Theory Of Operation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2015 Jeep Renegade. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

This diagnostic checks for the movement of the gate select actuator. The gate select actuator distributes the transmission fluid from the electrovalves PPV1 and PPV2 to one of the four gear engagement actuators, depending on the position of the actuator spool, and it is controlled by the Transmission Control Module (TCM) via the electrovalve PPV-S. When the TCM does not control the gate select actuator, it has a rest position due to a load spring that puts the actuator spool in the position corresponding to that of the 1st-3rd gear engagement actuator. This diagnostic checks the gate select actuator position sensor output in order to confirm it is in its rest position when it is not being controlled by the TCM and that it moves to the proper position when it is being controlled by the TCM.