AT in Fail safe - no newbs allowed!

[Harmony]

My car just went into fail safe mode - the trans yesterday. Ftw, teh ECU enters into fail safe in order to prevent damage. This means that i only have 2nd gear, regardless of which selector the car is in -(D,2,L). Reverse works fine, and park and neutral are still there (like the have any other choice. lol). Overdive light is also nonfunctioning.

Some of you may know about my recent issues with the car idling sporatically, and starting, but immediately shutting off, unless the throttle was manually opened and kept opened for a few secs. While idling at a light, the rpms would sometimes drop to 5_ _ and 4_ _, causing the car to shudder. I've been trying to resolve that problem for the past 3 weeks to a month since it started. I replaced 5 of the spark plug coils on sunday, since they were testing with a resistance of 9ohms, as opposed to 12-14 for a good one. The 6th coil broke while I was cutting/moddifying it to fit under the 00vi. So I had to put back one of the old ones. Suprisingly, the car fired up and stayed on by itself. It even drove better that night for an hour of intense driving. But by the next day, the car was idling off again. This time, the idle was at 698, but the car sounded like it was under 5_ _rpms. I drove like that for 2days.
Last night, it was missing everytime I hit 2nd gear and 3rd. I mean the switchover was longer, and the rpms fell while switching. So I disabled the clutch via the drop resistor. I got home, and worked on the car, looking into the old problem, thinking that the new problem was part of the old and motor related, not the trans.

I tested so many things. All 3 different TPS are working. But there is no voltage(not 12) from the TPS plug. Its not responding at all. I moved it many times, and idle was unaffected. There is no buzzing sound with the throttle open and with the key at ON (car off). There's nothing wrong with the cable. I even cut off the old plug and spliced in a new one. I also checked the plug for the MAP switch, and nothing there too. wtf? Is it possible that I'm testing wrong, and blowing circuits? I connected neg to groud, and put the positive on the pin to test. Now I have the following codes:

Code 54: A/T Comm Line
Code 84: A/T Diag Comm Line
Code 132: Map/Baro switch

So what now? I was thinking the trans might be blown this morning, but now I'm thinking that the ECU may be damaged. Or the trans ECU. I'm baffled. I unplugged the connections to the trans at the trans, hoping to at least get manual trans mode(L,2 from my days with the mx6), but nothing. I'll be swapping in trans computers later tonight, if I still have a spare. But I dont have a spare ECU.

Suggestions???

[DONS99MAXIMA]

I had a similiar problem on my 99. my transmission cooler fan (the one on the drivers side) stop working and i never fixed it. then like 5 months later i had a stalling problem when the car was cold i wouldnt be able to drive until she warmed for like 20 minutes .and then finally i only had 1st and 2nd gear. my problem finally came down to it being a bad torque converter so i bought a tranny for like 250 off craigslist and had mah man tj throw it in. i have had this tranny for like 10 months already and not 1 tranny or driving problem since(knock on wood).

[C MAX]

definitley sounds like a communication problem, possibly the ecu or the shifter itself could be malfunctioning. i have a ecu floating around somewhere, but first i would check all the connections to make sure they are snug and also the one connected to the shifter under the shifter console. also it could be your convertor acting up, but lets hope its something less expensive.

[shift_twinz]

can u swap torque converters from one tranny to the other...im new to this tranny stuff so excuse my ignorance...my twin is currently having tranny issues with his 99max

[shift_twinz]

harmony holla at my bro see if he can lend u his spare ecu

[C MAX]

Originally Posted by shift_twinz

can u swap torque converters from one tranny to the other...im new to this tranny stuff so excuse my ignorance...my twin is currently having tranny issues with his 99max

yes they can swap out, thats the easy part.

[vipervadim]

sounds like it could very well be a Torque Converter or a signal communication problem..

ANDY check all the GROUNDS first.. I had a bad ground and my trans used to shift hard/not at all until i regrounded everything.

