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948TE. Back in the May, 2015 issue of GEARS Magazine, Mike Souza explained how
the A and F dog clutches worked inside this unit.
In this edition of Fun with Transmissions, we’re going to check out how the A and F
dog clutches are hydraulically controlled by the valve body and TCM.
As Mike explained, dog clutches are “any two components that are coupled by
interference instead of friction.” The A dog clutch attaches to the input shaft, and
is a driving dog clutch (figure 1).
The F dog clutch is part of the driven gear support that is bolted to the case
(figure 2), and is a holding/braking dog clutch. The valve body uses two on/off
solenoids to apply and release these two dog clutches (figure 3).
Both the A and F dog clutches use similar hydraulic circuits (figure 4). An on/off
solenoid controls a switching valve that directs fluid to position the clutch valve.
The clutch valves are biased by the solenoid pressure circuit. This moves the
valve all the way to the release position when the solenoid’s off.
The release circuits always have some pressure from the solenoid pressure
circuit. This prevents shift delays resulting from drained clutch apply circuits.
B, C, D, and E Clutches
The B, C, D, and E clutches all have similar hydraulic circuits (figure 5). A pressure
regulating solenoid and valve control a clutch valve. The clutch valve directs full
system pressure to the clutch.
To release the clutch, the switching valve moves to connect the clutch apply
circuit to the release circuit. The release circuit always has some pressure from
the lubrication circuit. This prevents shift delays caused by drained clutch apply
circuits. Some of the clutch valves have an additional circuit to support limp
home mode or park-by-wire.
It’s important to recognize that the computer is constantly applying and releasing
the clutches to synchronize the shift timing of the A and F dog clutches.
The Controls
Electronically controlled transmissions have been on the road for some time now
and we’re all familiar with the controls or inputs that go to the TCM: the MAF,
TPS, RPM sensor and so on.
The 948TE has all the usual inputs to the TCM for transmission control, plus a
pressure transducer and the speed sensors; sensors that operate a bit differently
than the ones you’re probably familiar with.
Pressure Transducer
This pressure sensor is very different from pressure sensors of the past. It’s a 3-
wire sensor like its predecessor, but that’s where the similarities end.
This transducer receives a 5-volt reference from the TCM, and it sends a variable
voltage signal back to the TCM. The transducer is a
modified piezoelectric (pronounced “pee-ay-zo” electric) pressure sensor.
According to the manufacturer, it has an integrated circuit board inside the
sensor that receives the signal from the piezo crystal, and then it creates a signal
to send to the TCM.
This means that you can’t test the sensor the normal way with an ohmmeter. The
resistance across the terminals is extremely high (figure 7). If you look closely at
the meter, it says 9.86 M ohms. That’s well over 9 million ohms resistance!
To bench test the transducer, you’ll need to power it up using a 5-volt power
source (figure 8). Once the transducer is powered up, it’ll vary the voltage based
on the pressure applied to it. The tested pressure transducer reads about half a
volt with 0 PSI applied and 1.86V with about 110 PSI of shop air applied (figures
9A and B).
Speed Sensors
Because the dog clutches are coupled by interference instead of friction, the
timing to engage and disengage them must be precise. The computer uses the
speed sensors, engine RPM, and the pressure sensor to transition the dog
clutches smoothly between engaged and disengaged. To do this, the TCM slips
the remaining clutches, to make sure that the rest of the transmission
components are spinning at the same speed.
The speed sensors are two wire sensors that are built into a common housing
(figure 10). They share a common ground. But these aren’t your typical, two-wire,
pulse generator-type sensors.
These sensors receive a 9-volt reference signal from the TCM. The voltage
energizes a chip inside the sensor, which then sends a signal to the TCM. This is
called a magnetoresistive sensor. The advantage of this type of speed sensor is a
cleaner signal at slower speeds.
When you understand how the 948TE* works and what the TCM is using to
control the shifts, the easier it’ll be to diagnose it. And when our jobs are easier,
we all have Fun With Transmissions!