1990 APV dies going into any gear

[Silverado6x6]

I want to thank all those that have had simlar problems of the vehicle as it has helped me narrow down the troubleshooting. I have had this van for about 6 years and it has been sitting in storage after I bought an Aztek for my wife, recently I needed it for another family member, this last thursday I had to have it towed back home when it kept dying everytime you tried to put it in gear, I found this forum and I am going to check it out, if indeed that is the problem then I may just connect the solonoid wires to a remote dash switch so it would be an open circuit like it was unplugged but can be closed for highway speeds to lock in the torque convertor until I find the time to do the repairs.

I have been a mechanic all my life except my field the last 15 years has gone strictly to heavy equipment so I am out of touch with the new stuff, last time I was a dealership mechanic was around 1984.

[LMP]

I suspect a stuck TOrque CONverter CLutch, or rather stuck TCC solenoid. Does it sputter or cough slowly to extinction or rather it acts just as if you had the car in gear and released the clutch on a sudden with a manual transmission ? That is, it "jumps" a few inches and that's all....
If it verifies this diagnostic, some help here:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=551757
Since it happens right at startup, it might not be possible to do this test (it worls with those where it happens after the car has been driven for some time) but you can try anyway: unplug the TCC connector
www.avigex.ca/xport/3T40tccplug.jpg THis would not help at startup because normally it is unergized then, but if you end up being able to start it and run, (may be by letting it go up to temperature before engaging into gear) it will prevent it from happening again by running without TCC..until you change the solenoid.

[Silverado6x6]

Thats exactly what happens from reports, my wifesays anyway, its like popping the clutch. I've been laid up for two weeks with a broken hand but maybe tomorrow I am going to find that plug, unplug it and see what happens, if so a "cheat" might very well be a simple toggle switch she can flip at cruising speeds to lock it back in, unlock when starting and stopping.

[LMP]

Originally Posted by Silverado6x6

... I am going to find that plug, unplug it and see what happens, if so a "cheat" might very well be a simple toggle switch she can ... unlock when starting and stopping.

JUst to be sure: at this very moment, it seems to be "freezed" in the evergized position..because some debris, goo or damage blocks it from releasing, but not because it is electrically energised (well, except in the very very remote possibility of a computer malfunction), as TCC is not electrically energized at startup or low speeds...so if it finally "releases" by any means, the idea would be NOT to energize it any more until the solenoid is replaced..... NOt having TCC is of no consequence in city driving because ot does not engage on 1st,2nd nor 3rd at low speeds. IT would cost say 2 mpg at highway speeds.

[Silverado6x6]

Originally Posted by LMP

JUst to be sure: at this very moment, it seems to be "freezed" in the evergized position..because some debris, goo or damage blocks it from releasing, but not because it is electrically energised (well, except in the very very remote possibility of a computer malfunction), as TCC is not electrically energized at startup or low speeds...so if it finally "releases" by any means, the idea would be NOT to energize it any more until the solenoid is replaced..... NOt having TCC is of no consequence in city driving because ot does not engage on 1st,2nd nor 3rd at low speeds. IT would cost say 2 mpg at highway speeds.

Thanks, it is for my stepdaughter who her and her three children just moved back up here in Alaska. At this time of year we usually either drive under 45 behind someone else or over 65 on all of the roads iced over and snowing. It looks like I will eventually tear into it at my shop at work, I used to overhaul transaxles years ago but I have no interest in trannies so to speak, almost anything electrical though I love to engineer and modify especially when I built custom show cars around 1986 or so, in that area I was respected. At my age its actually easier to work on large diesels like the concrete mixer fleet I maintain up here. I was originally planning on putting in an amidship mounted blown smallblock in it and a vette tranaxle or a caddy 472 and the 475 tranaxle but make it non steerable, but it would be cool to have both front and rear steering anyway!