Hello CL,

So I searched and searched throughout the forum and couldn't find any confirmed answers. This will pertain to the infamous question of a 98 sc300 (not positive on a 400 but assume the same) manual swap cel problem. I just purchased a 98 sc300 vvti that was already 5 speed swapped with the tripod w58. The car needed and engine so I replaced the engine with my old one. I found when starting the car the cel wouldn't show assuming there was non then when pulling the cluster I found that the previous owner removed the bulb. I replaced the bulb and boom cel was on for the trans solenoid codes etc. After looking everywhere I couldn't find a for sure fix for it. So I removed the old solenoids from my old auto trans I had laying around.

I mounted the transmission on an engine and spun it around. Pulled the pan off and started removing the solenoids along with the harness. The retrieve the last one you have to pull the valve body off by removing all of the 10mm bolts around the valve body. Then remove the harness through the hole and plug all of the solenoids into the harness along withe the gear selector and the other two sensors on the transmission. The two smaller solenoids need to be grounded out to work right. After grounding the two you can clear the cel and presto changeo the cel should not return. Make sure to set the gear selector to park to be able to start the car.

So to reiterate if you remove ALL OF THE SENSORS AND SOLENOIDS the light will clear for those codes as long as you ground out those two smaller solenoids.

When it comes to the reverse lights working I and still currently working on that but I will update when completed. I will also redo the transmission sensor and solenoid removal process on another transmission to take pictures to better display the process.

 

Good info, I have read about this before on sc400s where there is no manual ecu available.
The reverse lights will be wired to the gear selector connector that has like 9 pins or so, same connector you jump the park/neutral switch to get it started.

I just manual swapped my 2001 tacoma which was automatic and have the same solenoid codes.
For reverse one wire is power (usually black/red on that connector), and the other is for the reverse signal (color varies), if you jumper these wires on the connector the reverse lights should come on as a test.
Then you just run these 2 wires down to a reverse switch connector you can get online.

Here is the tacoma diagram, I think most of the toyota automatics use the same or similar connector so maybe it might be helpful. I can confirm this worked on my tacoma.
6 and 9 is needed to start (optionally run to clutch switch), 2 and 3 for reverse (run to reverse switch on manual trans).


I was thinking instead of pulling the solenoids I would use resistors to simulate the solenoids. I just got them in the mail today and will try this week, if it works I will post it up.
In different toyota manuals I was seeing for the 2 main solenoids 10-15 ohms, and for the third solenoid something like 5 ohms. I ordered a 15 ohm and a 5 ohm to test out.
On the tacoma there is also a light for transmission oil temp on the cluster, and the book says around 1k ohm so I got one of those also.

If for some reason the resistors don't work, I may do the solenoid removal and hook them up, but I am hoping the resistors will do the trick.

 

Wow! Two really good posts for this longstanding hurdle with manual swapping 1998-00's! Info like this will make it that much easier for others attempting the same swap

Ali, per your research the resistors should work assuming you got the values right and also assuming that the ECU doesn't expect some specific pulsing of those signals that the solenoids might have provided. Fingers crossed that your plan will work!

 

Edit* I thought about it some more and that low of resistance means it would take a lot of power and generate a good amount of heat, so at 15 ohms and 12v would need like 10 watt or higher resistors which are large.
I am wondering how much the ecu cares and if it is just looking for short or open then I might be able to use the 1kohm or higher resistors and those could be 1/4 or 1/2 watt small resistors.
It's going to warm up tomorrow, so I will probably give it a try then.

 

So the 1kohm resistors worked for my setup, cleared the codes and drove around all day and no codes came on or were pending on the scanner.
It might even be better to try a 10kohm resistor then to draw even less current, but I don't want to remove mine to test it since its working.

So each solenoid pin (3 of them) gets one end of a resistor, and the other end attaches to a ground wire.
The oil temp sensor connector, the resistor goes across the 2 pins.

 

That's great news, Ali! So this effectively gives any 98-00 SC owners a clear path to building a simple simulator box with those resistors inside them and no need to rip out their A650E transmission shift solenoids?

It does not sound that complicated to implement at all.