I had the O/D light indicator blink a few times when the tranny wasn't getting proper ground.. i was almost sure the tranny was gone... it felt like it.. then the new grounds fixed EVERYTHING

check the auto shifter, there should be two connectors at the base of the shifter piece...

check to make sure the A/T communication line (Solid red wire pin #6) on ECU is getting the voltage signal from the Transmission Control module (TCM pin #45)

MAP/BARO is a BullSheeet code btw.. just make sure there is vacuum going to the solenoid and there is NO hose leak/kink/break from the MAP/BARO solenoid (Brown colored) to the Absolute Manifold Pressure sensor

hope that helps

[mac_brickcityVQ]

Originally Posted by vipervadim

sounds like it could very well be a Torque Converter or a signal communication problem..

ANDY check all the GROUNDS first.. I had a bad ground and my trans used to shift hard/not at all until i regrounded everything.

I had the O/D light indicator blink a few times when the tranny wasn't getting proper ground.. i was almost sure the tranny was gone... it felt like it.. then the new grounds fixed EVERYTHING

check the auto shifter, there should be two connectors at the base of the shifter piece...

check to make sure the A/T communication line (Solid red wire pin #6) on ECU is getting the voltage signal from the Transmission Control module (TCM pin #45)

MAP/BARO is a BullSheeet code btw.. just make sure there is vacuum going to the solenoid and there is NO hose leak/kink/break from the MAP/BARO solenoid (Brown colored) to the Absolute Manifold Pressure sensor

hope that helps

that seems to be the problem ive been having for months now but i always thought that my tranny was about to go lol. im gonna check this tomorrow.

[qnzMax]

Andy, any update about the TCM?

[Harmony]

Hey, thanks everyone for responding. I havent logged in here since posting this thread.

I got home thursday night went straight to work on diagnosing the problem. I swapped PCM(tranny ecu), and still had no OD, which would indicate that the tranny was functioning. At that point, I was exhausted, having checked everything I could think of. I remembered that I saw a 7.5 fuse in the tranny diagram in the fsm earlier in the day. So I started searching for such a fuse, and I'm happy to report that I found it. Sweet mother of god. The 7.5amp fuse in the main fuse box was blown. Its entitled A/T something.

That was a near miss. I mean I was thinking that it had to be an electrical problem. So naturally the PCM and ECU could have been the culprit.
Anyway, I spent friday and saturday working. I took apart half the motor - redid 2 of my manifold nipples, valve cover, tested coils, soaked injectors in inkector cleaner for 20mins each(should have been longer, but I didnt think I would spend long working on the car), replaced both exhaust manifolds (hard as shit for the rear. took apart so many things to get to it) and y pipe. I had a problem removing any exhaust part, because the engine was cold, and so all the nuts were three times harder to remove. The 02s which I put in there just a month ago couldn't be removed. The fucken things are stripped. And so I am currently running without 02s.

Rewired a bunch of stuff within the cabin for a very clean look with hidden switches. haha.

Drove the car last night, and opened her up a bit. She feels great. Sounds beastly as it once did. Smells though, which is probably the WD40 burning up in the exhaust. Hesitation problems are gone, and its not attempting to stall anymore. Idle holds, but startup is still an issue. The idle doesn't fall below 601, but it also goes up to 850 sometimes. My whole misfire/stalling issue might be spark plug related. I wanted to change my Iridium IX plugs, but didnt have time. I'll be changing them this week. I'm currently getting 4 codes. 91,101,37,38. I haven't looked them up yet, but willing to bet that they are 02 related.

I'm flyucken exhausted, and I caught a cold, because the switch for the heater in my garage broke. Fixed it yesterday. I have to tell you, working in a 70degree garage when its 25 outside is pretty cool. So in all, a very productive weekend.

Vadim, re: the map/baro switch, its nt a BS code. That switch actually needs to function, otherwise you wont feel the VIAS kick in. My absolute pressure sensor failed because of a faulty map switch. The code probably went off because I unplugged the switch with the ignition on. But its gone now. I need to redline in 1st gear later on to be able to truly feel if the VIAS kicks in. Thanks everyone.

[qnzMax]

Glad you got it figured out Andy! Can't believe it was a frekkin fuse though LOL. Just out of curiosity, how long did it take to change the exhaust manifold gaskets?

[Harmony]

Originally Posted by qnzMax

Glad you got it figured out Andy! Can't believe it was a frekkin fuse though LOL. Just out of curiosity, how long did it take to change the exhaust manifold gaskets?

