RE: traction control switch
I don't know what Geno's procedure was, but a while back I posted:
...I was driving to work today and had a wild and crazy thought. I was trying to figure a way in my head to deactivate the O/D and traction control as a 'start-up' procedure instead of changing the default factory setting of overdrive and traction control being 'on'. I was trying to think of something to momentarily supply power after start-up to simultaneously simulate a push of the O/D button and the traction control button. Then it hit me.
I used to be amazed at the Mark VIII's ability to lock the doors whenever you started up and departed on your merry way. At first, I figured it was a timer device but that was quickly discounted by sitting in the driveway idling for a few minutes before I pulled out. Then I thought, it might be a timer activated whenever the gear selector was moved from park. But later, I learned from researching the keyless entry circuits that the MLPS was connected to the keyless entry module. Why? Simple, whenever you moved the gearshift lever to commence driving the MLPS passed through reverse sending a 12 volt signal to the keyless entry module, thus triggering the doors to lock.
Now the way I figure it, that same 'signal' could emulate the momentary switch for either the O/D button and/or traction control button. In theory, when you departed the driveway the doors would lock, the O/D would be deactivated as well as the traction control would be turned off. Now to do this you would need to connect circuit 140(MLPS to the keyless entry module) to circuit 959(traction assist control switch to the ABS module) and circuit 224(transmission control switch to PCM). Of course the addition of diodes to prevent backfeed from either these circuits would be recommended.
To activate O/D, just press the transmission control switch to allow the transmission to shift into fourth as directed by the PCM. Likewise, to engage traction control, a momentary press of the traction assist control switch will engage the traction control.
Disclaimer: This is probably only viable for the Gen1 and proceed at your own risk.