MV high stall converter no lockup

[oggy]

Hello All,
I have a JZX110 that I took to MV last week to get a 1.5 shift kit and 3000rpm converter.
So far I'm happy with the 2 except that now I have no converter lockup.
It's not a huge deal, but I would much prefer to have it if I can!

Has anyone experienced this before?
Does anyone have any suggestions that I can try over the weekend before I call MV again monday?
Also if I can find out what it is here, will save me a 8h trip to take it back to MV haha!

Some extra info:
* Trans is manualised using a simple relay circuit to control the shift solenoids. The ECU outputs are terminated
to earth via 15ohm resistors - MV has suggested this is probably a little low and to use 20ohm.
Have had no dramas with regards to shifting with this setup.

* Line pressure is controlled by factory ECU and still works fine - this can both be felt in the car and was
measured by MV.

* Torque converter lockup is also controlled by factory ECU and worked fine once trans was up to operating
temperature. Before this, I get a check engine light and will have no lockup. Once it is up to temp, I have to go
through the gears a bit and the check engine light will go away and I will have lockup.
Hence, I was not concerned when leaving MV that I had no lockup straight away.
Car still behaves this way, but when the check engine light goes I still have no lockup now.

* I have measured resistance of lockup solenoid through SLU+ and SLU- pins at ecu with a result of 7ohms.

* As a test I have wired in a toggle switch to lockup the converter whenever it is switched on.
This was done by cutting SLU- and terminating to earth and cutting SLU+ and terminating to battery +ve and
installing an inline toggle switch.
I can hear the switch triggering the solenoid with the car off, but I still have no converter lockup when driving.
I have also tried changing polarity of circuit, but as I suspected, this changed nothing.

* Fluid level has been checked and is fine (was a little over filled)

* I've tried resetting ecu, different gears, different fluid temps, different throttle positions etc. to try get it to lock with no success.

any help is much appreciated

[Javal]

Pull DTCs from the ECM / TCM. Look at conditions under which DTC sets. Work out why it's setting said DTC, rectify issue, profit.

[oggy]

I'd like to but word on the street is it uses Toyota proprietary language, not standard obd2, so I don't like my chances of successfully interrogating it.

The toggle switch should also lock the converter regardless of fault codes, but no luck there.

[wilbo666]

I'd like to but word on the street is it uses Toyota proprietary language, not standard obd2, so I don't like my chances of successfully interrogating it.

The toggle switch should also lock the converter regardless of fault codes, but no luck there.

At the diagnostic box (side of engine or drives footwell), you should be able to connect the Tc pin to E1 and the Check Engine Light and the automatic transmission OD light with flash to 'tell' you the error codes.
It's basic, but you don't need a fancy reader or anything...

I also have another question, why 'manualise' the auto.... what's wrong with using the shifter and letting the engine ECU change gears? It's pretty well the same thing?

Cheers
Wilbo

[oggy]

hmm, if that's the case I might give it a crack tomorrow / over the weekend if I get a chance.

Manualised for 2 reasons:
You're right that shifting with the shifter and letting the ECU send the signal is pretty much the same, it's not quite the same. Manualising allows me full control of shifting, which is what I'm after.

I am going to run an aftermarket ECU, to what extent yet I'm unsure, but manualising gives me a few more options as to the ECU I use and how I set it up by removing the need to control shifting.

P.S - I used / still use a lot of info provided by you for the wiring side of things, so thanks for that haha

[wilbo666]

Not sure I 100% agree with your reasons, but it's your car!

You can always leave the factory enging ECU to control the auto if you go to an aftermarket engine ECU...and seeing as you have left it controlling the line pressure anyway (what are your plans for line pressure if / when you go aftermarket engine ECU?), why not the gears as well? (just my thoughts).

Anyway pull the codes and see what comes up.

Also have a look at this link...the last few pages in particular...

I'd suggest you either have an issue with the torque converter, or the hydraulics for the lock up... As both were touched at the same time its a bit hard to say which is your issue! Perhaps MV will know...

That said it is easier to drop the valve body than it is to change the converter...

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/AT02.pdf

Cheers
Wilbo

[oggy]

I had a quick look at that link, I'll have a good read of it at home at some stage. I have a basic understanding of how a converter works, but a bit more technical or specific info is always good!

Yeah, because the converter and the valve body were done at the same time it could be either at fault. I'm happy to drop the valve body out at home to check it out, but I'm not dropping the trans to take the converter out.
I'm waiting for MV to get back to me at the moment, they are going to have a chat to the converter mob to see if they can shed any light on it.

With regards to the ECU, at the moment I'm still undecided how much I want to leave to the factory ECU (if anything!). If I was to remove the trans control entirely from the factory ECU, then all I need the new ECU to do is control line pressure from TPS input.... As opposed to having to buy an ECU capable of controlling shifts, or another TCU, and then having to tune / map the shifts.....
Or, as you said, another option is to leave the standard ECU there to control the trans - but driving the car stock, I wasn't amazed when driving it manually.... It was ok, but I still didn't like how the ECU controlled it at times. Perhaps a shift kit back then would have made me a bit happier with it and changed my mind.
Either way, I like having complete control of the shifts now

[BigWorm]

Personally I don't see the point of a high stall convertor on a vvti 1j, peak toque is reached by 2400rpm.... Definitely worth having on the tnon-vvti though.

[Indelible]

Personally I don't see the point of a high stall convertor on a vvti 1j, peak toque is reached by 2400rpm.... Definitely worth having on the tnon-vvti though.

yes 2400rpm with stock turbo not a larger aftermarket one , then its only slightly better than the non vvti so highstall to suit new turbo