Chris J

Can anyone help me find my TCC solenoid plug on my '93 Beretta? I have
the classic TCC lockup symptoms. I'm trying to disconnect it at the
transmission but am not sure what to unplug. From the descriptons I've
found on the web, I think it is one of 2 plugs:

One plug is CIRCULAR(black and blue cover) and has THREE wires coming
out: purple, black, tan

The other plug is SQUARE (blue cover) and has TWO wires: pink w/ black
stripe, tan

The first plug is on a round pipe-like thing coming out of where the
air-intake hose connects. The second plug is about 3-4 inches below
it.

Is one of these the right plug? If so, which?

BTW, I have a 2.2 liter engine w/ the 3-speed automatic transmission.
'93 vintage.

Thanks!
Chris

Mark Morissette

>Can anyone help me find my TCC solenoid plug on my '93 Beretta? I have
>the classic TCC lockup symptoms. I'm trying to disconnect it at the
>transmission but am not sure what to unplug. From the descriptons I've
>found on the web, I think it is one of 2 plugs:

Disconnect the TCC instead at the brake pedal, via the switch that
kicks the transmission out of lockup whenever you touch the brakes.

Look on the brake pedal under the dash, and you'll see two switches -
one controls your brake lights, the other is the TCC kickoff switch.

Find out which one is which, and once you have located the one that is
NOT the brake light switch, pull the plug from the other one (the TCC
kickoff) and jump the terminals. Tape it up afterwards to hold, and
tuck the loose wiring up under the dash where it won't get damaged
untill you repair (if you decide) the TCC soleniod, and then you can
simply unjump the connector, and plug it back in.

The transmission will never go into lockup again, as it's getting a
signal that you are stepping on the brakes...even though you aren't,
in reality.

Works just as well as pulling the plug at the tranny itself, and it's
not only easier, but cleaner.

The only effect will be to lower your fuel economy, as well as
generate more heat within the transmission in the meantime.. Unless
you abuse it, it will go for years with the TCC disconnected with no
problems, however.

Regards;
Mark

Derf McKensy

Either of the proposed fixes mentioned already will take care of it.
I usually find it easiest to just unplug it at the transmission. It
is the ONLY connector plugged into the FRONT of the transmission case.
The are a couple connector plugs on top of the transmission but they
are for the neutral safety switch. If you unplug those, the car won't
start.

On 27 Mar 2004 09:42:52 -0800, cj_p@sbcglobal.net (Chris J) wrote:

>Can anyone help me find my TCC solenoid plug on my '93 Beretta? I have
>the classic TCC lockup symptoms. I'm trying to disconnect it at the
>transmission but am not sure what to unplug. From the descriptons I've
>found on the web, I think it is one of 2 plugs:
>
>One plug is CIRCULAR(black and blue cover) and has THREE wires coming
>out: purple, black, tan
>
>The other plug is SQUARE (blue cover) and has TWO wires: pink w/ black
>stripe, tan
>
>The first plug is on a round pipe-like thing coming out of where the
>air-intake hose connects. The second plug is about 3-4 inches below
>it.
>
>Is one of these the right plug? If so, which?
>
>BTW, I have a 2.2 liter engine w/ the 3-speed automatic transmission.
>'93 vintage.
>
>Thanks!
>Chris

Silver Surfer

Assuming that the Beretta's circuitry is similar to a Grand Am's of that
vintage wouldn't you just leave the brake switch terminal unplugged and not
jumper its terminals? That switch opens when the brake pedal is depressed
and takes away the voltage supply for the TCC solenoid circuit. My thinking
is that you would just leave it unplugged if that's the method chosen to
deal with your problem.

"Mark Morissette" <pepper99@*NOSPAM*primus.ca> wrote in message
news:31sb60h1na71tc6dd8c7na5fi6kskahjfp@4ax.com...
> >Can anyone help me find my TCC solenoid plug on my '93 Beretta? I have
> >the classic TCC lockup symptoms. I'm trying to disconnect it at the
> >transmission but am not sure what to unplug. From the descriptons I've
> >found on the web, I think it is one of 2 plugs:
>
> Disconnect the TCC instead at the brake pedal, via the switch that
> kicks the transmission out of lockup whenever you touch the brakes.
>
> Look on the brake pedal under the dash, and you'll see two switches -
> one controls your brake lights, the other is the TCC kickoff switch.
>
> Find out which one is which, and once you have located the one that is
> NOT the brake light switch, pull the plug from the other one (the TCC
> kickoff) and jump the terminals. Tape it up afterwards to hold, and
> tuck the loose wiring up under the dash where it won't get damaged
> untill you repair (if you decide) the TCC soleniod, and then you can
> simply unjump the connector, and plug it back in.
>
> The transmission will never go into lockup again, as it's getting a
> signal that you are stepping on the brakes...even though you aren't,
> in reality.
>
> Works just as well as pulling the plug at the tranny itself, and it's
> not only easier, but cleaner.
>
> The only effect will be to lower your fuel economy, as well as
> generate more heat within the transmission in the meantime.. Unless
> you abuse it, it will go for years with the TCC disconnected with no
> problems, however.
>
> Regards;
> Mark
>

Chris J

"Phillip Schmid" <schmste8@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<c44f9b$2etaj4$1@ID-72906.news.uni-berlin.de>...


> You should look toward the drivers side of the engine and it might be on the
> front of the tranny. On our 95 Cavalier it's a blue block that has 2 wires
> (purple and tan I think) and it looks like it could have 4.

