420 reluctant to shift out of 1st started with several other cold start run issues.is this the 1st gear hold for cat light off?

[Ascension]

We are having our 1st real cold snap here and my 420 seems rather confused to say the least. On a cold start won't stay running without throttle till it warms, airpump was VERY noisy with backfiring and missing until it shut down ( pump is now disconnected and all the noise missing and backfiring were instantly gone!) and the 1st gear hold seemed very long. Today it revved to 4500 and would never shift until I backed completely out of the throttle and then the shift was sluggish and weird.
Strongly suspect the trans shifting issue is tied to the other cold start issues but haven't a CLUE how to attack this one!!
Supposed to be 17 in the morning here and looks like I'm driving the Volvo to work with a blown heater core and will be freezing my off because this #$%# W124 is having yet another another fit.
One word here guys HELP!!!

 

[nocfn]

Any change when you start the car and let it warm up naturally for 5 mins or so?

 

[Ascension]

Today did that as i left work and seemed better on everything BUT the trans hold was still there just not as bad. Trans just never seemed right all day on the 1/2 shift and seemed to hold in 1st abnormally long even after it warmed. Has to be connected to the rest of the cold start issues.
It acts like an old carburated car does with no choke until warm ( sluggish won't idle ect) and at the same time suddenly it's like the the converter light off hold won't release and feels almost like the kick down is stuck on or something.
What controls the cold start and all the emissions programs on this system the LH module?? Something seems terminally confused by the sudden cold here for some reason.

 

[nocfn]

Maybe the temp sensor for that is not working. I don't profess to know, perhaps gsxr might answer soon,

 

[Ascension]

Well for a while thought I had this one at the least managed until my break out box got here-- nope.
Yesterday left for work and as typical it would not idle when cold but as it warmed it behaved but noticed trans was just "off'.
Up the on ramp I noticed that I was hearing wind noise and the drivers rear door was not completely shut so just off the on ramp hit the emergency lane and shut it. When I pulled back off it up shifted normally at very light throttle then suddenly as I accelerated at around 1/4 throttle or so abruptly dropped like the kick-down switch activated and held until 6K then up-shifted. Rest of the day was trans was "off" held long in gear and when it did shift the shifts were really LONG and soft just sliding into gear.
Has got to be in the electronics and related to the other cold start/run issues but WTF is it??
This is with the vacuum line plugged and disconnected from the cold hold solenoid on top of the brake booster so??
The 420 is a joy to drive when it behaves but is a temperamental and seemingly very fragile bitch most of the time and once again I am driving my stodgy, slow but rock solidly reliable Volvo to work.

 

[Ascension]

Just caught this thread and some of what I see here is eerily similar to what I am dealing with.
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2419

 

[gsxr]

Just caught this thread and some of what I see here is eerily similar to what I am dealing with.
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2419

Did you mean to link to a different thread? That one discusses the OL switch, which cannot cause 6000rpm upshifts or other changes to when the tranny shifts.

Trans shift points are controlled by basically 3 items: control pressure (Bowden) cable, kickdown solenoid, and valve body.

I'd start by making sure the kickdown solenoid isn't getting voltage when it isn't supposed to... then make sure the Bowden cable isn't sticking somehow... before digging into the really odd stuff (kickdown solenoid sticking, or valve body control pressure plunger sticking).

 

[Ascension]

Did you mean to link to a different thread? That one discusses the OL switch, which cannot cause 6000rpm upshifts or other changes to when the tranny shifts.

Trans shift points are controlled by basically 3 items: control pressure (Bowden) cable, kickdown solenoid, and valve body.

I'd start by making sure the kickdown solenoid isn't getting voltage when it isn't supposed to... then make sure the Bowden cable isn't sticking somehow... before digging into the really odd stuff (kickdown solenoid sticking, or valve body control pressure plunger sticking).

No it was intentional. I have all sorts of weird stuff going on like the loss of power/misfiring at high throttle at times. What ever is causing this I suspect is whacking out several systems electronically at the same time.
Here is the whole list of weirdness.
First it was laying down and acting like it was running fat on a cold start, had long trans holds at the same time but with the holds it was like trans pressures were very low as shifts were very lazy.
Later the fat cold condition stopped and it started not idling and acting like it had no cold enrichment at all. Acts right now like carb car with no choke on a cold start.
As of now both air pump and the hold solenoid are disabled, pump disconnected hold vacuum blocked with NO CEL so ether code is not setting or bulb has been removed..
At the same time the climate control fan started running on high all the time unless I manually turn it down.
Car has more than once refused to shift out of 1/2 or 2/3 when it is doing this stuff until 6K. Then suddenly the trans stuff will stop with no rime or reason and it shifts like it should.
the activation of the overload with the timing retard and drop of trans pressure would match some of my symptoms as would also some type of activation of the hold causing a drop in trans pressure. If it's the hold is there some thing electrical as well as the vacuum that is involved? But the bigger question is WHY is it going into that mode in the 1st place??
Have some time later today to get after it and may try swapping the LH for the 92 I have just to see if it is maybe a bad LH.
Bottom line I'm in over my head and all this as a whole is making no sense.
PS waiting on a break out box to arrive but REALLY need a real scanner at this point not just a blink to track this one down!!

 

[nocfn]

Status/age of both wire harness?

 

[TerryA]

I'm not a genius when it comes to trouble shooting but since there are so many different symptoms in different systems, I would at least look at the lower electrical harness under the engine. If it's really buggered up get a new one. It could be both harnesses are bad.

I prefer to do all the work on my car that I can but I know my limits. I get help when I need it.
If you know that you are in over your head it's time to take it somewhere with a competent tech who has all of the right equip to test it.
The shotgun approach costs a lot of $$$. Don't keep throwing $$$ at it until you have a real target.


JMOP

Good Luck

 

[Ascension]

Status/age of both wire harness?

Upper harness replaced a few months back lower is a ?.

 

[Ascension]

Thought I had things licked with a throttle linkage and cable adjustment nope. Still holding 1st longer than it should at times.
In particular at WOT it's hitting the limiter in 1st before it shifts so??

 

[gsxr]

Thought I had things licked with a throttle linkage and cable adjustment nope. Still holding 1st longer than it should at times.
In particular at WOT it's hitting the limiter in 1st before it shifts so??

Does it hit the engine rev limiter ONLY at WOT? Or will it hit the limiter at part throttle? Very different scenarios. If it only hits the limiter (~6200rpm) at WOT... could be a sticking kickdown solenoid. Or, you have a valve body problem.