203Cree

Or relay.... where is it? I find the parts in the FSM, but they aren't very clear on location. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks
Rob

Shawn6string

What is the problem?

203Cree

It's shifting into overdrive in every gear. The converter is locking up prematurely as well. I'm just going to unhook the relay or solenoid, whichever I find first.

GSGALLANT

Overdrive is your last gear. So in a four speed auto tranny, it would be gear #4. It can't be "shifting into overdrive in every gear", so to speak, because overdrive is a gear by itself. Do you mean that no matter what you select on the shift lever (L, 2 or D), the truck is trying to start off in O/D? Or do you mean the torque converter is locking up in every gear? Depending on the transmission that you have, and how you are driving (it is throttle position dependant), it is also normal for the TC to lock up in every gear.

Be a bit more descriptive with the problem so that we can help you better.

203Cree

Okay, I can do that. Put it in any gear you want, it will take off locked up. Under partial throttle, where the converter should be locked, it unlocks. Under load, when the converter should unlock, it locks. I don't care to fix the lockup or the overdrive solenoid, which ever you want to refer to it as. I just want to unplug the damn thing so it's disabled, lol. It's taking an otherwise good running truck (albeit under geared) and making it a turd.

I can find the relay and solenoid descriptions as far as what they look like in the service manual, but they don't tell you in what general area to look for those parts. I've poked around and haven't seen them yet. I just need someone to tell me where on the trans the solenoid is or where on the truck that relay is.

4runnerx3

You only have lock up in 3rd and OD. There are three wires going in the side of the tranny for the solenoids, near the selector mechanism. I would unplug the ECT unit and do a manual shift to see if you have an electrical or mechanical problem. If the OD light flashes you have an electrical problem, it will not tell you if you have a mechanical problem. With the unit unplugged, L is 1st, 2 is 3rd and D is OD. You will not have 2nd gear because the shift solenoids are not working.

Here's a pic showing the layout of the solenoids in the valve body.

203Cree

Assuming it's working correctly, yeah, you're right. Thanks for the help.

pcmentor

On my 85 the OD solenoid is on the middle driver side of the trans. There's a rubber boot with a connector under.

yodercrawler55

hey im having a similar problem, my truck is an 85 with an auto. It will start off fine when starting from 0 but when I get up to around 40 the over drive kicks in and just boggs down. I know it should not be doing this because it will do this when going up hills, I will want to cruise at 45 up a hill but I have to floor it and let it suck up all my gas. There is a gear in between there that is perfect when trying to do that speed but it breifly hits it then goes into od. Is this the solenoid?

pcmentor

I have heard on our trucks there's an OD Altitude cutoff. At high elevations it will not go into OD. This may be malfunctoning on your rigs.

yodercrawler55

Thats a possibility, I would like the auto in my runner if it didn't do this. I was lookin at shift solenoids and they are like 140 bucks for a small little thing!

FZRDude

I have a similar but oppsite problem with my 85 2x4 Deluxe. Mine will not shift into OD all the time. Sometimes it will shift into OD after 5 min of normal driving and most times it won't shift into OD at all.

buckz6319

I would like to chime in here and say that I tore apart a A340H last summer and there were 4 solenoids in that tranny.The pictures in above post only show 3 solenoids..is 3 correct or 4?

RMA

Dwayne I have been meaning to ask you about the 4 solenoids, I just removed 3 from a 1990 A340H and when I changed the tranny fluid and filter on mine (A340H) I only saw 3 on that tranny as well. They look like the gold colored ones not the black one.

buckz6319

RMA.....I know what you mean about the 4th solenoid.I know for sure that all those solenoids came from that transmission in the picture above.I will have to do some more as to which part of the transmission I got the black one from.It came from that A340H and if you look at the picture you can see that I separated the whole entire thing including the hydraulic transfer case from the transmission.
In that mangled pile of parts is where the solenoids came from...maybe someone else will know the answer to the mystery
I think it came from the hydraulic transfer case? it shares the same transmission fluid as the main transmission

GSGALLANT

On an A340H, the 4th solenoid is in the transfer valve body. You have to remove the small transfer case pan to get to it.

buckz6319

GSGALLANT
Thanks for the input...I knew that I removed the 4th solenoid from that transmission...so I would guess that the black solenoid came from the hydraulic transfer case

Hoss_1981

Did you ever figure out what your shift problem was? Mine is doing the exact same thing. Any ideas would help

203Cree

Nope. I'm trying to get a replacement trans now. I'm going to go thru it when I get it out, but I'm guessing it's not a solenoid problem. It does the same thing with the ETC box unplugged, so that leads me to believe it's in fact a mechanical problem.

Team420

check your tps!! mine did this, when the tps was out of spec. a quick test would b to unplugg the tps, and see if it shifts better.