Jump to content

No 3rd and 4th gear..


Guest spongebob

Recommended Posts

Guest spongebob

I need to either get this reatta running or donate it away, id rather get it going..

I had this problem before and the mechanic fixed it saying he found a short in the

wiring harness, he taped up the bare wire and told me it could happen again..he was correct,

but I can't find the wires that are chaffing..

Has anyone else gone through this??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I need to either get this reatta running or donate it away, id rather get it going..

I had this problem before and the mechanic fixed it saying he found a short in the

wiring harness, he taped up the bare wire and told me it could happen again..he was correct,

but I can't find the wires that are chaffing..

Has anyone else gone through this??

On a '90 model Reatta, I don't know of any wires that would prevent the transmission form shifting into 3rd or 4th gear. Shifting is controlled hydraulically on '88-'90 models. The ECM only controls the torque converter lockup on those models. The '91 model Reatta transmissions were the only ones that were electronically controlled by a PCM.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spongebob

there are relays inside the transmission, my service manual points to them, BUT the mechanic that got it going

when it did this before found a problem in the wiring..Im going to my hangar this morning and see what I can find.

I found a post last night where a guy pulled the wiring harness out , had it rewired and it fixed his problem.

What happens in my car is it will shift out of 1st into 2nd, then when it should shift into 3rd it goes into

what seems like neutral..manual shifting is the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is easy to see why one would think the gear "switches" play a part in the '90 transmission shifting when you look at 8D1-41. However, when you back up to 8D1-40 and carefully read the "Circuit Description" (shown in the photo below) it is clear that the switches inside the transmission only tell the ECM which gear the transmission is in after the transmission has shifted.

I have highlighted the two key sentences in the description. The first tells us that the transmission clutches are engaged hydraulically. The second tells us the purpose of the switches is to tell the ECM which gear the transmission is in when the switch closes. The ECM uses that information to control fuel delivery and to know when the torque converter should lock.

On a '88-'90 transmission that is working properly you can unplug the electrical connector that has the wires going to the switches, located above the modulator, and the transmission will still shift normally.

It might be possible that the wire going to the torque converter solenoid inside the transmission is shorted or something. That might cause the transmission not to shift. I have never heard of that happening but it might be possible. I would unplug the electrical connector and drive the car to see if it makes a difference.

I hope this helps.

post-52331-143142893679_thumb.jpg

click for larger image

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spongebob

I unplugged the connector right above the "modulator" and it still won't go into a 3rd gear.

The vacuum line is Ok going into the modulator as well.

Iam getting a check engine light but don't have the means right now to pull a code.

Stay with me Ronnie, you're my only hope.

on a side note, the electrical plug that i disconnected, i could pull the whole plug out of the transmission

almost a inch..and when i pulled the vacuum line off the modulator the modulator could "twist" in its mounting…

Edited by spongebob (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unplugging the connector on the transmission will cause the check engine light to come on. Removing the battery cable for a couple of minutes should clear any codes related to that. If that is all the codes you have the light should stay off.

My electrical connector on the transmission has lots of slop in it too. Not an inch but quite a bit.

I wish I had more to offer but there isn't much that can be done externally to the Reatta transmissions when it won't shift. Making sure the TV cable and the shifter cable are working properly and making sure the fluid level is correct is about it without going into the transmission.

The valve body (under the side pan - hard to remove) is what actually controls the shifting. The governor has an effect on shifting but it usually will keep the transmission from shifting at all. Since yours is shifting from first to second I doubt the governor is it. I don't know how hard it would be to check it.

The modulator shouldn't turn if the bolt holding it in is tight. The fork shaped bracket that holds it in could be installed backwards preventing it from clamping the modulator in tightly. I don't think that would keep it from shifting but I would do what is needed to tighten the modulator down. Who knows...

