slots) but you'll have to have a NT guy tell you how many wires on yours.

 

[97claw]

Ok, thank you very much for all your help.

Well I compaired the plug to the pic again, and their the same plug, but the wires dont match. Will it hurt anything if I poke around to try and find a code? Or and any n/t guys please point me in the.right direction?

 

[rbwtrans]

Did you ever get this resolved? I had another thought about the solenoid pack. The design of the solenoid pack was changed in 2001. All new solenoid packs come with only 1 gasket (that is different) and you are suppossed to throw away the spacer plate and gaskets that were originally on the transmission.

 

[brian9397gsx]

So how many different threads are you going to make for this trans issue? If your having gear ratio errors in 1st, and 2nd, I would take it somewhere and lab scope your input and out put sensors. But in all the years I've worked on the pos 41te,transmission usually you can drive it and tell if its slipping in one and two . if it is check the fluid color and condition and I'd look into dropping the pan and checking for debris, especially coffee grouunds which indicates a failed torque converter.

 

[97claw]

nope not resolved I threw away the old gasket I didnt know about a spacer plate ill pull it off and check.could that cause the solenoid to fail again?. The other thread was about a different question about the tranny that got onto the limp mode subject sorry, the fluid looks fine and I dont feel a slip from 1st to 2nd when it does shift. Im low on funds right now but I plan on doing a fluid filter change and check for anything in the pan. I already changed tge input and I am going to do The output asap.

 

[97claw]

Got a stick shift, might part talon out?