QuestionQUESTION: Hi there, I just bought my 95 Cirrus with the "Limp-Mode" issue... The shop got codes 42 and 43... Now they want to do "more testing." Is there anything I can check or do to try and resolve this issue myself, or should I just open up my wallet... A few things about the car real quick... After it goes into limp mode I restart the car and the Air Bag light stays on and the windows, AC/Heat all stop working but sometimes that helps it snap out of Limp Mode, other times it doesn't matter. Also I've only seen the Tachometer work just once and only briefly... Is the car having electrical issues? Or are the electrical glitches a separate phenomenon from the solenoid problem? Any DIY advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks for your time...
ANSWER: The 42 and 43 codes are about the solenoid pack of the transmission. They can be caused by wiring issues between the transmission and the transmission control module but those issues would not relate to the AC/heat or tachometer (which is about the engine rpm, nothing to do with the transmission. The shop should be able to verify quickly that the wiring between the trans and its control module is OK or not. If OK then probably replacing the solenoid pack is the way to go. It is externally mounted on the transmission and is held in place by 3 bolts so is easy to replace. Parts are not sold as far as I know so a replacement pack is usually bought at a cost of several hundred dollars. The labor should be minimal. If they have another proposal involving higher cost for parts or labor tell me how so before doing it.
The other electrical issues can be sorted out separately from the limp mode issue, later.
Let me know what is not working electrically after the trans is fixed and I can tell you what to look at.
Please read the PS below and respond to it.
Thanks,
Roland
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QUESTION: Thanks so much for your answer Roland... Well I've taken the car to a few shops now and everyone is trying to convince me that "it's definitely a bad transmission" and they want to "drop the pan" and also keep insisting that "I have to leave it overnight." I don't want to leave it overnight since you've stated that "The shop should be able to verify quickly that the wiring between the trans and its control module is OK or not" and if that's good then it must be a bad solenoid... (One shop claimed that it's a lot of work just to check those wires, and that a bad transmission would be throwing that code) Should I just buy a solenoid pack and pay someone to install it? This seems like the best option since I don't like the lingo these "experts" are throwing at me... Thanks again Roland...
ANSWER: Hi Vahan,
The odds are it is not a wiring problem unless when you look over the cables that attach the transmission to the transmission control module you see a sign of damage.
My suggestion would be to check out the prices of a replacement solenoid pack assembly for that model vehicle and even consider installing it yourself. I can photocopy two pages that show how. Or you can comparison price the labor to replace it a various shops. It should be done in 1 hour or less of time as it only involves removing three parts and three bolts.
There is no guarantee this will do the trick but anything else (rebuilding the transmission) is so costly that it makes good sense to replace the pack. Try various auto part stores and the dealer parts counter to see how much the pack costs. The 42 and 43 codes point directly to two of the four solenoids in the pack as the problem, other than wiring or a failed trans control module. But because there are 4 different codes for the pack, and you got 2 of them rather than all 4 it suggests that it is not a trans control module problem or a wiring issue. This pack replacement is the best alternative.
Let me know how it works out. Thanks for the rating/nomination which you can do again.
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi Roland...
Can you send me the instructions for replacing the solenoid pack on my 95 Cirrus? It will be highly appreciated... Thanks again for all your help, I'm getting ready to order the part and just do it myself...
- Vahan
AnswerHi Vahan,
I can copy the instructions and attach them to an email I will send to you directly. Let me know your email address, but don't use the @ symbol, instead use "at" or it will be erased.
I would appreciate your doing a rating and nomination of me (see tab below).
Thanks
Roland
