B&M TRANS CONTROLLER User Manual

Installation Instructions

Shift Plus 2 TCU

for 4L60E, 4L65E, 4L70E, 4L80E and 4L85E

Part Number 120001

©2011 by B&M Racing and Performance Products

Thank you for purchasing the B&M Shift Plus 2 Transmission Controller Unit (TCU).The Shift Plus 2 TCU
allows users to adjust nearly any aspect of a transmissions behavior for street/strip use. No software, laptop
computer or tuning experience is required. This kit provides tuning right out of the box. Simply install this new
transmission control unit according to the enclosed instructions, and then start the system by answering the
simple setup wizard questions on the included hand-held unit.Read the instructions and review the
illustrations thoroughly before beginning the installation.

P ARTS

Handheld user

Interface

Transmission Control Unit

(TCU)

Wiring

Harness

RPM Module

Printed in the U.S.A.

Communications Cable

Manual Shifter Connector

Power Cable

9500858-00

TCU - IMPORTANT!:

The TCU is water tight when connected to the wiring harness. It can be mounted in the engine compartment or in the
vehicle’s interior. It is good practice to mount the TCU with the connector facing down. This way, there is less chance
of moisture getting into the TCU if it needs to be disconnected in wet conditions.

The TCU should not be mounted close to other electrically “noisy” components. In particular , keep good spacing (try
for 2 feet minimum) from ignition components (ignition boxes, coils, distributors, etc.)

If mounting the TCU in the engine compartment, selecting a location towards the rear will make it easier to route the
communications cable to the interior to allow the handheld user interface to be monitored while driving.

There is an LED on the front face of the TCU (the side with the logo). It will flash if the on-board diagnostics detects a
problem (the LED is lit solid when the TCU is powered up and working normally). To take advantage of this feature, the
TCU will need to be mounted so that the front face of the TCU is visible. The handheld user interface will also indicate
if any faults have been detected.

WIRING HARNESS- IMPORTANT!:

The wiring harness should be kept away from ignition components (ignition boxes, coils, distributors, etc.) as much as
possible. Do not bundle the wiring harness together with other “noisy” wiring in the vehicle.
As with any wiring, it is good practice to avoid routing the wiring harness around sharp edges or near high temperature
components such as headers or exhaust components.

WIRING HARNESS CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING CONNECTION:

BATTERY POSITIVE (red wire) / NEGATIVE (black wire)

These must be connected DIRECTLY to the positive (red wire) and negative (black wire) posts of the battery . These
must be run independently to the battery. DO NOT splice other power or ground wires into these wires. Failure to
follow these requirements invites problems with electrical noise. These kinds of problems are difficult to diagnose.
The wires may be extended if needed using automotive grade 16 gauge (or larger) wire.

12V SWITCHED (pink wire)

Connect this wire to a switched ignition source that is hot with the key in the On/Run and Crank positions. DO NOT
connect to the positive side of an ignition coil. Strange problems can sometimes arise when t apping into existing
switched ignition sources. When in doubt, run this wire through its own switch and then directly to the positive post
of the battery.

TRANS

This connects to the round connector on the passenger side of a 4L60E transmission or on the driver side of 4L80E.
Note: Pre-1993 4L80E's will need an updated internal wiring harness.B&M part# 120003, GM part# 24200161 or

equivalent.

4L60E

4L80E

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OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED

This connects to a speed sensor at the rear of the transmission. In the case of the 4L80E transmissions, use the rear
most sensor.

THROTTLE / TPS SIGNAL

The THROTTLE connector can be plugged into an early style GM TPS sensor . Wiring adapters are available from
FAST™ ( fuelairsp ark.com) to accommodate a later style GM TPS (round, 3 pin connector). The harness can also be
modified for use with any 0-5V TPS.

Original
Pin Location Color Function

A Black/Pink Ground
B White/Red TPS signal
C Red/White 5V

The loose TPS SIGNAL wire is provided to facilitate sharing the TPS signal between two systems (TCU and a fuel
injection system, for example) if needed. It splits off from the THROTTLE connector’s signal wire inside the harness.

Remote mount TPS kits are available from B&M to provide a TPS signal for carbureted applications (part # 120002) .
When installing one, adjust the linkage so that there is some preload on the sensor when the throttle is closed. Also
adjust it so that opening the throttle all the way causes the sensor to sweep through a majority of its range - but
without the sensor reaching its mechanical limit. Allowing the sensor to operate at it s mechanical limits (high or low)
can lead to premature failure. It will cause a TPS error code to be set if the signal voltage goes above or below approxi­mately 4.9V or 0.1V respectively . If needed, the signal voltage can be measured on the TPS SIGNAL wire.