Daves89 is going through a similar situation as yours right now. When he finds out his problem he might be able to offer you some help with your problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only elecric "control" in the 88-90 trans is the TCC and if you run over 52 for a while and it does not lock it will set a code. Otherwise you just have switches for the gear selection and a VSS sensor for speed but no controls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The service manual seems to say the speed sensor could prevent shifting from second to third gear. (see photos) I don't see how it could but I usually don't argue with the service manual. It would certainly be worth looking into. I have always heard that nothing about the gears shifting in these transmissions was electrically controlled but that could be wrong.

post-52331-143142894427_thumb.jpg

click to enlarge photos

post-52331-143142894429_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im getting a 031 code, but I don't understand the instructions as to diagnose it..

yes speedometer works.

can you hook me up with Dave89?

My car is at the transmission shop and my mechanic friend has my repair manual. I have nothing to offer. Ronnie is as sharp as they come and will do much better then I could ever do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mc_Reatta

E031 is the park/neutral switch. Another good place to look for those wire repairs. Would tell ECM if you're in park, neutral, reverse etc. Not sure why that would prevent an upshift into 3rd though either.

Dave, what's up? Thought you were just just getting a tranny R&R.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a long shot but any chance your shifter is maladjusted and is really in 2nd instead of D. Be kinda hard to be that far out but I would be surprised if electrical, a jammed servo is more likely. Has the trans been flushed and refilled ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spongebob

padgett, my shifter is as loose as any Ive ever had. But it will try to up shift out of 2nd gear and go into what seems like neutral..

The trans fluid is topped off and its clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a long shot but any chance your shifter is maladjusted and is really in 2nd instead of D. Be kinda hard to be that far out but I would be surprised if electrical, a jammed servo is more likely. Has the trans been flushed and refilled ?
I will be very surprised if it is electrical too. It could possibly be the governor on the shaft that drives the speed sensor but when it was confirmed that the speedometer is working it dropped the odds of that being the problem.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spongebob

the only clue i have is the 031c code..it says something about the park/neutral switch.

do you think that could get me a neutral going into 3rd?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have access to the logic conditions of setting that code so this is only a guess. If the trans had a failure that won't shift into 3rd and that failure dropped the pressures in that circuit so low it could not engage 3rd, that condition might conceivably activate the park/neutral switch. That would be in conflict with the speed sensor data showing road speed. Would that set a code?

Just a lot of speculating. Can someone find the logic and conditions for that code to set?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Home | Get Help at BAT Auto | Get an ALLDATAdiy Repair Info Subscription

GM 88-90 3.8L VIN C Trouble Code Info

GM

88-90 3.8L VIN C

13 Oxygen sensor voltage stays between 0.35 and 0.55 volts for 30 seconds when the TPS signal was above 0.55 volts. The engine had been running for at least 40 seconds at normal engine temperature.

14 Coolant temperature sensor signal indicates a temperature of over 282° F for 0.4 seconds after the engine had been running for at least 10 seconds.

15 Coolant temperature sensor signal indicates a temperature colder than -40° F for at least 2 seconds.

16 Charging system voltage was above 16 volts.

21 TPS voltage was above 2.5 volts for 5 seconds when engine was running and air flow was less than 15 gm/sec.

22 TPS voltage was under 0.2 volts for 4 seconds when the engine was running.

23 Manifold air temperature sensor signal showed an air temperature of 40° F for 4 seconds.

24 Vehicle speed sensor signal showed less than 3 MPH for 40 seconds when vehicle was in 4th gear.

25 Manifold air temperature sensor signal showed an air temperature over 283° F for 16 seconds when vehicle speed was greater than 35 MPH.

26 Quad-Driver sense voltage shows a low voltage when battery voltage should be present, or if the sense voltage shows battery voltage when a low voltage should be present for at least 5 seconds when the engine was running.

27 2nd gear switch was closed or grounded when vehicle was in 4th gear, or 2nd or 4th gear switch was open when engine was first started.

