Need a little wiring help - LED for TC lock-up switch

[mwilson]

Ah, OK.



See, I don't even know what "series" and "parallel" is. If I could only find that book... ... .....















Thanks!

Crude drawing of series vs. parallel, all of my fancy programs are at work.

Mike.

 

[Bill Stockard]

This is fine for me driving but the wife drove it right after I put the floor switch in and accidently pushed the switch. When she had to stop for the car in front of her turning left the engine died and continued to die everytime she took off. She refuses to drive it anymore unless she can tell when it's locked.

That's why on my '97 I used a double pole double throw switch on the dash with the three positions labeled as "Lock", "Unlock" and "Auto" and a small red pilot light showing when the switch was in the up and "Lock" position.

Bill

 

[BigPapa]

Your first diagram looks like it should work if a constant ground is sensed through the TC switch... at least in theory. Is that a hard ground in your circuit?

Yes, it works. Yes, it is a hard ground.

That's why on my '97 I used a double pole double throw switch on the dash with the three positions labeled as "Lock", "Unlock" and "Auto" and a small red pilot light showing when the switch was in the up and "Lock" position.



Bill

That's the goal here. Once I can afford a new APPS I will add the "Auto" option also. I tried a dash switch initially but it was too much trouble to get it off in a "panic" situation since it requires a hand to flip it. The floor switch works great since your left foot's not doing anything anyway. My plan is to add a switch on the dash to switch between "Auto" and "Manual" and continue to use the foot switch for the "Manual".



How's your "small red pilot light" wired Bill?

 

[mwilson]

Yes, it works. Yes, it is a hard ground.







That's the goal here. Once I can afford a new APPS I will add the "Auto" option also. I tried a dash switch initially but it was too much trouble to get it off in a "panic" situation since it requires a hand to flip it. The floor switch works great since your left foot's not doing anything anyway. My plan is to add a switch on the dash to switch between "Auto" and "Manual" and continue to use the foot switch for the "Manual".



How's your "small red pilot light" wired Bill?

OK, here is my solution if you want to alert the bride to the operating status of the transmission convertor lock / unlock. I think it is a stroke of genius but hey, that's just my opinion.



If you use my freshly made drawing and add a second LED (I call it a green LED in the drawing) to indicate regular (no stalling at the traffic light mode) operation you will have the following actions. .



Green light means that transmission is in factory mode.

Red light means that manual lock is engaged.

It all works on the dimmer switch that you already have, all you have to do is go get a relay kit and wire it as shown below.....

You won't have to add another switch this way. .



Mike.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Ah, OK.

See, I don't even know what "series" and "parallel" is. If I could only find that book... ... .....






So, I don't need the resistor? Will adding another cause an issue?

Thanks!

With the additional resistance in series you are in effect raising the current, and therefore the voltage required to illuminate the LED.

Here are examples of parallel and series circuits.

#ad

 

[Bill Stockard]

How's your "small red pilot light" wired Bill?

I used one side of the double pole switch for controlling the torque converter lockup and the other side for 12-volts from an ignition switched source (I used my Painless Wiring block) to the swtich to control the pilot light. I wired the switch where the pilot light would be on when the TC was locked. I don't have a sophisticated Print Shop program to make nice professional looking drawings, so the best I can do if someone wants a wiring diagram, is sketch one on a piece of paper and scan it.



I only used my lockup switch in the "Locked" position in combination with an old style PacBrake on my truck. When I was in town or traffic, I used the "Auto" setting. I used the "Unlock" setting when I wanted to get my speed up to above the usual ~45-mph speed when lockup occurred when towing. Fortunately, the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) worked on my truck, and with over 100K miles of towing a fifth wheel trailer, I never had a problem with the transmission using the manually locked torque converter and the PacBrake.



Bill

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Bill,

I think your wiring covers both the desired transmission/torque converter operations as well as mode indications.

I am not familiar with the signals running on the OR/BK wire from the PCM to the Transmission Solenoid Assembly (TSA).

Scott,

Without seeing what the circuits look like contained within the "magic boxes", or having detailed knowledge of the system, it is difficult to pinpoint a particular item. One possibility to consider that may cause some of the observed symptoms:

Assumption: The output from the PCM to the TSA is digital low signal completing or activating a ground circuit within the TSA energizing the torque converter clutch. If it is using pulse modulation there may be a signal sensed on the switched grounded wire preventing the LED's illumination. When the ground is removed a negative "spike" is sensed momentarily illuminating the LED. If I understood correctly, there was a time when the LED had been added in series to the circuit and the LED occasionally illuminated when the switch was in the open position, it would then seem as though the OR/BK wire is indeed a signal wire communicating (attempting) with the PCM.

