p0770 code 98 corolla

[1998rolla]

i could use some advice for my car. its a 98 corolla with 139,000 miles on it and i just had the check engine light come on. i went to toyota and they determined that the problem is a code p0770 shift solenoid e. a few months ago i had a new toque converter put in the car along with one shift solenoid (i dont know which one). i have no clue what to do about the situation, im not sure if i should drive it the way it is or spend money to get it fixed. note: the car shifts fine. thank you for any help you can give me.

[leeor_net]

That code gets fired whenever there's a condition of sorts with the solenoid for the Torque Converter. E.g., when your converter was changed, that's the solenoid that got fiddled with.

It could be an open circuit condition but if it's shifting fine than I doubt there's an actual problem with the solenoid. It's possible that the solenoid is getting and reacting to shift commands from the ECU but isn't talking back to it (that's the open condition I mentioned). That would definitely throw the code.

A few suggestions that were posted elsewhere online is to do a transmission fluid flush (and I mean simply draining the fluid, changing the filter and replacing it with fresh). You could try that though I doubt that would really have an effect.

Your best bet is to talk to a mechanic that you trust. If you don't know one, go to your local auto parts store and see who they recommend. They will generally be able to tell you which are the good mechanics and which ones to avoid. The mechanic will be better suited to telling you exactly what needs to be done to fix the problem.

If money isn't an issue, you can always take it to a Toyota dealer but expect that they'll probably charge an arm and a leg for any work that may need to be done, particularly if it means pulling large drive train parts out.

P.S.
You mentioned that it's shifting fine. That being the case, you should be fine to drive it but you'll want to get that fixed whenever you can. The last thing you want is for that solenoid to stick and end up getting stranded on the road.

[1998rolla]

thank you for the advice. i had it looked at and i was told to look into the ecu bc the light only comes on every now and then and my mechanic said it could be a clogged up sensor for the ecu. and im planning on getting a new lock up solenoid when i get a chance

[leeor_net]

I would have figured that it would be something simple like that. It's not likely the ECU itself unless it's been damaged by water (unlikely) or zapped by ESD (electro-static discharge) due to mishandling. Keep your fingers crossed because getting a reman ECU is around the $800 range (depending on where you go) vs. a salvaged ECU which is probably around $65.

Anyway, I'd suspect the solenoid itself or, as was suggested, a sensor of sorts. When those start misbehaving you get intermitten problems like you mentioned (common with airbag systems with a failing sensor).

[1998rolla]

i had my car parked out side over a year ago in a very heavy rain storm and i did have a problem with my a/c not working nor some of the other electronics. there was so much rain it made its way down into where my spark plugs sit on the engine. most of the lights in the dash where on when this happened. i replaced the plug wires and plugs and let the car dry out and when i went to start it i didnt have any problems, im not sure if water damage would start this long after it happened. any ideas?

[leeor_net]

Originally Posted by 1998rolla

i had my car parked out side over a year ago in a very heavy rain storm and i did have a problem with my a/c not working nor some of the other electronics. there was so much rain it made its way down into where my spark plugs sit on the engine. most of the lights in the dash where on when this happened. i replaced the plug wires and plugs and let the car dry out and when i went to start it i didnt have any problems, im not sure if water damage would start this long after it happened. any ideas?

I don't really understand how rain can get into the spark plug tubes unless the car actually ended up underwater somehow. I assume (based on your username) that you have the 1998 model year? Which means you'd have the distributor system with wireset. The problem with wiresets like that is if they are left to sit for ahile in environments with a lot of moisture it's very easy for the connectors in the wire boots to corode without the aid of boot grease.

However, you'd know immediatly if a sensor had been water damaged. It won't wait a year before it suddenly decides to exhibit those kinds of problems.

That sort of thing almost always happens because something was broken, improperly handled or improperly connected after having been fiddled with. Seen as you stated that you had your transmission and a solenoid replaced, there's the reason why you've got a problem now. Somebody screwed something up (or installed a bad part). But assuming it is indeed the sensor, it wouldn't be difficult to break it if you're not careful.