bugjug

Why in the world would a MAF have anything to do with the ECU controlling the AT going into gear??

bugjug

Check the GAUGE fuse in the driver's side fusebox. It supplies power to the switch which sends the signal to the ECU to tell that you have moved the shift lever.

Does the car start?

If so, when you put it in various gears, does it show this on the gear indicator lights?

threeputt2

Dear BugJug and others:

I have no idea why the MAF might have anything to do with the automatic transmission. But, I did what xspsi6 suggested and it worked - for about 3 minutes. I put the car in reverse to get it out of the garage (so I could clean the floor) and then when I attempted to put the car back in the garage, I got nothing. Attempted again with the MAF thing and had no luck. Recruited some neighbors to push the car back into the garage.

I'm quite willing to check the GUAGE fuse if you can tell me how to access the fuse "box" that's located under the carpeting (driver's kick plate?). It's most unaccessible. I'm about to take a razor blade to it.

The car starts without any problems.

And the gear shift moves easily from one gear position to the next. But, the car does NOT go into gear.

When I move the gear shift lever, the gear indicator lights indicate the gear that the car should be in. But, it absolutely does not engage.

So, what's next?

ThreePutt2

xspsi6

iTrader: (31)

It puts the ecu in to limp mode and that will up the pump pressure in the trans to a max level so this tells us that the trans is most likely shot and at minimum needs a new pump and rules out a bad connection as it responded to the command to go in to reverse.

threeputt2

xspsi6,

That's not the best news I've ever gotten. Just to make sure I understand - you're saying that the transmission is probably shot but it's possible that the problem could be remedied with a new pump? Again, keep in mind you're dealing with an automobile dummy. If I'm looking for that "pump," do I simply say I need a transmission pump for a '97 SC400? or is there some other description of what I might need?

Is there anything else we can do to determine that the pump is actually what we need?

ThreePutt2

ThreePutt2

xspsi6

iTrader: (31)

Well that is the best diagnosis I can give over the internet with out being there to test it first hand but like I stated these transmissions can be had for dirt cheap used so that is a plus.

It is quite rare for a trans to fail in one of these cars as they are usually super dependable however the wrong type of fluid if it was ever changed out before you got the car will kill it like this but it usually happens quickly.

Yo may as well have a good used transmission installed as opposed to just replacing the pump since the trans would have to come out and apart to do this.

bugjug

Very interesting. Thanks for the enlightenment!
-bug

bugjug

Since the gear indicator lights are working, this fuse is not your problem.