Is there a way to rig up a gear indicator light?

[John Larkin]

I've been thinking about this. Does the ECM know what gear you're in at all times? I would believe it knows when you are in 4th because that's usually when normal lockup occurs.

However, it would be ultra-convenient to have a gear indicator light array that designated which gear you were in any given moment. My use of this information would be to have a light that particularly indicated 3rd gear so you could hit the lockup switch when racing.

Any thoughts?

 

[MeanBuicks]

The ECM only knows Park/Neutral based on the safety switch and 3rd & 4th gears based on the valve body pressure switches (assuming you've got a BQ/BRF valve body).

For what your doing, that would work since you're primarily interested in third gear apply. The switch is normally closed (providing a path to ground) and it opens when the direct clutch apply oil pressurizes it.

 

[HellOnWheels]

Gear indicator light

Greg,

To take it a step futher....Is there someway it could be wired to show when its in 3rd or 4th?

HellOnWheels

 

[John Larkin]

Ok Greg, I think you've laid the basis that this will work. Now I need someone to please tell me which wires (with color hopefully) connect to the 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches. I would believe they are in the gang plug on the left side of the case.

I figure a pair of different colored bulbs in a small project box with the lockup switch and an indicator for when it is engaged would be a nice compact little project. Or just install it right in the console. I can always get an overlay from BFH later.

 

[MeanBuicks]

The pinout for the four-wire terminal is as follows:

A - 12V Pink/Black
B - 3rd gear switch Light Blue
C - 4th gear switch Dark Green/White
D - Ground Tan/Black

 

[John Larkin]

Perfect Greg, thanks! Now maybe Bruce will chime in. How long does it take for the converter to lockup once the E terminal on the ALDL is grounded? Reason for asking is if I wire this thing to lockup at the moment the 3rd gear switch opens, I don't want too many things happening at once resulting in one big bad thing. I figured it would take maybe a 1/20th of a second to lockup after the switch was thrown maybe? Anyone have a guesstimate?

 

[Lee Thompson]

color

Greg, I thought I saw somewhere that the green wire was 3rd gear. I/ll do so checking in the service manual. I/m trying to drop the boost 2 psi using the 3rd gear signal. I wired into the green wire, maybe that is why I/m having trouble getting it to work right

 

[Scott231]

The entire wiring schematic (for what you need to know) is on gnttype. Apparently you are not aware of the features of a scan tool? This is all very easy to do.

 

[John Larkin]

What scan tool and what features are your referring to Scott? Tell me this easy thing to do.

 

[Lee Thompson]

?

That was somewhat rude

 

[HOTTOGO]

Mean Scott

Originally posted by Scott231
The entire wiring schematic (for what you need to know) is on gnttype. Apparently you are not aware of the features of a scan tool? This is all very easy to do.

Apparently your post is lacking any help,? Do you think you can expound on this for these guy's if it is so easy?

 

[Scott231]

Originally posted by John Larkin
What scan tool and what features are your referring to Scott? Tell me this easy thing to do.

Scan tools such as:

1. The OTC 2000
2. The OTC 4000
3. Turbolink
4. DirectScan
5. The SnapOn Auto Analyzer
6. etc.
   [/list=1] They have indicators that are tied into the 3rd and fourth gear switches.
   
   This is an easy thing to do...assuming you know how to turn on a light bulb. Greg pointed out how the switches work above, I noted that the wiring schematics are on GNTTYPE.ORG, what do you want me to do...write another procedure?

 

[John Larkin]

I don't have those scantools. Maybe I should get one of them. I'll make that decision though when I feel it's necessary. As for "what do you want me to do", I don't want you to write another procedure. It'd be best if you just didn't respond to anymore of my tech questions going forward and I'll refrain from involving myself in any you might have. Your disparaging remarks are unappreciated.

 

[WE4]

Hey Scott?

I think that was a little uncalled for. Mr Larkin asked a legitimat question and may not have "the tools" we are so accustomed to using. In this instance of what he is asking , one is not really even necessary, provided you have the correct information, which is what he was asking for in the first place.

I would NEVER go to gn ttype digest and come off that way in your forum so I would appreciate you not coming into ours and acting this way. I DO appreciate all your help and tech guidence in assisting the people here, and you do a good job most of the time, but why the Harshness? Bad day? That I can understand. We all have them.