28 3rd gear switch was closed or grounded when vehicle was in 4th gear, or 3rd or 4th gear switch was open when engine was first started.

29 4th gear switch was closed or grounded when vehicle was in 4th gear, or 4th gear switch was open when engine was first started.

31 Park/Neutral switch was grounded when vehicle was in gear, or Park/Neutral switch was open when vehicle was first started, or the 4th gear switch has an intermittent open.

34 There was no MAF signal for over 4 seconds while engine was running.

38 Vehicle speed went from above 35 MPH to 0 several times without a brake input signal.

41 Cam sensor signal was not received by PCM for the last 2 seconds while engine was running.

42 The EST signal did not change when the ECM applied bypass voltage to the ignition module.

43 Knock sensor signal was either above 3.5 volts or below 1.5 volts for at least 5 seconds.

44 Oxygen sensor voltage was under 0.2 volts for up to 4 1/2 minutes of closed loop operation.

45 Oxygen sensor voltage was over 0.7 volts for 30 seconds in closed loop operation with a throttle angle between 0.54 and 2.08 volts after engine had been running for 1 minute.

46 Power steering switch was closed for 25 seconds or more when vehicle speed was above 40 MPH.

47 Momentary loss of power to Body Computer Module (BCM).

51 MEM-CAL error.

58 Security system pass key signal was out of range when the ignition was turned to On or Start position.

63 Incorrect EGR operation.

64 Incorrect EGR operation.

65 Incorrect EGR operation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As mentioned earlier, the park/neutral switch is a monitoring device, not a control switch. The trans shifts hydraulicly, not electrically except for the TCC.

If you did not reconnect the trans electrical connector and then clear the codes, then code 31 would still show up and was likely generated while it was unplugged.

EDIT: I do not know for fact how this trans shifts, only going on what others more knowledgeable have posted.

Edited by TexasJohn55 (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest PontiacDude210

My dad and I worked on a Chrysler that hung in second due to a vehicle speed sensor. Forgot all about that til now.

It does not sound like you're hung up in second though, it sounds like you leave second and never hit third just from your "feels like it goes into neutral " description. That sounds to me like an internal component failure. Then again, I'm not a professional.

I'll mention again, I had one of my coupes feel like it popped into neutral out of first on harder acceleration. For me, it was a lack of fluid. Could be a plugged trans filter by that logic. Again just rambling. Not much this info Will help without a transmission professional.

Depending on where you are, there's been a rebuilt trans hanging around CL here for roughly an eternity... Good luck. I am assuming the original mechanic is not around to ask about the mysterious wire?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spongebob

There is a transmission guy in town, he works on a dirt lot. Ill look for for the park/neutral switch, cause thats the code Im getting.

thanks everyone…..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...Ill look for for the park/neutral switch, cause thats the code Im getting.

thanks everyone…..

I think the code 31 could be telling you that the position of the shifter on the console is out of sync with the position of the shifter shaft that goes into the transmission. I think the P/N switch is actuated by that shaft. After all, didn't you say your shifter was kind of vague feeling when you select a gear? I don't believe the switch itself will keep the transmission from shifting but the shaft that moves it could.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the shifter feels sloppy and not locking into place I would look at where the cable connects to the neutral safety switch. It may have become out of sync, if that is the case they both should be replaced. The safety switch has an adjustment you use a 3/32 drill bit in the side of the sw. Do the adjustment with the cable disconnected and the trans in nutral, all this is on page 7A-5 of the manual. Beyond this I would say internal problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest spongebob

Ill try that adjustment tomorrow…

I looked for the "park/neutral switch" and couldn't find it. but then this is what I'm

looking for:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neutral-Safety-Switch-Park-Neutral-Position-Switch-ACDelco-GM-Original-Equipment-/220964446098?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1990%7CModel%3AReatta&hash=item337281df92&vxp=mtr

yes my shifter is way loose on the inside of the car/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...