Re: [DML] Automatic transmission

["Walter" <Whalt@xxxx>]

Arne,

>What could cause the car starting in second (or 3rd?) gear ?

You are probably starting out in 2nd gear. The cause? A malfunction with
the governor computer or a stuck/bad solenoid. This problem is probably
electrical in origin and not mechanical.

Probably the best diagnostic at this point is to hook up test lights in
parallel with the shift solenoids to see if they are ever being told to
switch on. This will quickly tell you if your problem still remains in the
GC or lies elsewhere. This diagnostic is thoroughly explained in the
archives -- if you can find it! :) Instead of using LEDs for test lights
and worrying about proper bias (direction and current), it is easier to just
get 12V panel light bulbs from Radio Shack. They sell a 3 pack containing
red, yellow, and green. They are small, bright and already have long wire
leads meant to be used in stereo equipment. They also lend themselves well
to being hooked up to the GC connections at the firewall and being taped to
the rear window where you can watch them from the rear view mirror while you
are driving.

If you determine that the problem still lies with the GC then check the
electrical connections at the firewall. They use banana-jack type
connectors and can be made more firm by very VERY slightly crushing them
with pliers. (At each female banana jack, lightly squeeze perpendicularly
to the seam to make the tube slightly oval like you would for a loose tail
light bulb socket.) Check for cold solder joints on the PCB, and make sure
that you reconnected everything correctly. By the way, you mention, "My
solder ball points looked absolutely ok." I suppose that you are correct in
your observation, but your terminology is strange. What do you mean by a
solder ball point? Good solder joints in this application are supposed to
look like inverted cusps -- not ball points. (Ball-shaped connections on a
PCB means that the solder didn't stick to the trace properly.) Also, check
to make sure that the new caps are good ones -- not open or shorted. (I
have learned the hard way to always check discrete components before
installing them.) If the caps are polarized, maybe you put them in
backwards. By the way, did you put the modified PCB back in the GC or did
you mount it externally in a kit box? Just curious...

>If no transistor would switch, which gear would be in use. ?

Second gear. Your symptoms sound like your GC is either not connected or
completely not working. Someone mentioned in the archives that unplugging
the GC electrically allows the transmission to be shifted manually. I tried
this before, and it didn't work. Unplugged, the transmission starts out in
2nd gear -- not 1st.

I haven't needed to get deep enough into a GC (yet) to answer your other
questions. Hopefully you won't need to find them out either.

I ended up buying a new GC from PJ Grady. At the time, he had two models
available. One cost a few dollars more than the other and was considered a
little better, so I opted for it. Does anyone know if the newer GCs have
better or different electronics inside than the OEMs? I didn't want to
break the seal on the new one to find out -- you know, if it works, don't
fix it.

Walt Tampa, FL