.boB

This is something that staryed out of the blue, first thing in the morning. The little square over the gear indicater is not always in the right spot. Especially Park. The trans goes into the proper gear without any problem. And it operates exactly like it should. It's just the indicater that's malfunctioning.

I did a search in this forum, and didn't find anything. Is this an easy or difficult fix?

.boB

Really? 2 1/2 days and nobody has heard of this? Man, I hate it when I manage to stump the experts. Oh well, I guess I'll just start digging around in there and see what happens.

maxwellp

My 96 has Drive in 2nd, But It's old.

gcssr

hope this helps, as this is out of the 04 year;;;
upon electronic messages received from the electronic
Transmission Control Module (TCM) over the Programmable
Communications Interface (PCI) data
bus. If the transmission range sensor mux circuit is
open and no electronic messages are received from
the TCM within two seconds, the instrument cluster
circuitry will not display any gear selector position
until the condition is resolved or until the ignition
switch is turned to the Off position, whichever occurs
first.
² Resolved Circuit - If the transmission range
sensor mux circuit is resolved, the cluster circuitry
controls the gear selector indicator display based
upon the resistance value of the hard wired input
from the transmission range sensor. If the cluster is
configured for an automatic transmission with a
transmission range sensor input and detects a short
to ground or an open in the transmission range sensor
mux input, the instrument cluster circuitry will
not display any gear selector position in the VFD.
The VFD display for the short-to-ground and open
circuit conditions will continue until the condition is
resolved or until the ignition switch is turned to the
Off position, whichever occurs first.
² Actuator Test - Each time the cluster is put
through the actuator test, the gear selector indicator
VFD will display all of its characters at once during
the VFD portion of the test to confirm the functionality
of the VFD and the cluster control circuitry.
On models with a TCM, the TCM continually monitors
the transmission range sensor, then sends the
proper gear selector indicator position messages to
the instrument cluster. On models without a TCM,
the instrument cluster continually monitors the hard
wired transmission range sensor multiplexed input.
For further diagnosis of the gear selector indicator or
the instrument cluster circuitry that controls this
function, (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/INSTRUMENT
CLUSTER - DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING). For further
diagnosis of the transmission range sensor on
models without a TCM, (Refer to 21 - TRANSMISSION/
TRANSAXLE/AUTOMATIC - 42RE/TRANSMISSION
RANGE SENSOR - DIAGNOSIS AND
TESTING) or (Refer to 21 - TRANSMISSION/
TRANSAXLE/AUTOMATIC - 46RE/TRANSMISSION
RANGE SENSOR - DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING).
On models with a TCM, for proper diagnosis of the
transmission range sensor, the TCM, the PCI data
bus, or the electronic message inputs to the instrument
cluster that control the gear selector indicator,
a DRBIIIt scan tool is required. Refer to the appropriate
diagnostic information.

no_6_oh_no

The range sensor on the side of the trans is either sticking or the the plastic actuator piece on the top of the VB is wearing and not setting the range sensor correctly. Annoying symptoms, simple fix.