A4LD automatic transmission controller

[bluford]

expensive gas leads me to try to control my transmission, i want that thing to shift into OD at about 35 mph.
i see a controller listed for 600 to 800 bucks that will do it all but thats the expensive route.
i just want to break into the wiring and put some switches on my dash to control shift ,straight up the gears to OD and a 2nd switch for TC lockup.

has anybody tried this?

ok, found out grounding pin 53 on the ECU makes Tc lockup. thanks tech forum.

 

[adsm08]

You most certainly do NOT want your transmission shifting into overdrive at 20 MPH. If you honestly believe that you do want that because you think it will save you money on gas, go sell the truck and buy a bicycle.


Shifting into such a high gear so soon will lug the engine and make it work much harder than it needs to just to keep running, let alone move the vehicle, in turn using MORE gas.

Besides, you can't actually do what I think you are proposing on an A4LD. Not without a lot of parts. Problem is that the A4LD is still primarily a MECHANICAL transmission. The rest is done with fluid pressure and springs, very little electronics. That means that it WON'T shift until the engine hits a certain speed. In fact overdrive and torque converter lockup are the only things that are electronically controlled, so the unit you are looking at probably includes a valve body.

If you really want control over when it shifts, put a manual trans in it. They are more reliable anyway. If you can't handle a clutch, go try to find a manual valve body.


There is, however, an article in the tech library about how to wire the TCC to a toggle switch. That, at least, you can have control of.

 

[bluford]

ya your right, 20 is too low, so i edited it to 35, but you get what i'm thinking.
right now i cant get it to lock up until i'm at about 48-52 mph.
alot of the streets here are 45mph limit, so i just want to get my shift points lower, so that it shifts at lower rpm,
then i can get into high gear and somehow stay in high gear and also keep TC locked.
i understand your point of using more gas to get to speed while in a high gear, believe me, i like to go thru the gears, and i do just to get to cruising speed.
but, continuing at that cruise speed , what do i use for HP.? maybe 10 or 11?
15 if the A/C is on?
sure i'll shift down for power, otherwise i want that little blue sucker to sip gas.
next question is, theoretically, what is the mph while idleing in (potentially) high gear and TC locked?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

next question is, theoretically, what is the mph while idleing in (potentially) high gear and TC locked?

what's your idle rpm?
what's your od gear, .79?
gear ratio?
tire diameter? times 3.1415 gives circumference.
a little bit more math and bob's your uncle.

 

[adsm08]

Actual potential speed in 4th gear with the converter locked up and the engine at idle is 0 MPH. The engine doesn't produce enough power to keep the vehicle moving at a speed that won't stall the engine. Keep in mind that we use reduction gears to get the effect of making the vehicle weigh less. An overdrive gear makes it weigh more as far as the engine is concerned.

The reason we have many gears is to try and keep the engine in it's power band. Each engine has a certain part of the RPM band where is makes it's best power. If you can keep the engine in it's sweet spot it uses less fuel. For the 4.0 that's just a hair over 2400 RPM.

You do NOT want your engine running super slow.

For what you are trying to do, and I do understand your end goal, your best bet is probably to rig up the toggle switch to the TCC solenoid so you have control of the clutch.

To actually get the results you want I think you have two real-world workable options.

1) Manual transmission

2) Buy a Focus.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^ you're right, but it's theoretical.

 

[adsm08]

^^^ you're right, but it's theoretical.

Theory is great, but at the end of the day if you try to make a practical application you still stall the engine at about 20 MPH.

 

[bluford]

i think better performance from the A4LD is not out of the question.
something can be done.
i'm not saying it will be simple, or easy, but, if this lightweight gas slurper can't get more than 16~17mpg then there's got to be some drastic measures.

and i'll bet i'm not the only one thinking this.

 

[adsm08]

if this lightweight gas slurper can't get more than 16~17mpg then there's got to be some drastic measures.

Dude, when I put the 4.0 in my 87 and ran the first few tanks through it I was happy to find that I was getting 17.

Now just for comparison, I have been to some other countries, where incomes are much lower than we have here in the States, and seen gas prices above $4/liter.

That works out to $17 or more to the gallon. Gas prices are high compared to what we were used to, but they really aren't that bad.

 

[mp3deviant721]

Just take adsm's advice and forget it guy. I really don't think you are going to get any better than that. Its either get a manual or a small car like he said. Or if you really want a Ranger get a 4 cyl. I'm getting about 23 mpg in mine.

And plus the truck is shaped like a brick. Last time I checked bricks aren't aerodynamic... Aerodynamics play a big part in gas mileage. If you want drastic improvements, look up the ecomodder forums and start reading. This is going to be your drastic changes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

[4.0B2]

Yeah if you want a manual, go with a true manual. It'll be easier and cheaper.

Lower RPM's are not always better. There's a limit
Adsm pretty much said it all.

We modified the 4l60e to make it shift into OD sooner just to see what would happen and our gas mileage sucked far worse than leaving it alone.

Md05's will bolt to your 4.0...

 

[bluford]

MDo5 ok, i'm curious>what about a 5R55 suffix E,W or S,,,and can someone tell me what are the differences of the 3 in relation to each other.

 

[adsm08]

E is electronic (it was the first version), W is wide range, has different gear ratios in it, and I don't actually know what the S stands for.

The E was in Rangers, I think the W and S were only in the Explorers and the S doesn't have a dipstick. It has a stand pipe in the pan, which frankly I like better. At least then you know you have the fluid level right the first time.

One other thing to consider if you are after better mileage is the gearing. If you have high gears (3.55 or 3.27) and do a lot of city driving your gears are hurting you. Conversely if you have 4.10s and do a lot of highway your gears are also hurting you. If you do a fair mix of city and highway 3.73 is about perfect, if you have 29ish inch tires.

I agree that a hyper-mileing forum may offer more help than we can, but I have looked into that kind of stuff before, and after crunching some numbers I realized that gas would have to hit $5 a gallon and I would have to drive almost 20,000 miles a year for it to take less than 15 years to break even. At that rate I figured it just wasn't worth it and that I was actually saving money by just sucking it up and putting the difference in my retirement account.