Problem with shifts

[ALBERTAN]

Hey guys,

Picked up my GN last weekend. Runs like a top since I completed the Spring Cleaning list at gnttype.org. It is a fairly low mileage (29K) car driven by an older lady originally. My knowledgeable GM technician friend informed me that the TCC solenoid was baked in it and told me to get it replaced ASAP and just make short trips around town...no long rides on the highway...in the meantime. He also suggested I disconnect the four-pronged connector on the driver's side of the tranny. Anyways...

The car shifted good when I got it. Nice crisp shifts that would just bark the right rear (no posi ) under moderate throttle. Not one to leave anything alone, I thought I would adjust the TV just to be sure. The D button was extremely difficult to push in. In fact I had to use a punch the first couple of times because my poor thumb wouldn't do the job. When I went to pull the cable back towards the firewall it seemed to go alot further than I was suspecting/used to on my SyTys. Since the adjustment its never shifted right. Shifts are much too hard, too late, etc. I have tried to reset it numerous times, but with no luck.

I set the IAC and TPS (which was only 4.08 at WOT) and took it for a ride with a friend's TurboLink out on the highway to try a WOT run for the first time since I got it. I was cruising at 1875 rpm/47 mph and rolled into the throttle (I know these vehicles aren't fond of part-throttle stabs, especially on the highway). The tranny downshifted hard despite the roll in, and rpms on the shift shot up to 3800 in one frame (1.25 seconds) in TurboLink. I also saw 11.5* of knock retard instantly...YIKES!!! Now I should mention that I had forgotten to pull out the TCC solenoid connector at this point also. Not sure if that has any relation but I thought I should mention it. Limped my baby home, reset the TV adjustment one more time and took it for a short ride later last night. Still seems to shift harshly and definitely too late.

So my question is how can I solve this problem? Did I maybe somehow stretch the TV cable? It's so frustrating because enginewise the car is running sooo strong and I want to move along with tuning it, but of course I cannot with it shifting like this. Please help!!! Thanks as always. Sorry for the long post.

PS - I should mention that when I took the car out last night the TCC solenoid connector on the side of the trans was unplugged. Didn't seem to make a lot of difference.

 

[WE4]

I would need to know more but..

Never disconnect tcc unless it is for a short term diagnois .
NEVER disconnect it. Never.

 

[ALBERTAN]

OK, got it Bruce. Live and learn. But can you help me with my problem? Thanks.

 

[WE4]

eek

If the tcc was disconnected for a period of time the only thing that will help is a rebuild. Heat will kill it. We would need to do some more testing tho before we "retired" it to a rebuild.
Mainline, condition of pan, fluid, all would need to be known. It is very hard for me through here to make that decision but I do speak in tendencies we see. Oh and BTW I can always be of help. If it is a 2004r I am in. However, everything comes with a price.

 

[ALBERTAN]

Hey Bruce,

To be honest the car was driven for about 15 minutes with the solenoid disconnected...not hard because I didn't like how it was shifting. I understand your concern about the seriousness of the problem. From my point of view I have a car that shifted great a few days ago (my wife thought it shifted like a bear when I took her out, but I found it the same as the Typhoon). Then I adjusted it and now all Hell has broken loose. Money is not an issue...every car in my signature has been purchased in the past year...and I was planning on discussing beefing the tranny up with you in the next few months anyways. But I am not ready to retire it to a rebuild yet either since it was fine pre-TV cable adjustment, and was only driven once briefly with the solenoid disconnected while trying to sort the shifting through the cable. Anyways, still interested in your opinion on this matter. I keep thinking the poor shifting is a function of the improperly adjusted TV cable. I understand a dead/dying tranny can cause this too. But yeesh it was perfectly fine before the cable was adjusted.

 

[WE4]

Ok now we are getting somewhere.

I would not tend to think it is bad then. Sounds like you played too much Heheheheh Dont we all. Keep clicking it back towards firewall till you get it late to the fact that it is not comfortable. You want to run as much tv as you can and keep the shifts "on time" by running with tcc disconned for 15 minutes shouldnt have hurt it but not a good idea ever. I think you are ok in all aspects but tv adjustment. We set it by pressure but pressure is different in all units. Again, keep playin with tv and Ill bet it comes back. BT

 

[ALBERTAN]

Late to the fact that it's not comfortable? Man I'm there!!! Just cruising out of my subdivision it now refuses to leave first gear. I don't care for TurboLink at all with its one record every 1+ seconds, but as best I can tell it's shifting 1/2 at about 2650 rpm...I wish I would have noted the rpm before I mucked with it. I am not sure what you mean by running as much TV as you can. It seems to me that there is really only one place the TV really wants to settle back to once you mat the pedal and it clicks back into place. I could maybe try to move it in/forwards toward the rad support and it should hold that I suppose. I believe that's the way its supposed to go at any rate at this point. I'll go give that a try...right after I crawl on the creeper and plug the tcc back in. Thanks Bruce. I really appreciate it. I just want to be able to run the car and baseline it stock before moving on.

One final clarification please. I thought there was more or less one place for the TV cable adjustment. Pull it back towards the firewall as far as it will go reasonably without excessive force and then step on the accelerator to have it ratchet back to place. I guess I missed something when I was doing this procedure on the SyTys. Thanks again Bruce. I'll return the favor down the road by patronizing your company don't worry.

 

[ALBERTAN]

Thanks for the tips Bruce. Set it manually and now its fine (other than the solenoid). Not sure why the textbook method of setting the TV throws my car so far out of whack, which was my real concern for which I sought an answer. I guess I'll have to file it away on the List of Don't Ask Whys along with the Caramilk secret.