When I start my car in the morning the 4th gear doesnt come on until about 10 miles out...but what is really strange is that if I play with the switch...on and off, on and off...when it is finally ready to go into 4th gear..the light finally comes on. It seems to me that the soleniod is the part that lets the relay activate so that the light is on..is anyone really clear on if the light on the dash just tells you if you are cutting off the 12 volts to the solenoid or if the solenoid have to be in a certain position before the light will come on or off..thanks in advance...Jeffrey..

is anyone really clear on if the light on the dash just tells you if you are cutting off the 12 volts to the solenoid or if the solenoid have to be in a certain position before the light will come on or off.

The shifter button controls the relay. The relay controls the solenoid and Upshift (OD Locked Out) light.The solenoid is the last thing in the circuit.

The normal start up condidtion is:
• Relay ON
• Upshift Light OFF
• Solenoid energized (OD enabled)

When you push the "OD" button:
• The relay switches OFF
• The upshift Light comes ON
• The solenoid is deenergized (OD locked out)

The Upshift light is in parallel with the solenoid, so they both get voltage (or grounded) at the same time, depending on the state of the relay.

The tricky part is that the Upshift light already has one side tied to +12v.
So when the relay is ON (putting +12v to the solenoid), the solenoid voltage "bucks" the +12v on the other side of the light, keeping it OFF (OD enabled).

When the relay is switched OFF, it grounds both the solenoid AND the (switchable side) of the Upshift light. This deenergizes the solenoid, and provides ground path to turn the light ON (OD locked out).
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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

Does this mean if the light is off, and the bulb is good, that OD and the solenoid are operating ?

"Does this mean if the light is off, and the bulb is good, that OD and the solenoid are operating ?"

Yes—but only theoretically. The fact that the light goes off means that the relay operated correctly and put +12v on the wire to the light, AND the other wire to the solenoid.

All this means is that one path from the relay is OK, because the light went out. But the path to the solenoid is an unknown—unless the OD responded by going into 4th as it should.

The wiring to the solenoid, or the solenoid itself, could be bad even though the light (and therefore the relay) are working correctly.

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Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

Probably just a weak overdrive relay. It's inexpensive and easy to change.