All,

I had problems wi my M46 (manual transmission) late last year. All sorted by putting new relay and solenoid in due to advice on this board.

Now though! Bloody thing has stopped working again. Solenoid is fine (relatively new), relay is fine as it worked now and again other day and dash light is fine. Fuse in the fuse board appears ok too. It did work my wobbling the stick about whilst pressing the 5th gear button but it has stopped doing that altogether now too. Also, reverse lights aren't working either (but haven't been for a while, whilst overdrive did). Are the two related?

What do you fellow bricksters think? 4th gear switch, switch on the stick or something else? I'd be grateful for some help and advice on fixing it as its eating fuel at 70mph on the british freeways! Other than that, great car and has just flown through its MOT (yearly government test).

Thanks in advance for your help

Kind regards

Paul. (1988 744 Turbo, M46 Manual transmission, 191000, 190bhp)

I just pulled my OD relay last night and sweated the solder connections where the relay mounts on the board. Lots of stuff in there, not just a simple relay. Mine was working fine 80% of the time but the other 20% I'd push the button and nothing. Then, 30sec to a minute later, if at all, it would jump into OD and the light would come on. Hmm. The driver circuit in the relay was sending an energize signal but the cold solder joints at the relay weren't making adequate contact. When vibration made the connection it went into OD.

You can sit in your car, key on, engine off, with the trans in 4th and push the button. You should hear the OD relay click on and off while pressing the button. If not, you can remove your shift boot and follow the wires from the stick, you'll (at least I did) find a connector. To eliminate the switch, separate the connector and use a piece of wire or paper clip to jump across the contacts. This should toggle the relay on and off. My shift boot was loose anyway so it was easy to pull it off completely. I don't know how it's supposed to attach around the base of the shifter. If your's isn't free, pull out the ashtray and the fuse/relay cover and you should be able to find the OD wires and connector.

Good luck,
--
Erwin in Memphis, '88 745t 183,000 miles, '95 855t For Sale

If your switch is bad and you don't want the expense or hassle of replacing it, any momentary switch should work. You can mount it in the console somewhere convenient. Radio shack has a wide selection, some are even waterproof. An added benefit is that the wires won't be flexed with each shift.
--
Erwin in Memphis, '88 745t 183,000 miles, '95 855t For Sale

Did you check the wires going from the button ( switch) thru the stick and connects into a connector inside the rubber boot?
Over time this tends to break - a pain in the A** to Install.
Dealers carry this item - known to break over time (like the 245 tailgate wires)

Had a look last night but can't tell if its broken. Is there a tell tale way of doing this?

Cheers

Paul.

I wouul find the connector at in the black rubber boot aat the bottom of the stick shift, undo it and short it - do essentially what the switch was doing. In my case i did this while somebody drove and i managed to get in and out of 5 by shorting these 2 wires. So it was a matter of is is the short link going thru the stick shift or is it the switch. Do a continuity test on both. If the symptoms you had before are the same as when you shorted the system, you know it is not the switch or the short wiring link.

Just a thought - have you carefully checked the connectors around the gearbox. It's often something simple.............
--
BillB

Does your dash light work? Since you mentioned that wiggling the shifter worked it for a while, my guess is that dash light is out.

That along with no reverse lights woild indicate a linkage misalignmnet or the switches on the trans themselves are not functioning.

Duane

Would not having the dash light working prevent the od from activating?

I'm thinking it could be transmission switches. Is it a big job to do?

Many thanks for your help again.

Regards

Paul.