QuestionQUESTION: Hi Roland. Don't go anywhere, your the only expert here..lol. Anyway a quick question. You ask to check the fuses. Are they the black ones? You gave me their location, but without a owners manual, I don't know where they are. I will have a lot more for you later today. I'll be taking more code readings and hopefully get it started to get those readings. Thanks a bunch.
Dan
ANSWER: Hi Dan,
I have the '95 and '98 manual, but not a '97; I assume that your van has a rectangular long power box just behind the radiator. In that box, the 15th fuse counting from the front would be the 20 amp fuse that powers the trans relay. In the under dash box, that is also rectangular, long in the vertical direction, the fuses are in a row across the bottom of the box. I am not sure of the numbers exactly so just look at all those fuses to be sure than none are blown. If what I have described is not what you see, let me know.
I hope that you will look at the range sensor plug wires and verify that they are connected properly as if those are in any way improper the trans controller will not know what to do when you put it in gear, and thus that may explain why the trans won't power the wheels.
Roland
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QUESTION: HI Roland,
I put the code reader on with the key to on, but not running. I got the same codes. I checked the fuses except the black boxes and found a 10am under the dash blown. It was for the BU lamp. Changes and checked again. This time I got No Codes, No Link, No Codes, No Codes, No Codes. I erased and switched the key off and on each time. I started the engine and and got No Codes. I put it through all the gears and no motion. I ran the engine up and the check engine light came on. Checked the Code and got P0403. I believe that was an emission problem.
So your probably will tell me it's either the Torque Converter not seated or it's a bad Transmission. I have the wires and the colors if you need them from the speed sensor. Let me know if I can do anything else.
Thanks
Dan
ANSWER: Hi Dan,
The fact that the back-up lamp fuse is also blown makes me think that there may be something wrong with the wiring to the 10-pin range sensor plug on the transmission. Here is the wire coloring: pin 1 white back up lamp 12v feed comes from fuse 12 (which blew) to b/u switch
2 not used
3 dark blue/black speed sensor ground goes to pin 13 of TCM
4 violet/light green temperature sensor 54
5 black/white range sensor switch C1 41
6 violet/black back up lamp feed from trans switch goes to b/u lamps (shorted?)
7 light green/black range sensor switch C4 1 of TCM
8 violet range sensor switch C3 3
9 violet/white range sensor switch C2 9
10 brown/yellow neutral safety switch 76 of PCM
I would suggest that you check all the wire colors and then check the continuity from each pin of the plug to each pin of the TCM (or PCM) to verify that they are actually connected.
I believe you told me that this is the plug that wasn't right and had to be modified, correct?
Roland
PPS feel free to do another 'nomination' if you wish.
PS While you have the TCM plug disconnected, reconnect the range sensor plug and then verify that you show a short to ground on TCM plug pin 41 when P or N is selected, otherwise 'open' to ground,
and similarly: for pin 42 when PRNL, pin 3 when P3L, and pin 1 when NOL settings of the gear shift selector are chosen and otherwise 'open'. Those are the patterns that have to be correct for the tcm to operate the solenoids properly and engage the internal parts of the trans.
If that is proven, then it either has to be the converter or the solenoid pack or something internal to the transmission.
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QUESTION: HI Roland.
My Son told Me and I looked for myself. There are 3 wires off the plug side that didn't match the wiring harness. He spliced them in this order.
Black/white - Yellow/Black
Brown/white - Brown/white
White - Red/Black
The first is coming off the plug. The corresponding is coming off the harness.
Could it be there wrong? I know He couldn't get the engine to start until he switched out one of those wires. Could it be the Sensor itself?
Are you telling me it's not the Transmission or the Torque Converter at this time? I plan on running up there later today to check those wiring order you gave me. But if it's the Sensor, That's going to be a bear to get out.
Thanks
Dan
AnswerHi Dan,
Black/white and BROWN/yellow are for the same purpose (they are actually spliced together inside the trans at the sensor) but if they are on pin 9 and 10 there wouldn't be a problem so long as you have one or the other color on those two pins. So verify that what he called Black/yellow is actually Brown/yellow. The former goes to the TCM the latter goes to the PCM and its purpose is tell both whether or not you are in either P of N as the basis of the safety interlock for the starter motor.
I don't under stand why 'brown/white-brown white' is a problem except I don't see that color as being on any of the pins in the '98 diagrams I am reading from. Could they be violet/white?
White and red/black are the wires that bring and send power to the back-up lamps when you put the trans in reverse, so if those are not on the correct pins that may explain why the back up lamp fuse is blowing. Check to see if you have alternate colors switched on another pin because they should not be mated that way which would by-pass the internal switch and maybe even cause a short to ground which is why the fuse blows.
So you do have some wire issues at the plug.
The 'sensor itself' may be the problem but it is really multi-switch module (5 such switches) and the only way to tell would be to do the open/ground checks that I described in my last response AFTER you are sure of the wiring.
I won't have any idea if its the torque converter/transmission/solenoid pack until we are sure that the range sensor wiring is as it should be via the tests I listed.
Roland
PS Please rate my answer.
