N H Ford 445C TCM no. FONN7Z319AAR.

[fred saas]

Thank you. I can hardly wait until daylight to figure this out without damaging anything. These instructions are way over my head and without your previous posts outlying the solutions, I don't think I could have managed. Over the past 25 years I wore out a L295 29 hp Kubota and built my roads and ponds with a JD 555 track loader backhoe a large machine, but the electronics on this 1990 NH Ford 445C is over my head so far, also...
This month this Korean vet will be 90 and I've years of work left to do. Thanks to you and Ted, TractorTech.

 

[eKretz]

Glad to have been of help Fred, and you are very welcome - I'm more than happy to have lent a hand. Also happy to have helped find a solution for anyone who ends up in the same boat as us. These are great old machines still, I'd sure hate to see them junked because of the inability to get a TCM. And great job on keeping so active at that age! I hope I am still out tinkering with my tractor if I make it that far.

 

[TractorTech]

Fred, likewise what eKretz said. Glad you are able to keep on working and I too am hopeful to live into my 90s and be active.
Always here to help on the Ford machines. The 3,4,545s are great machines and very tough. Once you get things straightened out, it will be a workhorse.

@eKretz, thanks for this solution as this is one part that can't be faked!

 

[fred saas]

You should get power on the gray or brown wires only when the key is on and the shuttle shifter is moved to forward or reverse. You should have a list of the settable parameters on the paper that came in the box and also there's a reference sticker by the terminals. To cycle through the options you need to hit the button that looks like a gear while the controller is powered up. That gets you to the first option, then you can either use the arrow keys to adjust or hit the gear button again to move to the next one. When finished, press the on/off button to exit the setup menu.

I would advise not connecting any of the solenoid wires to anything while you're just powered up from the temporary wire. The way I have this set up, the controllers will be completely off unless the machine is shifted into forward or reverse. Then an individual controller will be powered up by the gray or brown wire, as applicable, and immediately turn on to soft start the corresponding solenoid circuit. That is a built-in feature of these controllers, and is the only reason they can be used with the shuttle shifter with no other circuitry and no alteration of the original wiring.

Thanks for the solenoid's hookup warning. I only used the ground on the connector and a hot wire from my starter key, which is just hanging. So, nothing disturbed the solenoids. I sure appreciate that serious set of warnings. I'm biting at the bit to set the controllers, but you know, chores and there's the weather.

Fred, likewise what eKretz said. Glad you are able to keep on working and I too am hopeful to live into my 90s and be active.
Always here to help on the Ford machines. The 3,4,545s are great machines and very tough. Once you get things straightened out, it will be a workhorse.

@eKretz, thanks for this solution as this is one part that can't be faked!

A couple months ago I watched a 445C TCM video and the owner said the TCM only required 7 volts per the manual. I emailed him asking for info. Anyway, if you haven't seen the video, It's about 8 minutes in. (Steele Farm & Sawmill) I'm curious where he got his info...

 

[eKretz]

Thanks for the solenoid's hookup warning. I only used the ground on the connector and a hot wire from my starter key, which is just hanging. So, nothing disturbed the solenoids. I sure appreciate that serious set of warnings. I'm biting at the bit to set the controllers, but you know, chores and there's the weather.

A couple months ago I watched a 445C TCM video and the owner said the TCM only required 7 volts per the manual. I emailed him asking for info. Anyway, if you haven't seen the video, It's about 8 minutes in. (Steele Farm & Sawmill) I'm curious where he got his info...

There are test pins at the rear of the TCM that run around that voltage if I remember correctly. Those are not the outputs to the solenoids though. The solenoids themselves run at 12V - at least on my machine. You'd need to double check in your service manual to be sure, but I would be very surprised if they were not 12V solenoids on yours also, as I'm almost certain that those parts of the transmissions are identical.

In my service manual there is a section on troubleshooting that specifies that the shift solenoids run at 12V.

 

[fred saas]

There are test pins at the rear of the TCM that run around that voltage if I remember correctly. Those are not the outputs to the solenoids though. The solenoids themselves run at 12V - at least on my machine. You'd need to double check in your service manual to be sure, but I would be very surprised if they were not 12V solenoids on yours also, as I'm almost certain that those parts of the transmissions are identical.

In my service manual there is a section on troubleshooting that specifies that the shift solenoids run at 12V.

eKretz, I just spent several hours perusing several manuals and could not find anything other than 12volts. However, I could not find specific voltage for the TCM or the solenoids. I'm confidently following both your leads. Tomorrow weather permitting, it's blast off...

 

[eKretz]

Fred, here is the relevant section from my service manual. Note that the white and green wires are the + and - wires directly to the forward solenoid.

And also the relevant section regarding the test pin voltage on the back of the TCM:

 

[fred saas]

Fred, here is the relevant section from my service manual. Note that the white and green wires are the + and - wires directly to the forward solenoid.

View attachment 845651

And also the relevant section regarding the test pin voltage on the back of the TCM:

View attachment 845652

eKretz, Shouldn't' the voltage be set at 7 volts, not 10? Am I missing something? The weather prevented me from trying to start up today.

 

[eKretz]

eKretz, Shouldn't' the voltage be set at 7 volts, not 10? Am I missing something? The weather prevented me from trying to start up today.

Do you mean on the controller minimum voltage protection setting? That minimum voltage is just the voltage at the battery below which the controllers won't activate the solenoids. Not really likely to ever even come into play for our application, so I just left it where it was at default. If your battery drops to 10V, your machine will not even be likely to crank, I'm guessing.

 

[eKretz]

Got the starter in. It was much easier than I was fearing, too. Most of that was down to the rear bolt starting on almost my first try at the end of the long extension. I couldn't reach in there to grab it with my fingers barely at all. I could touch it, but not turn it. I've got pretty big hands. Turns out that the starter was actually a re-man by the look of it, also. Looked brand spanking new. Fired right up on the first bump in 30° weather. What a difference! Cranks fast as heck now.