TACH IN / RPM MODULE

The wire with the female terminal can go from the tach output from an ignition box, other RPM signal source or to the
Shift Plus 2 RPM Module depending on the application. See RPM Module notes. DO NOT connect this directly to the
ignition coil.

A second wire is provided to facilitate sharing the tach signal between two systems (TCU and a fuel injection system,
for example) if needed. The terminal on the second wire is the opposite gender . So something that would normally
connect to an ignition box tach output or the Shift Plus 2 RPM Module can instead be plugged into this second wire in
the TCU harness for a splice-free hook up.

MANUAL SHIFT

This connector contains the wires needed to enable and use manual bump up/bump down shifting. Buttons can be
mounted where ever they are convenient in the vehicle – on the steering wheel, on the shift lever , etc.

Pin Color Function Notes

A Re d Bump Down Use momentary switch to ground to request a downshift.
B Y ellow Bump Up Use momentary switch to ground to request an upshift.
C Blue Auto/Manual Use a toggle switch to ground to enable Manual Shifting.

D Black Ground Can be used as the ground source for switches.

SPEEDOMETER OUTPUT (orange wire)

This wire puts out a 12V square wave to drive an electronic speedometer . The number of pulses per mile is selected in
the handheld user interface.

ECONOMY / PERFORMANCE (purple wire)

When switched to ground through a toggle switch, this TCU input can be used to select a more performance oriented
shift strategy . Line pressure and shift points will be altered according to settings entered in the handheld user inter-

face.

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TCC APPLY (grey wire)

When switched to ground, (and when some very basic requirements are met) this TCU input forces the torque
converter clutch to lock up. Otherwise, the TCC will lock and unlock automatically based on user configurable
settings.

FLASH ENABLE (blue wire)

This wire is only used in the rare case that new firmware needs to be loaded into the TCU. This wire would be
grounded as the TCU is keyed on. Be sure that this wire is not accidentally grounded in normal operation. If the TCU
accidentally starts up in Flash Mode (LED flashing steady on/off pattern – a slower pattern than the rapid flashing
that indicates an error code has been set), the transmission will not function properly . If that occurs, make sure the
FLASH ENABLE wire is not grounded, then key off, wait about 10 seconds and key back on.

HANDHELD

This connects to the communications cable that links the main wiring harness to the handheld user interface.

SPEEDOMETER CONTROL UNIT

This connects to an optional B&M Speedometer Control Unit (SCU) (p art# 120004). A SCU uses an electric motor to
spin a special speedometer cable to drive a mechanical speedometer.

RPM MODULE:

There are two basic options for supplying the Shift Plus 2 with an RPM input.

1. Clean, processed Tach signal from engine electronics

Electronics involved in running the engine – fuel injection, ignition, etc. – will need to know engine RPM. So there
may be an existing tach signal wire that can be tapped into. The Shift Plus 2 requires a square wave type tach
signal that pulses once per cylinder firing. Ignition systems – such as aftermarket capacitive discharge (CD) ignition
boxes – often have dedicated “T ach” output s that are a perfect RPM signal source for the TCU.

If using a clean, processed Tach signal, the T ACH IN / RPM MODULE wire in the Shift Plus 2 wiring harness is
connected directly to that source - the “Tach” output from an ignition box, etc. The RPM Module included with the kit
is not used in this case and no part of the Shift Plus 2 system is connected to the coil.

2. Inductive coil

Another RPM signal source is the negative side of the ignition coil in a traditional dwell controlled inductive ignition
system. One in which the coil is fed power on one side and is charged by grounding the other side - either by
“points” or some form of electronic module. An HEI is one example of this type of ignition system.
To use this RPM signal option, the RPM Module is required. The RPM Module connects to the negative side of the
coil and outputs a “Tach” signal to the TCU. The RPM Module is connected as follows:

Wire color Connection

Black Engine block
Black Engine block
White Negative side of coil
Yellow TACH IN / RPM MODULE wire in the Shift Plus 2 wiring harness

The RPM Module is provided to allow this convenient installation option. But keep in mind that it has limitations.
The negative side of an ignition coil is one of the noisiest points on the engine. In most applications, the RPM
Module will be able to deal with this and feed a clean RPM signal to the TCU. But the old saying – garbage in,
garbage out - applies here. If the inductive ignition system is just too noisy or inconsistent, a different RPM signal
source will be needed. A poor RPM signal can cause the RPM display on the Live Dat a screen to appear erratic. It

can also lead to inconsistent shift points under heavy load.

