I use mine for drag racing. Mine will lockup in any gear and stays locked when I press my dead mans button. Some want to be able to lock the tc in any gear or speed for better towing in certain conditions.

 

I would use one to lock the converter up earlier under light throttle for improved city mileage. The stock converter is too loose, so locking it earlier would provide a way to offset at least some of the mileage penalty we pay because of the converter. I tell you what I'd like to see-a box of some sort that plugs in and lets the driver program in certain parameters concerning converter lockup. Stuff like the vehicle speed at which the converter locks in each gear, as well as a throttle position limit at which it stops locking the converter. This way you could set it up and let it automatically force extra converter lockups when needed. Then, if you applied more than a certain (user settable) amount of throttle, it would disengage and return control of tcc function to the ecm. This would prevent forcing a stock converter to lock up when it was not safe for it to do so. If you wanted to get fancy, you could also have it monitor vehicle speed and rpm. That way, if it also knew what gear the transmission was in, it could calculate converter slippage and avoid locking the converter when the input/output rpm differential was enough to damage the tcc. This approach would also neatly handle towing vs non-towing situations, as it would detect the increased converter slippage inherent in towing.

Now, I'd definitely pay for a product like that.

 

What happens if the button is pressed while in park??
Probably a dumb question but I simply don't completely understand the workings of an auto tranny

 

It would do nothing in park sense no clutches are applied in tranny in park and plus 48RE does not pump in park so I don't think it can lock anyway.

 

V8440, What you are describing is already on the market, I have one, it is a Stand Alone Controller sold by ATS. It is expensive but if you only could see all that it could do you would call it cheap.....full transmission and torque converter control, by speed and rpm, and boost, and egts, and MAP, or whatever you want....full data logging abilities. Ability to electronically shift to any gear using switches, ***** or paddles...whatever you want. ks

http://www.atsturbo.com/ATSWebsite/P...e/ConStand.asp

 

Well dang, I'm a genius! I'll have to check that out-I remember asking about something like that back in late '04 or early '05 when I had my 04.5, and no one seemed to know of anything like it.

 

It's been out for several years for Cummins drop in applications and with drag racers. I've had it installed but it is out for updating right now. It will be back in asap....too cool. ks

 

Pull U 2:

Like DTR Member "abc4yew", I also have the "ATS Co-Pilot Transmission Controller" in my 2006 Dodge CTD CR and am very, very happy with it. I also had one in my 2002 Dodge CTD and I have one in my 1996 Dodge CTD. He has done a good job giving the members the reasons why they are nice to have and his link to the ATS Website explains it even further.

IMO, they are alot better than the old "lock-up" switches.

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John_P

 

In Drive or gear if stopped idleing and press the lockup button, it will kill the engine. Don't think I ever tried it in park.

 

I agree and I would like one, but with triple disc low stall tc, beefed up clutch packs and custom valve body I don't have near as much power loss through tc/trans as stock. I don't really need or use it daily driving. And of course the total parts cost is around $5 for mine .

 

RamWheelsBy4:

You are right, the the simple inexpensive "lock-up switch" is alot cheaper and they work fine, but,..... I always it hated it when I forgot to turn mine off and that switch COMPLETELY killed the truck with the most god awful noise inside the tranny you have ever heard! The ATS Controllers automatically unlock the converter at 20 MPH even if you forget and for an old guy like me, that helps alot.

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John_P

 

Hmm lets see 575 for a ats controller or .25 for a lockup switch that does the exact same thing. Heck when I did mine I even wired it to 2 relays and mounted a push button switch on the dash. When I want it on I press the button when I want it off I touch the brakes. Works awesome and I still have about 570 more dollars in my pocket.

 

LethalInjection....that's genius. I'm going to have to do the 2-relay thing.