You need to be in a garage(heated. lol). Forget about doing it outside. Let me put it this way: if someone wanted to charge you $600 to do it, the price would be justified. Maybe a mechanic shop could charge less because they have a lift. Ask Ilyak how long it took him; and he has a lift. I worked on the fyucken floor. My old jack broke, and the current jack I use is standard height, but is a good 4in lower than the broken one.

It helps a lot if you have an assortment of sockets, which I do. In addition to your tool set, you need a breaker bar, a 2-3ton jack that extends higher than conventional 2ton jacks jacks(my broken one was from Strauss, and it was blue), different length extension bars, a 2in block of wood to aid in removing the crossmember (engine has to be rocked forward), a 15/8 wrench for the egr tube, an adjustable ratchet and a long and short 17mm and 14mm sockets. The front headers can be done in about 1hour, but be prepared to spend hours on the rear. It took me all night and half the day. The intake manifold and rear valve cover have to come off. The support brace(crossmember) underneath the car had to come off, and few other stupid things. Believe it or not, its 2 bolts left on the rear manifold that took all night and half the day(center and the one closer to the driver).

I could probably do it all in 3-4-5 hours now, since I know that there are no short cuts, and would get things like the breaker bar before even starting. But it is still pretty hard. If I get another max, I dont know if I would replace the headers. I nearly gave up every hour. It was that difficult. And I'm pretty seasoned and patient but this stuff drove me nuts. My back is bruised from sliding out from under the car maybe 50times, abs hurt like I've been working out, body aches, one lens is scratched from a wrench and socket falling on my face. and I have a bump on my forehead from hitting the motor, and maybe on the back of my head from hitting the floor right after. I thought I was hit with a bat and my head was open.

[shift_twinz]

wow....u put in sum serious time and work...well me and my twin did our first tranny drop and swap ...OUTSIDE...this morning in the snow and yesterday in the freezing cold...tiring and crayz for the first time....but it was a learning experience so we toughed it out...

[Harmony]

Originally Posted by shift_twinz

wow....u put in sum serious time and work...well me and my twin did our first tranny drop and swap ...OUTSIDE...this morning in the snow and yesterday in the freezing cold...tiring and crayz for the first time....but it was a learning experience so we toughed it out...

yeah, I spoke to him a few hours ago. I didnt realize you helped him. You guys are nuts. Reminds me of me. I did my first tranny swap in similar weather conditions back in 04. painful memories!

[qnzMax]

Originally Posted by Harmony

You need to be in a garage(heated. lol). Forget about doing it outside. Let me put it this way: if someone wanted to charge you $600 to do it, the price would be justified. Maybe a mechanic shop could charge less because they have a lift. Ask Ilyak how long it took him; and he has a lift. I worked on the fyucken floor. My old jack broke, and the current jack I use is standard height, but is a good 4in lower than the broken one.

It helps a lot if you have an assortment of sockets, which I do. In addition to your tool set, you need a breaker bar, a 2-3ton jack that extends higher than conventional 2ton jacks jacks(my broken one was from Strauss, and it was blue), different length extension bars, a 2in block of wood to aid in removing the crossmember (engine has to be rocked forward), a 15/8 wrench for the egr tube, an adjustable ratchet and a long and short 17mm and 14mm sockets. The front headers can be done in about 1hour, but be prepared to spend hours on the rear. It took me all night and half the day. The intake manifold and rear valve cover have to come off. The support brace(crossmember) underneath the car had to come off, and few other stupid things. Believe it or not, its 2 bolts left on the rear manifold that took all night and half the day(center and the one closer to the driver).

I could probably do it all in 3-4-5 hours now, since I know that there are no short cuts, and would get things like the breaker bar before even starting. But it is still pretty hard. If I get another max, I dont know if I would replace the headers. I nearly gave up every hour. It was that difficult. And I'm pretty seasoned and patient but this stuff drove me nuts. My back is bruised from sliding out from under the car maybe 50times, abs hurt like I've been working out, body aches, one lens is scratched from a wrench and socket falling on my face. and I have a bump on my forehead from hitting the motor, and maybe on the back of my head from hitting the floor right after. I thought I was hit with a bat and my head was open.

Damn man, you're nuts! lol. Well I would probably do the front myself if the garage was completely empty, but the garbage men didn't take the rest of the crap I put out on Thursday night. So I have to wait another week for them to take it. Then the car should be able to fit in the garage. We'll see if I feel like doing it or not lol.