My transmission shop just called me, said my truck is done but i have an issue with the computer. I trust him, one of my best friends dads owns and runs the shop.

He said the computer is not sending the signal to lock the torque converter up. I think thats what it is, said its a computer issue and they had to manually lock the TC to test it, said when they did that it locked up nicely.

But its either the computer needs reprogrammed or i need a new computer.

Any advice on this, im lost on this subject

 

Oh and i should add, it had an edge evo 2 on it when i got it, its still on there, but i have had it set to factory settings since i bought it.

 

Nothing???, no troubleshoots, wires to check, aftermarket computer options, options to flash and reprogram the computer..... id hate to buy a new computer for 300 or so follars and still have the same isue cuz something else is wrong. I likely just had to have my transmission rebuilt because the computer had my TC jacked up and i didnt realize it til it was too late.....smh i seriously dont know how much can go wrong for one person in a year, but im ready to go to sleep and wake me up in 2016, my year has been nothing but one bad thing after another since February

 

The only way I know to troubleshoot this is with a monitor that can look at data. Most likely one of the sensors is reporting something to the computer that is telling it to not lock up. It can be the computer, but computer failures are rare.

 

Why not question the transmission shop guy.

 

Im gonna talk to him more tomorrow if i can get up there, he closes at 5 and im often working later than that. His advice was take it to another shop that can program or replace the pcm. Im assuming from talking to him that he did the diagnosis and determined it is the pcm. However in researching what i can find, that doesnt include a tc lockup mod which has dominated many search results, i have discovered multiple possibilities.

But im not sure what could affect it or not. I guess im gonna have to determine what he has for sure eliminated and then get my tester out and check things.

What i can say as of now on it having not had my hands back on it is the following. Bought the truck from a bank as a repo. I have no prior info on the truck. When i first got it i felt the rpms were to high, never occured to me it was my tc until i started having overheating issues in my trans, until then i wasnt sure why my rpms were higher.

There are two switches under the dash, above the parking brake. I have no clue what they do if anything. I assumed they were for items removed by the po. They likely are, wouldnt make sense to have a tc switch there.

It has aftermarket tail lights, i dont think they are led, they look more like auto zone clear tail lights. Never messed w em as i plan to put led tails in. Ive never paid attention to my 3rd brake light, it could be burned out, the PO spray painted it black.

My trans guy said 90% of the metal in my trans fluid was from bad tc, also said something about it seperated and sheared something else off that had to do w second gear. Sorry had his convo 12 hrs ago, forget the terms he used.

Will probably be this weekend before i can get to it, if he lets me take it home. Im about 800 short of paying him in full, which sucks, cuz i hate owing people money, and now im gonna have to put more into it.

 

What sensors could send signal to the pcm to prevent tc lockup?

 

Im also wondering if the truck had no fully warmed up, isnt it true that the tc won't lock up until the coolant temp reaches 160°?

 

Was the truck ever scanned for trouble codes?

You could also have a problem with the wiring between the PCM and the transmission. Unless, of course, your transmission shop found a way to test the circuit from the PCM harness.

 

I would disconnect ALL mods including the aftermarket computer. Then read the codes with a proper scanner. Diagnose and repair any issues. If you want to reconnect the mods, do it one at a time and observe any effects of each one so that you will know if a problem is caused by the mod.

Ford doesn't "detune" the engines "just for the heck of it". The engines and transmissions are set up to maximize dependability and life cycle while providing good performance. This is often NOT maximum performance. ANY changes that you make in order to "change or improve performance" WILL alter the original "dependability and life cycle" of the item that is altered, usually for the worse.

Your vehicle, your choice, your money.

 

Well i talked to another friend who has used them before, said they know how to build a transmission, but are not so good at diagnosing problems. Im really starting to wonder if they just didnt let the engine get up to 160. But im gonna have to get some kind of scan tool now to know if my tc is locking or not when i start trouble shooting.

 

Would the Auto Enginuity software be a good purchase for me to diagnose and monitor my TC? I have a good laptop and it seems like it has a good user interface. Comsidering i do most all my own work it would likely be something i could utilize for other things.

 

I've had the AE setup for a few years now and really like it. It's expensive, but easily the most capable scan tool you can get for $400. I don't use mine often, but it's been worth it for the few times I have.

 

I also endorse the Auto Enginuity software with the Ford module.

 

Thanks for the responses guys, i was able to call the shop today, still havent had time to get up there, worked til about 10pm lastnight. Anyways, i spoke with him and mentioned the 160 coolant temp requirements. He stated that the pcm is putting the signal out, that all conditions are met to lock the tc, but that the voltage is not getting to the tc. Stated the pcm is saying the tc is locked but that it is not locked. something about the drivers could be bad, maybe the edge messed things up. He said he inspected the wiring that goes to the transmission from the pcm an they looked good.

Clear as mud?