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ARGH!! 4th Gear is gone again. New Symptoms (sp?)


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Just swapped transmissions in my 95 Lumina to a trans I was told was good, and just got it aligned and everything. First gear slips pretty bad, which doesn't surprise me, but I can deal with that, but the trans doesn't shift into 4th at all, I've tried shifting it into 3rd and back into OD and it does nothing. I know these are electronically shifted so I'm curious why it won't shift. I need some help quick, cuz I'm supposed to drive this car 150 miles tomorrow. Anyway ideas to make it shift itself, or force it to shift into OD so it doesn't rev at 3K driving 60.

 

also, is there anything I can do, to make it slip less in first?

 

thanks for the help in advance, this whole thing pisses me off to no end, after all the work I put into swapping the transmission on this car and then not having it work.

Mitch

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I think its an electrical problem. Check out this thread:

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,55069.msg676343.html#msg676343

 

Yours doesn't sound exactly the same, but unless you were sold a bad transmission (I doubt it) check the wiring.

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,50369.0.html

 

Unfortunately, the diagram doesn't show up but Brian's posts might help too

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on the rear of the transmission there should be a metal plate. locate it and read the codes on it. when I read the ones on my cars, I read them from the passenger side wheel well and use a mirror an flashlight.

 

 

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I think its an electrical problem. Check out this thread:

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,55069.msg676343.html#msg676343

 

Yours doesn't sound exactly the same, but unless you were sold a bad transmission (I doubt it) check the wiring.

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php/topic,50369.0.html

 

Unfortunately, the diagram doesn't show up but Brian's posts might help too

 

I think that its some sort of electrical problem too, I tried swapping the electrical switch that sits on top of the trans by the shift linkage, but to no avail. It acts like you shifted it in 3rd and doesn't even attempt to shift into OD. Is there any way I could check by jumping wires or something to make it shift to 4th?

 

on the rear of the transmission there should be a metal plate. locate it and read the codes on it. when I read the ones on my cars, I read them from the passenger side wheel well and use a mirror an flashlight.

 

I ended up leaving the car in Little Falls and coming back to Brainerd for the night, but I'll see if I can get those codes. FWIW The Transmissions appeared to be exactly the same, but I can check the codes on the old one against the new one. The new one was bolted to an identical 3100.

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That sucks it already snowed, but I can't think of another way besides reading that plate on the trans unfortunately. I assume you got this out of a yard? Find out the exact year from them.

 

I've never worked on a car with a PCM (idk where it even is), but look through the wire loom too. There may be some broken wires in there. My experience is that the wires become exposed right where the wire meets the plug (happened to a couple sensors on my Supreme)

 

Do "E" transmissions have TV cables? Maybe that needs to be adjusted.

 

Broken vacuum tube going to the modulator? Do "E" transmissions have those? My car shifted like DEATH when it was broken.

 

Sorry if these seem stupid, I'm just popping out some ideas

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I just talked to the guy I got it from, he said it was out of a 95 Grand Prix with the 3100. The car shifts fine from 1-2, 2-3, but it never shifts to 4th. I'm going to get the car tonight, I'll be able to check the plate on the trans.

 

I've done some reading and its starting to sound like the shift solenoid, how can I check that? Does someone have electrical diagrams for this car?

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Alright, I've confirmed it to be an electrical problem, I pulled the electrical connector out of the front of the trans and nothing changed. I've done some more reading at 60degreev6 and believe that my problem is that the trans is in failsafe mode, giving me only 2 and 3rd gear. The original trans is a 6AFW, and I'll be checking the new trans this afternoon. If someone knows the difference in wiring between different versions of the 4T60-e please let me know.

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Fixed! Started off by checking to see if I had power at the plug, come to find out I had a blown fuse :redface:

 

LOL. that kinda stuff usually happens when you do something hard like swap transmission

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Fixed! Started off by checking to see if I had power at the plug, come to find out I had a blown fuse :redface:

 

LOL. that kinda stuff usually happens when you do something hard like swap transmission

I should know enough to check that kinda stuff first

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Update:

 

Okay, car drove fine for like a week. Drove it around town, shifted fine, drove it to Little falls (30 Miles, 65-70MPH) everything checked out, I thought I was good to go. Changed the oil in Little falls, and went to drive it back to Brainerd and stayed in 3rd gear all the way there.

 

Now I have all 3 forward gears and reverse, and it will lock-up the torque converter in 3rd but won't shif into 4th, Checked the fuse, its good, checked the fluid, was a little low like a pint, trans leaks a little but I really doubt thats causing this.

 

This is my last resort before I take it to the trans guy and have him look at it.

 

 

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I'm gonna guess chaffed wire or something? But at this point it may be worth going to a trans shop. On the bright side, you saved yourself all the labor costs of replacing your old transmission

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4t60e_wiring.gif

thats the wiring diagram, mine is the one in the lower right hand corner, it get the 1-2 shift, and the 2-3 shift, and the TCC solenoid must be for torque converter lockup correct? Then whats TCC/PWM soleniod do? Maybe thats whats bad?

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  • 4 weeks later...

i ended up taking it to a trans shop, and he changed the shifter position switch on top to start with, but still said that fourth gear was toast. so i guess its a 1-2-3 car now.

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You still should have TCC lockup in 3rd I would think, anyone want to confirm or deny that?

i do have tcc lockup in 3rd now that he changed the switch on top of the trans, thankfully, that makes it rev at 3K doing 65 instead of 3400RPM, boy even at 3K that motor whines

 

at least you're not going crazy. and you installed the transmission right :wink:

yeah just sucks that the trans i installed doesn't have 4th

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