Ronnie

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would like to replace my shift tape also. And I need to clean the film for the <span style="text-decoration: underline">poopoo</span> indicator.</div></div> You might need to call Roto-Rooter for help on this one. Sorry that I can't be of assistance on taking the block apart.

I can clear all codes from the ECM and after driving a while E027 (second gear switch) and E029 (fourth gear switch) show up as current. I believe it is maybe a bad connection and I have cleaned the connector to the transmission several times. Actually I never had a code E029 until I cleaned the connector. Should I use some type of grease or lubricant in the connector? The transmission seems to shift fine with the exception of a hard upshift (second to third gear) and hard downshift (third to second) sometimes but it is hardly noticeable. It really doesn't effect the driving of the car. Does anyone know if this is a real transmission problem or something that can be ignored? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a E027 (second gear switch) both current and history when checked with the engine running. With the engine not running I only get a E027 history. The transmission still shifts OK although sometimes it shifts harder than normal from second to third. I'm going to have to check in to the problem when time permits. My daughter had a Neon that the OS2 sensor (Niehoff) was replaced twice in less than one year by a garage near where she went to college. I replaced it the third time with a Bosch and it was still going when she sold it three years later. I have had great service from Bosch OS2 sensors. One other thing to check: while changing rear spark plugs the other day, I noticed the OS2 sensor wire can come in contact with the exhaust manifold heat shield if not tied up out of the way. Maybe yours has got burned.

Here is what I observed this afternoon about the operation of the fans. While idling, with it 90 degrees outside and the AC off, the puller (rear) fan will come on at 214 degrees and cool the car back down to 197 degrees and cut off. While idling, with it 90 degrees outside and the AC on, the puller fan runs continuously. When the the engine temp. reaches 214 degrees, the puller fan switches to high speed and the pusher fan comes on at high speed. Both fans run on high speed until the temp. reached 189 degrees. Then the pusher fan turned off and the puller went down to low speed again. This process cycles as long as I'm sitting in the driveway idling. I hope this is the correct way the fans should operate. Now if I just had my ECU programmed to turn on the fans at a lower temp. and to get my torque converter to wait until 55 mph to lock up I would be happy. I have read here that it can be done but I don't know who to get to do it for me. Thanks again for all the help.

I'm going to start a new thread soon on the E027 problem. When I do please jump in. I drove the car for a while and the stopped and let it idle. The outside temp was 84 degrees. Took quite a while but when it reached 214 degrees the puller fan turned on and the temp when down to about 197. I couldn't tell if the fan was running high or low speed. The pusher (front) fan never came on. Should it have came on or does it wait for a higher temperature? I worry that if the front fan does not come on in stopped bumper to bumper traffic that the one fan may not be able to keep up. I will have to keep an eye on the gages when in that situation. Thanks for your input.

Thanks for all the help! I did as you suggested. The AC is working fine and is cold. The only code that I had is a E027 which I don't think would be related to the fans. (Tracing down the E027 problem is one of the next things on my list. Any Ideas?) I cleared all codes, turned on the AC and the front fan came on. I let the car idle for a while but it didn't want to heat up over 196 degrees. Probably a combination of 180 degree thermostat and cool morning. I will try again this afternoon after driving for a while when it gets hot outside. I will post the results here. I believe the problem may be fixed but I'm not sure what fixed it. Thanks again for your help!

Thanks momgeonman, That info was very helpful. Both the fans will run in override. At least I now know the fans and relays are good. The fans still do not run when the AC is on. It would appear the ECU is failing to turn the fans on for some reason. Any ideas on how to troubleshoot that problem?

I don't know how to override the fans using the CRT. Could you please tell me how it is done. That would be a big help.

My cooling fan will not come on. It does not come on when the air conditioner runs or when the temperature gets above 210. I'm trying to trouble shoot the problem myself. The 5 amp fuse in the fuse panel is good. I have swapped the relays in the relay center under the hood and the fans still do not work. The FSM is not too clear on how to trouble shoot the fans. Could someone offer any help on how I should proceed in finding out why the fans do not come on?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 2seater</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yep, that's what I found too. Ryan has been a pleasure to work with. I think I mentioned this before, but I found it useful to remove the TCC lockup from third gear and raise the fourth gear lockup speed to 55 mph. Essentially it is just raising the lockup threshold to above the fourth gear engagement speed plus a little more. It really wakes up the responsiveness if you spend a fair amount of your driving in the 35-50 mph speed range, like suburban traffic. The lack of lockup may hurt mileage ever so slightly, but it doesn't change the highway mileage at all. It doesn't make the car any more powerful, but it does get rid of some annoying operation (IMHO), and makes it more responsive. </div></div> I would like to have my TCC lockup as described above. Does anyone sell a chip that is programmed to operate the TCC as described above? Can anyone here reprogram my chip to do it? Also would be nice to have the cooling fans come on at a lower than stock temp also.

