edzdallas79

hey guys. let me start by saying patience is appreciated. i like to think i know quite a bit about cars, but tranny's are not my thing. whenever i've had a tranny problem, i just get rid of the car. but with our "fundamentally strong" economy, that's not an option.

i have a 92 lx conv that will not shift gears. it shifts smoothly at the shifter in the cab, and it will go into reverse and drive smoothly, but when driving it it won't shift from 1st into any other gear. even when i try to manually shift from 1 to 2 to D to OD, it just won't shift.

i just got done checking the fluid... did not know it had to be done when the engine is warm so i didn't think it was the fluid. i had checked the fluid before when it was cold and it was between the 2 holes. someone told me to start the car, let it idle for 10-15 then shift the car through all the gears. did that and the dipstick was dry. put almost 2 quarts in until the fluid was showing at the top hole on the dipstick.

did some searching here and think the vaccuum mod and the kickdown cable are worth checking out, but thought i'd ask for opinions. anyone got any? and also, does anyone happen to have pictures of where the kickdown cable and the vaccuum mod are?

ExtrmZ

i would check for a vacuum line.. it seems like one got unhooked, i had the same problem in my 81 f150, it was a vacuum line at the carb, i would check under the passenger side, for a piece coming out of the tranny, pointing to the back of the car, check that first

edzdallas79

i'll check vacuum lines tomorrow. anyone have any idea how many i should be looking for?

my CE light was on so i just pulled codes. don't know if this helps at all or not, but at the very least, it looks like i'm having some EGR issues.

during key on, engine off i got code 332 (insufficient egr flow detected. during key on, engine running i got code 332 again and 411 (cannot control rpm during engine run self test - low rpm check).

what are symptoms of a TPS thats dead?

sleeper_inc

Check the tech articals, I made a write up about how to replace the vacuum modulator. It also shows how to see if it's failed or not.

The EGR and RPM is because you didn't move the throttle when the car was running.

If the car will go into reverse but not drive, make sure the fluid level is at the "Top" of the cross hatching and when the car is running and in park.

If the fluid level is fine, and the vacuum line is on, then Im sorry to say it, but the transmission is looking pretty toast...

edzdallas79

it will go into both reverse and drive. it just won't shift as i'm driving. it never shifts out of 2nd gear even if the RPM gets very high.

sleeper_inc

So it wont shift past 1st?

Check your vacuum modulator and make sure you are getting vacuum to it, also make sure the transmission has the right amount of fluid while in park and running on level ground.

edzdallas79

allright man. so today, i checked the vacuum modulator. pulled the vacuum hose going to it and there was no fluid coming out. went ahead and changed it - that was a pita getting to the bolt - and it still wouldn't shift. checked the fluid level again and brought it back up after losing some while changing the modulator. disconnected the fluid line going into the radiator with the car running to make sure the pump was working, it was. checked the 2 electrical connectors on the drivers side of the car and both were tight. was trying to check the vaccuum lines but all i could find was the one going into the modulator and it was on tight on that end, but couldn't find the other end of it. how many vacuum lines does it have going to it and where are they? any way you can help with this?

as a side note though, while i was checking the 2 electrical connectors, this piece just pulled out of the side of the tranny near where it meets the drive train. i saw that there was a hole for a bolt, but there was no place on the part to bolt it in. took pics. can you help identify this and tell me if it might be the cause of the problem?

btw, i checked with the guy i bought the car from who rebuilt the engine and he said he's pretty sure it's a AODE. is this possible? will it make a difference with the problem i'm dealing with?

edzdallas79

oh yeah, how do you check that you're getting vacuum to the modulator?

sleeper_inc

That "thing" you pulled out of the transmission is the VSS. it sends signals to the computer and speedometer.

To check for vacuum, pull the vacuum line off of it and put a vacuum gauge on it, if you don't have a vacuum gauge, then put it on the end of your finger with the car running and see if it's sucking on your finger.

Also an AOD(E) requires TONS and TONS of custom work to get it to fit, so trust me, it's an A4LD.

Also the 1-2 shift is hydraulic and the 2-3 is as well, only the 3-4 is solenoid and the CCL

ExtrmZ

i am still thinking that there is no vacuum there, maybe the hose is cracked... check to see if you have any vacuum at the modulator first