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RPM MODULE - IMPORTANT:

HEI distributors (and possibly others) have a terminal labeled “T ACH”. However , this is usually not a clean,
processed tach signal like many aftermarket ignition boxes would supply. Instead, it is simply another terminal
connected to the negative side of the coil. DO NOT connect the T ACH IN / RPM MODULE wire in the Shif t Plus 2
wiring harness directly to these terminals. The TCU will be damaged. In cases like this, the supplied RPM Module

is

required and will allow connection to the negative side of a dwell controlled coil.

DO NOT bypass the RPM Module and connect the TACH IN / RPM MODULE wire in the Shift Plus 2 wiring harness

directly to the negative side of the coil. This may actually function for a short time but eventually the TCU will be
damaged and system performance will degrade.

DO NOT connect anything from the Shift Plus 2 system to the coil – RPM Module or TACH IN / RPM MODULE wire
when using an aftermarket ignition box.

Use resistor type spark plugs. Non-resistor plugs are very electrically noisy and cause interference with electronics–
including the Shift Plus 2 system. DO NOT use solid core spark plug wires, these are also very noisy .

B&M Speedometer Control Unit (SCU) (Not include in kit):

An optional B&M SCU is available, part# 120004. It uses an electric motor to spin a special speedometer cable to drive
a mechanical speedometer. The SCU wiring mates directly to the Shif t Plus 2 wiring harness.

T o configure the SCU for use with the Shift Plus 2, remove the SCU's lid to access a row of DIP switches. Set switches
4,5 and 8 to the "ON" position. All others should be "OFF". Once the switches are set, the lid can be replaced. In the
setup wizard or in the advanced options menu, set the SPEEDO PPM to "4000PPM OR SCU".

In other applications, the SCU needs the DIP switches to be set according to a formula based on various drive train
information. The calculation is not required for use with the Shift Plus 2. Once the switches are set as described above,
the Shift Plus 2 handles the rest.It sends a calibrated speed signal to the SCU.

Installation

This is a general outline of the installation process. Read all of the component specific installation instructions for
more detail before beginning the installation.

1. Connect the TRANS and OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED connectors from the wiring harness to the transmission.
Route the rest of the harness into the engine compartment.

2. Determine the appropriate method for getting an RPM signal into the TCU. Install RPM Module if needed.

3. Connect the wiring harness to the RPM signal source.

4. Connect the wiring harness to a TPS signal source.
If a mechanical speedometer will be used, install the optional B&M SCU and connect the wiring harness to it.

5. Find a suitable location and mount the TCU. Make sure the wiring harness will reach the mounting location.

6. Connect the BATTER Y POS and BATTERY NEG wires DIRECTLY to the battery . These must be run
independently to the battery . DO NOT splice other power or ground wires into these wires. Extend the wires
if necessary to reach the battery. Use automotive grade 16 gauge (or larger) wire.

7. Connect the 12V SWITCHED wire to a switched ignition source (hot in On/Run and Crank). DO NOT
connect to the positive side of an ignition coil.

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8. If Manual Shifting will be used, route the MANUAL SHIFTING connector into the cockpit and wire in an
enable switch and a pair of buttons for upshift and downshift.

9. To use the Forced TCC Lockup feature, route the TCC APPLY wire into the cockpit and connect it to a switch
or button.

10. T o access Performance Mode, route the ECONOMY/PERFORMANCE wire into the cockpit and connect it to
a switch.

1 1. If an electronic speedometer will be used, route the SPEEDOMETER OUTPUT wire into the cockpit and

connect it to the speedometer.

12. Connect the wiring harness to the TCU.

HANDHELD:

The Shift Plus 2 handheld serves as the user interface with the Shift Plus 2 system. It has a straight forward menu
system that offers advanced features without requiring a laptop or any computer skills. Its first task is to take you
through the Setup Wizard. It also serves as a scan tool by displaying live data and diagnostics information. Beyond
basic setup, you can also adjust other settings to suit your preferences.

Communications

Cable

Power Cable

Power On / Off

HANDHELD - IMPORTANT:

The handheld has two cables that must be connected. A communications cable that links the handheld to the
HANDHELD connector on the main wiring harness. And a power cable that goes to a cigarette lighter recept acle.
For convenience, the handheld power source should be hot in On/Run and Crank. If it loses power while cranking,
there will be a short wait before the handheld can be used as it powers back up.

The B&M Racing logo will appear once the unit is turn on. To turn off the handheld, disconnect the power cable either
at the handheld itself or from the cigarette lighter receptacle. Reconnect the power cable to restart the handheld.

If the handheld displays a “COMM ERROR” message, make sure the handheld’s communication cable is connected
and that the TCU is powered on. Reset the handheld.

If monitoring live data or making adjustments while driving is necessary . Be safe by bringing a friend along to operate
the handheld while driving.

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