I removed the sheet metal from around the converter and that helped a lot. I hope the bottom of the car won't overheat and cause a problem. Does anyone out there have your heat shield removed from the converter that can tell me if that will be a problem? F14CRAZY, I checked the heat shield around the front manifold and it was indeed loose. I used stainless hose clamps around each end of the manifold to secure it in place. That helped even more but I still have a tinny sounding noise coming from somewhere around the engine that I have not found. Any more Ideas on what to check? I would still like to remove the converter to get a deeper, sports car like sound, if it would not make the car too loud. I just want a deep rumble, not a loud annoying sound. Anyone removed their converter before?

Brings to mind a sign hanging in the garage of a local mechanic that says: "Good work is not cheap & Cheap work is not good." I've been following your posts here to see what the outcome would be. Sorry that you had so much trouble with something that should have been an easy, straight forward repair. I hope your car is fixed correctly this time.

My exhaust system is tight with no exhaust leaks but is seems to rattle and vibrate a lot. Are there any known items that I should check for rattles? The rattle appears to come from inside the catalytic converter but I can't tell for sure. I would like to remove the converter but I'm afraid it may make the exhaust sound too loud. Does anyone know how loud the sound of the exhaust would be with the converter replaced with a straight through "test pipe"? I know it is not legal but we don't have emission testing where I live.

Thanks guys for the information. Sounds like I have plenty of pad left for now. These pads should last a long time. This car will mostly be driven on Sunday afternoons and special occasions. It is not intended to be a daily driver.

I just checked the front brake pads on my 88 Reatta. The pad thickness is about 1/4 inch. How thin can the pads be before they should be changed to prevent damaging the rotors? Should I change mine now at 1/4 inch thickness? Also, at what thickness should the rear pads be changed? I'm going to pull the wheels and check them next. Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for your help. The diagnosis was right on the money. I installed a new accumulator and now pass all the brake tests with flying colors. This forum is great!

Your response seems to be Elementary, my dear Watson. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> It appears you have not carefully read this entire thread. I determined that the photocell needed replacement. But I choose to bypass the photocell (see post above) in order to keep from breaking the grille cover. After that is when I started to investigate the dimming problem. The facts speak for themselves as to whether of not spraying with WD40 works or not. I went from the dashlights and crt not dimming at all when the headlights or parking lights were turned on, to them working perfectly after two sprayings with WD40. I don't see how you can disagree with that at all. As for the photocell being the problem, it was disconnected and replaced by the proper resistor to simulate a dark condition at all times to the BCM before I started troubleshoting the dimming problem. Therefore the photocell could not have been, and is not currently, working erratically. I believe the problem WD40 may correct, is more of a sticking problem in the switch than a dirty contact problem. The switch now feels more crisp when the buttons are pushed and it seems to snap on and off. One thing is for sure, spraying with WD40 (no contact cleaner), as Howard and others have suggested, definitely worked for me. Thanks to everyone for all your help!

Just a reminder to anyone who has not done leakdown testing before. Leadown testing should be done with safety in mind. Applying high pressure to a cylinder a few degrees off TDC can cause the engine to turn unexpectedly when the pressure builds up and overcomes internal friction/resistance of the engine. Injury can come from tools (such as socket and rachet) used to turn the crankshaft or hands caught in belts while trying to turn the engine.

Thanks for all the help. You guys saved me the cost of a new switch. After one cleaning my headlight switch is back to almost 100%. It is still sticking a little. I'm going to give it another cleaning tomorrow if it still sticks after soaking over night. I love this forum!!

Thanks for your advice Howard. I'm going to give it a try tommorrow. I think that will probably fix it. I have found that the crt and the dash lights will dim sometimes when I turn the lights on and off repeatedly. Makes sense that a dirty headlight switch would be the problem. I had the problem with the photocell also. To fix it, I removed the glove box and disconnected the wht/blk wire at BCM connector 3D8. To prevent getting a code B119, I installed a resistor (either 200k or 2 meg, I have forgot) between the BCM connector 3D8 and the BCM ground terminal. It worked great after that when I turned on the fog lights but still would not dim when turning on the park or headlights. So now I'm troubleshooting the light switch. I know it would have been better to replace the photocell but I didn't want to take a chance of breaking my dash pad or the defroster grille. Both of them still look like new.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just sprayed tuner cleaner and lubricant in the cracks - mine has worked fine since. </div></div> Do you mean spray it all around the buttons and sliders without removing the switch panel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That is usually caused by a dirty headlamp switch. </div></div> I have been working on it today and have found that sometimes it will work when pushing the parking light button on the headlamp switch. Can you tell me how to go about removing it and cleaning it. Any help would be appreciated...Thanks!

Which circuit tells the BCM to dim the dash lights and CRT when the lights are turned on? Is it one coming from the headlights? Parking lights or what? My dah lights and crt only dim when the fog lights are on. Thanks!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As simple as adding a single high current diode. You can also use a relay but that would be more complex. </div></div> Where (which wires and their location) would I add the high current diode and where can I get one? Thanks for your help but I need more information in order to do the job. Thanks!

Is there an easy way to do this?