CarlaValentine Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I've been doing a lot of reading around lately, and I'm stumped on something and hope someone here may have an answer. EVERYTHING I read says that if your traction control is disabled, you will lose 1st gear and start out in second. Well, my TC is disabled. I have a bad wheel hub connector and rather than let the TC randomly kick on and off, I unplugged it. But here's the thing, I still have 1st gear! Is this stuff I am reading wrong? Is there something wrong with my car? Or is it some freak of engineering the defies all reason? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I had a bad EBTCM recently and lost TC and ABS more and more until both were essentially disabled. What I found is that the car will start off in 2nd gear but if you press down on the throttle it will instantly downshift to 1st gear. If you are moving at all, the transmission operates normally. Apparently all you lose is the tire chirp from a quick foot and the torque converter in 1st gear from a dead stop. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlaValentine Posted December 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I had a bad EBTCM recently and lost TC and ABS more and more until both were essentially disabled. What I found is that the car will start off in 2nd gear but if you press down on the throttle it will instantly downshift to 1st gear. If you are moving at all, the transmission operates normally. Apparently all you lose is the tire chirp from a quick foot and the torque converter in 1st gear from a dead stop. Oh I still get the tire chirp. And then some.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 It seems that the 1994 model year handles the loss of the TC function differently from the 1997 model year. What happens when you disable TC using the button in the glove box? -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott y Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I can't answer for carla but, my '94 doesn't have a switch in the glovebox or anywhere for that matter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I can't answer for carla but, my '94 doesn't have a switch in the glovebox or anywhere for that matter... I thought that I recalled a comment by BodybyFisher that the button in the glove box appeared about 1995 but wasn't sure. It seems that handling of TC faults changed over the years. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlaValentine Posted December 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Scott, you are right. No button in the glove box. The only way to disable the TC on the 94 is through the on board computer. There is a PCM override control that disables the TC for 11 ignition cycles. Why 11 I have NO clue...such an odd number. At any rate, for the heck of it I have disabled it that way before and it seemed to handle it just the same as it does now. Maybe you are right and the faults changed over the years. Did the 97 and on still have the 4t80e trans like the 94? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I know mine isn't a '94 "OR" an El Dorado...but...it seems to work just like Carla's does. I can push the button and the TC light comes on in the instrument cluster. I also get a message on the DIC... TRACTION CONTROL DISABLED.. But the transmission works just the same as it does if I "DON'T" push the button. It still starts out in first gear and shifts normally... ie..no hard shifts when it is disabled. So...it seems that on "MY" car and maybe also on Carla's car...all it actually "DOES" is disable the Traction Control without affecting the transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlaValentine Posted December 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Exactly. The only other thing I lose is my ABS, but again, not a big deal to me. I don't personally care for ABS anyway. I've been driving in New York crap weather long enough to know how to handle a car without it. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 I believe that all the FWD Northstars use the 4T80E. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Jim is correct on the 4T80E. I think the 1st gear disable has varied over the years. Some do, some don't, but I forget when it was implemented and discontinued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cancuncaddy Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 jim yours is a 96 like my eldorado. is their a way to get first gear back without changing the module!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 My 1997 is almost identical to the 1996, and, no, so far as I know, there is no way to disable the 1st gear disable if there is an EBTCM fault. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 i cannot spin my tires from a stop. car runs fine. i have spun them in snow but the funny sounds coming from under the hood put a quick stop to that. same with abs. strange underhood solenoid clicking. wife has new camry. flooring throttle makes no noise. car basically will not go hard. very quiet. but it has electronic throttle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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