What’s the Connection?
We had a similar problem come to the shop in a 2000 Toyota Tacoma. The customer’s complaint went like this: “When I have the cruise control on and I turn on my left turn signal the cruise control turns off, but not when I turn on my right turn signal. I also notice that the transmission drops out of overdrive when I turn on my left turn signal but not when I turn on my right turn signal.”
Are You Shooting in the Dark?
Knowing how an electronic component is supposed to work is very important when you are troubleshooting it for a problem. It can make the difference between replacing parts because you know they are bad and replacing them because you think they are bad. Half the battle in troubleshooting a device is knowing how it’s supposed to work, what to expect from it, what is normal and what is not.
Keep Your Eye on the Ground
How many times did we hear those words when we stumbled? Sometimes this can also be good advice when you’re working on electronic control devices like the TCM.
Do You Speak My Language?
The local transmission shop, in an effort to eliminate a code 68, replaced the input- and output-speed sensors, 2-3 solenoid and the transmission-range pressure switch (later you will see why). It also replaced the internal harness and external connector because they where “old and fitted loose.” When the problem persisted, the local transmission shop sent the vehicle to us.