If you have a high impedance voltmeter check the OR/BK wire for any voltage. The best would be to use a scope to see if there is a signal.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

OK, here is my solution if you want to alert the bride to the operating status of the transmission convertor lock / unlock. I think it is a stroke of genius but hey, that's just my opinion.

If you use my freshly made drawing and add a second LED (I call it a green LED in the drawing) to indicate regular (no stalling at the traffic light mode) operation you will have the following actions. .

Green light means that transmission is in factory mode.
Red light means that manual lock is engaged.
It all works on the dimmer switch that you already have, all you have to do is go get a relay kit and wire it as shown below.....


View attachment 82490

You won't have to add another switch this way. .

Mike.

Mike,

You genius, you ... This is an excellent way to achieve the desire results. A SPDT relay, switched 12vdc source, green LED, and red LED... maybe throw in a puny fuse for good measure.


#ad

Switched 12vdc (fused) to terminals 85 and 30;
Green LED red wire to the NC (normally closed) terminal 87a; black wire to chassis ground;
Red LED red wire to the NO (normally open) terminal 87; black wire to chassis ground;
Terminal 86 to floor switch NO position; chassis ground when switched.

Since this circuit may be connected to transistorized or integrated circuits I would add a protection diode, like a 1N4148, across the coil of the relay. cathode (straight line end) to the positive terminal 85 and the anode to terminal 86.

This will dampen the resulting magnectic field when the relay is de-energized.

See http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/relay.htm for information.

 

[BigPapa]

Sorry I've been away guys. I'm done with it for now. Tired of fighting it. I've wired it up different ways now and it still doesn't work. I wired the exact same circuit on my A/C compressor and it works perfectly.



Here's #1: (imagine that the periods are not there. I couldn't figure any other way to make the spacing work)





TC wire_______________________Switch_______Ground

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... /

12V source___+ LED -__/



TC lock worked fine, LED would flash when opening circuit.



#2



TC wire_________________Switch_______Ground

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . \... ... ... ... ... ... /

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... \__+ LED -__/

.

LED would not illuminate, TC worked fine. Replaced LED with no change.



#3



TC Wire_________Switch________+ LED -________Ground



Like that I had nothing. No TC lock or LED illuminate. I took the LED out and the TC lock works fine.



I hooked the wires for the LED to a battery and it will not illuminate. I checked continuity with the ohm meter on "100K" range and it reads 6-7ohm resistance. I don't know if the LED is shot or I have a wiring issue, AGAIN, but I'm tired of fighting it for now.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Sorry I've been away guys. I'm done with it for now. Tired of fighting it. I've wired it up different ways now and it still doesn't work. I wired the exact same circuit on my A/C compressor and it works perfectly.

Here's #1: (imagine that the periods are not there. I couldn't figure any other way to make the spacing work)


TC wire_______________________Switch_______Ground
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... /
12V source___+ LED -__/

TC lock worked fine, LED would flash when opening circuit.

Don't give up just yet... take a breather and try a little latter. This circuit should have worked. I think there is somethng, maybe a PWM signal or an IC in the TSA that is causing an issue with LED. If the TC wire had a PWM or 5 vdc signal you would have a 7 vdc difference in potential that may not be sufficient to illuminate the LED. Or, a bad (high resistance) connection on the "-" side of the LED. The relay circuit that Mike drew should alleviate this issue since the LED circuit is very sensitive to outside influences, whereas the relay is not.

#2

TC wire_________________Switch_______Ground
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . \... ... ... ... ... ... /
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... \__+ LED -__/
.
LED would not illuminate, TC worked fine. Replaced LED with no change.

Won't work when the switch is activated due to the same potential (ground) being sensed at both the + and - of the LED. In the switch open position you may have gotten illumination if there was 12 vdc on the TC wire. If it had a PWM or 5vdc the LED would not be illuminated.

#3

TC Wire_________Switch________+ LED -________Ground

Like that I had nothing. No TC lock or LED illuminate. I took the LED out and the TC lock works fine.

With insufficent current/voltage the LED will not illuminate. This is a series circuit and the LED is basically an open in one direction, and requires . 7 vdc to illuminate. As an "open" circuit no switching will occur.

I hooked the wires for the LED to a battery and it will not illuminate. I checked continuity with the ohm meter on "100K" range and it reads 6-7ohm resistance. I don't know if the LED is shot or I have a wiring issue, AGAIN, but I'm tired of fighting it for now.

When you mentions hooking to a battery, do you mean a 12 volt battery, or a dry cell less than 12 volts? An LED is a diode. You will get a small resistance (and possibly illumination) if you check it in a forward bias (positive to red wire and negative to black wire, and a very large resistance (an open condition) if you measure it in a reverse bias. Many multimeters have a diode check function in the resistance section.


Bill's setup is equally great, but you need a good APPS - and a patch to the cut wire... or just use two of the switch settings... all the best to you!