But , please do not take it out on your friends.....


WE4
Bruce

 

[Lee Thompson]

Indicator light

Now back to the original ?
I checked the Buick manual. The wiring for the ecm shows
Pin- C7 -- 3rd gear signal -- Green/white
Pin- C8 -- 4th gear signal---Lt. Blue

Someone who is more knowledgeable about this than me, please chime in. Does the wire color code stay the same from trans to ecm? I would assume it is one continous wire but maybe it goes through a connector somewhere and switches over.

 

[HOTTOGO]

Re: Indicator light

Originally posted by Lee Thompson
Now back to the original ?
I checked the Buick manual. The wiring for the ecm shows
Pin- C7 -- 3rd gear signal -- Green/white
Pin- C8 -- 4th gear signal---Lt. Blue

Someone who is more knowledgeable about this than me, please chime in. Does the wire color code stay the same from trans to ecm? I would assume it is one continous wire but maybe it goes through a connector somewhere and switches over.

No expert but I believe Greg may have just mixed up the B & C in his post, I checked a couple of his other post to confirm this.

Originally posted by MeanBuicks
A - 12V Pink/Black
B - 3rd gear switch Light Blue
C - 4th gear switch Dark Green/White
D - Ground Tan/Black

So you'd be correct to say the colos are the same from ECM to tranny. B - 4th blue, C - 3rd lt green.

 

[HOTTOGO]

Originally posted by John Larkin
Perfect Greg, thanks! Now maybe Bruce will chime in. How long does it take for the converter to lockup once the E terminal on the ALDL is grounded? Reason for asking is if I wire this thing to lockup at the moment the 3rd gear switch opens, I don't want too many things happening at once resulting in one big bad thing. I figured it would take maybe a 1/20th of a second to lockup after the switch was thrown maybe? Anyone have a guesstimate?

As for an exact time in #'s I don't know, but I'd say you'd be safe. It's pretty instantanious, but by the time you see the light, react to it, flip the switch, and lock-up occurs, I'm pretty sure 3rd will already be applied. Just my thoughts.

 

[Scott231]

OK, since my alter-ego seems to be pissing off a few of you I will answer all the questions as asked by John.

Originally posted by John Larkin
Does the ECM know what gear you're in at all times?

Actually no. Whereas there are 3rd and 4th gear indicators that are wired to the ECM's inputs, the ECM does not know if you are in Reverse, 1st or 2nd (where that is a given).

I would believe it knows when you are in 4th because that's usually when normal lockup occurs.

Again, I respectfully disagree. Normal lockup occurs in 3rd or 4th gear depending on the parameters in the chip. But suffice it to say, all chips (sans custom burned units) have lockup points in 4th and 3rd gear.

it would be ultra-convenient to have a gear indicator light array that designated which gear you were in any given moment. My use of this information would be to have a light that particularly indicated 3rd gear so you could hit the lockup switch when racing.

To go one further, you could use the 3rd gear indication signal to force the lockup of the TCC. That would eliminate the "human error factor" of hitting the switch at a different moment in time relative to the light coming on.

As Greg mentioned, the 3rd gear signal switch in the trans is closed in 1st and second. As such, this necessitates the use of a relay. To show you I'm really not a bad guy, I will gladly explain this in another post if you (or anyone else is interested) I just don't wanna type it up if there is no interest.

Some people need to relax their spincter and understand that I'M KIDDING! most of the time...thus the tongue-in-cheek moniker: Mean Scott

 

[WE4]

Ahhh tried that..

And every time I relax my sphincter, I end up crapping my pants ROFL!!!!

Damn funny how that happens LOLOLOL

Bruce
WE4

 

[John Larkin]

I'm willing to move forward. Thanks Scott for your detailed answers; this really is all I was looking for.

I totally agree with the necessity of the relay since the 3rd gear switch is normally closed. No way to light up a bulb off an open circuit otherwise that I can think of. I will probably just go with a manual switch since I've been led to believe through a few conversations recently that the stock input shaft would likely go bye-bye if the shift and lockup occur simultaneously. I don't have the disposable funds for a Lonnie or Bruce trans so I'm stuck with what I have for the moment.

As a show of good faith, I will work out a schematic and post a link soon. Should be a fun little project. Time to give back something other than my usual hit-or-miss tech.