Thanks everyone for your help..

Over the weekend, a mechanic showed me the correct plug for the TCC
solenoid at the transmission. This post (above) was right on. Also the
tan wire had a black stripe. As Derf noted in another post, it is
"ONLY connector plugged into the FRONT of the transmission case." I'd
been mistakenly looking at connecters at the top of the tranmission as
I'd been using descriptions I found on the web for 3+ liter engines
(where apparently it is in the area of the airtake.)

Unplugging it seems to have completely fixed the problem. As expected,
the engine is reving more at freeway speeds about that's it.

Phillip Schmid

"Chris J" <cj_p@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:5f60001e.0403301405.357bb077@posting.google.c om...
> "Phillip Schmid" <schmste8@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:<c44f9b$2etaj4$1@ID-72906.news.uni-berlin.de>...
>
>
> > You should look toward the drivers side of the engine and it might be on
the
> > front of the tranny. On our 95 Cavalier it's a blue block that has 2
wires
> > (purple and tan I think) and it looks like it could have 4.
>
> Thanks everyone for your help..
>
> Over the weekend, a mechanic showed me the correct plug for the TCC
> solenoid at the transmission. This post (above) was right on. Also the
> tan wire had a black stripe. As Derf noted in another post, it is
> "ONLY connector plugged into the FRONT of the transmission case." I'd
> been mistakenly looking at connecters at the top of the tranmission as
> I'd been using descriptions I found on the web for 3+ liter engines
> (where apparently it is in the area of the airtake.)
>
> Unplugging it seems to have completely fixed the problem. As expected,
> the engine is reving more at freeway speeds about that's it.

Glad to hear, we just started having problems with the TCC on the Cavalier a
couple months ago and I remember that plug being a PITA to get off.

Mark Morissette

>Glad to hear, we just started having problems with the TCC on the Cavalier a
>couple months ago and I remember that plug being a PITA to get off.


Again, this is why it's *always* easier to disconnect/bypass the TCC
at the brake pedal switch instead..

Phillip Schmid

"Mark Morissette" <pepper99@NOSPAM.primus.ca> wrote in message
news:4lmp60tf43df39j54fc2s5m15a12dpuv9j@4ax.com...
>
> >Glad to hear, we just started having problems with the TCC on the
Cavalier a
> >couple months ago and I remember that plug being a PITA to get off.
>
>
> Again, this is why it's *always* easier to disconnect/bypass the TCC
> at the brake pedal switch instead..

If working in tight spaces are your thing. Once we found the plug on the
tranny it took MAYBE a minute to get it off and once we get the solenoid
fixed it'll be back on there in 2 or 3 seconds.

Mark Morissette

>If working in tight spaces are your thing. Once we found the plug on the
>tranny it took MAYBE a minute to get it off and once we get the solenoid
>fixed it'll be back on there in 2 or 3 seconds.


The problems with doing it at the tranny are as follows:

- Virtually all the time, the plug is covered in crud. It's a dirty
job.

- Often, the plug is stuck, and removal isn't easy.. I've seen people
break the locking tabs, or the plug itself trying to remove it...
Some people pull on the wires, and then there's even *bigger*
problems.

- And last but not least, while the plug remains removed, it usually
fills up with more crud, and the connectors corrode. The possibility
of a short exists, also, as the harness will simply flop around under
the hood, exposed. If/when the time comes to reconnect it, trouble
can result as a result of gunk in the connector, worn/chaffed wiring,
or both.

I still prefer the quick and simple brake-pedal method.. :-)

Phillip Schmid

"Mark Morissette" <pepper99@NOSPAM.primus.ca> wrote in message
news:dgct60tku7abppt094lptkaa4477dv4if2@4ax.com...
> >If working in tight spaces are your thing. Once we found the plug on the
> >tranny it took MAYBE a minute to get it off and once we get the solenoid
> >fixed it'll be back on there in 2 or 3 seconds.
>
>
> The problems with doing it at the tranny are as follows:
>
> - Virtually all the time, the plug is covered in crud. It's a dirty
> job.
>
> - Often, the plug is stuck, and removal isn't easy.. I've seen people
> break the locking tabs, or the plug itself trying to remove it...
> Some people pull on the wires, and then there's even *bigger*
> problems.
>
> - And last but not least, while the plug remains removed, it usually
> fills up with more crud, and the connectors corrode. The possibility
> of a short exists, also, as the harness will simply flop around under
> the hood, exposed. If/when the time comes to reconnect it, trouble
> can result as a result of gunk in the connector, worn/chaffed wiring,
> or both.
>
> I still prefer the quick and simple brake-pedal method.. :-)

I should post a pic of our plug..it's pretty damned clean at 100k miles. I'm
not sure if it's the exception or anything since this is the first one I've
pulled. The other ones I can see happening. I've seen people pull wires
trying to get plugs out and I've seen people break plugs and tabs (The guy I
bought my GP from couldn't figure out how to undo the tabs to the foglight
electrical so he just cut off wires from the old light and left it plugged
in). If people would tie it up to something else and protect the connecters
and socket once they got them disconnected then they wouldn't have that
problem. I don't think that I could really see anyone doing that stuff
though.

Part of the reason that I hate tight spaces in cars is because I did some
wiring under the dash and I had to recline my seat and kinda lay in it
backwards with my feet hangin over the headrest. Something I have since
decided that was the only time that'll ever happen :P