Ok, I'll get those tonight or tomorrow, gotta gig I've gotta go play. Gotta go make money to support the car lmao. When I test the voltage when cranking do u weant me to check it @ the battery of the connections @ the battery? If somewhere elselet me know. I'll get on that as soon as I get home, depending on how cold it is it may wait. Until morning.

 

When ever you check voltage at the battery, it's a good idea to read on the post and then on the connector. BUT on side post batteries you can't do that. Only at the connection is possible.

Anyway, what we want to see is the ability of the battery to carry a load. That is why I asked to know the battery voltage before a load. That is every thing off. Then with a mild load of just having the key on. Then a big load like cranking the engine with someones help.

Get it.

I was concerned that you read the proper voltage at the battery of 12.6 but only read 11.9 at the solenoid circuit. Want to see what the battery is doing. DO NOT go on a tear looking for 11.9 volts. We don't want to get sidetracked looking for a ghost.

 

I hear what u r saying, that's what I thought, actually the 11.9 thing bothered me, but I was thinking the same thing u r. The battery is new, but that doesn't mean anything. I'm getting this stuff checked again, found out the battery was less than great in my dmm. So I have that replaced and I'm going to recheck levels on the stuff from yesterday. I also noticed that I need to inspect my drivers side o2 sensor. So no load, slight load, and heavy load test, and I'll be back in touch.

 

Ok the battery is 12.6 with no load, 11.63 with the key on, and it mamentarily drops to 9.6 when u start the car. Then it jumps to 14.9-15.5 as soon as the alternator starts to charge. Getting to the 13 wire in the black connector

 

Ok well the battery is 11.6 with the key on, 9.6 under starting, then jumps to 15+ the #13 pin in the black connector is 11.6 key on. So what else should I check? The 2-3 solenoid has been changed.

 

Also sign of the environment, the pcm aluminum housing is crusted with corrosion, from the humid salt air down here no doubt, so I decided to pull it and clean some of that crud off. So I guess my next step is see what the voltages are down the line again, in the harness that's connected to the tranny, inside the pan I've checked, and double checked and there are no freyed wires, loose connections, or dry rotted wires, infact I'd venture to say that the tranny harness is fairly new if not brandnew. No fluid seeping into the connector. Going to try to round up my buddy and his snapon scanner again, see if that says anything different than chevrolets and the matco scanner the transmission place had. Any more suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

Your battery is shot. When you get the Snap-on scanner, clear all codes and drive it after it warms up to operating temperature and scan it again.

 

Ok, new battery too, I thought that it was simply because of the small cca size

 

Even the smallest battery should handle having the key on without the engine running.
Get the right size.

 

I did, all they try to give u down here is a 525 cca. In montana and areas like that the rule is @ least 2 cca's per cubic inch. So for a 350 we usually install @ least a 700 cca battery. That's the way this stupid battery has done since it was bought. So u r thinking a low amprage situation? Wouldn't that just be a pain.the battery is just over a year old, and the car is rarely driven. Go figure lol.

 

I think the one I put in mine the last time was around 700CCA.

 

So I can't get my friend with the scanner over here today, but after putting in the new battery and after completely disconnecting the pcm I had all gears for a short while, first and fourth went aweay after a couple of upshifts, I've heard of this one other time and it was a pcm issue, if there's something else to check, or that u think I should check I'm open to suggestions. I have a buddy on this forum that's willing to let me try his pcm, but I would much rather make sure that it's not something little and stupid I'm overlooking. It ran fine for the 3 or 4 upshifts, if I had a scanner hooked up to it this time it wouldve definitely had to have shown the change in whatever it was, so I'm sure now it's not the tranny, I was before only because it tested fine, but now I know it will hit all 4 gears until whatever it is that's happening happens, when it happens I think the engine is cutting power too, cause it sounds odd after the tranny is losing first and fourth. But still no check engine coming on. So a tranny code again perhaps. I'm really starting to lose patience with this car. And with my luck it's probably the one thing u wouldn't suspect. I've checked all of the sensors on the car from the MAF, MAP, IAT, IAC, TPS, coolant temp sensor, the coil, the opti, cam positioning sensor and according to the book they all check out. None of these should put the tranny in safe mode though, but I was told by a service manager that the car can go into a safe mode where it cuts the engine power and puts the tranny into safe mode too. Idk. I'm against the wall here, and without a scanner to be able to check what it is that changed it's like smaking things with a big wrench with a blind fold on. Definitely getting the cable and software from aldl cables this week. Man this is getting old.

 

First, when you type so much, make paragraphs. It's easier to follow. No biggy.

The frustrating part of this is the need for a scanner. And I'm sitting next to one as we speak. But that does you no good being in VA.

Again, I highly doubt your PCM is defective. If you can't get the scanner in a reasonable amount of time, go ahead and swap the PCM. I have the internals of one some where but I would hate to risk shipping it.

More to your problem. Since (if you are correct) you get the proper tranny action at first then it goes away. That leans toward the PCM not getting the proper information. Then after some predetermined point, it goes to a default mode. That seems to indicate it is working. And the other thing is, it is commanding the default which means it should be indicating that with a code.

Without a PROPER scanner, you are flying blind. I was looking through my shop manual at tranny codes. It seems many of the codes give you third gear only and NO SES. For example:
72 VSS signal.
75 Low system voltage
81 2-3 solenoid circuit
84 3-2 solenoid circuit

All the other trans codes do NOT set an SES. Some lock you out of 4th gear.

To me it seems the PCM is ok. Swapping it should prove that.

 

Ok, again makes sense. After putting the pcm back in the car and the putting in the new battery the car did have all 4 gears. It even started from first 3 times, usually it just starts out with first gear after u back out of the driveway, and u didn't have overdrive. Yesterday it had first, and even hit od, I brought it up to the highway and was doing 75 @ 2xxx rpm. With my car if od isn't working the rpm @ 75 is approx 3000. What kind of scan tool do u have? I am going to buy one or order one friday. Was thinking about just getting the cable from aldl, it comes with software to start u off, and will tell the conditions that the fault is happening under. Do u have a better idea? Or a better scanner in mind I should say.

 

I have a Solus pro. But I don't think you want to pay that much for a scanner. I don't know anything about any other product. Period. I can point you in a direction for cables and software but I can't say if it's gona get tranny codes.

Maybe if you post the question in the drivetrain area and also in the computer area, you can a get a definitive answer to that.