2001 ford windstar dies when you put it in gear

just dies when you put in gear,,comes up with a code of 1780 transmission control switch circuit out of self test range,,some have suggested torque converter selonoid any way to test for these,,any ideas,,thanks,,what is transmission control switch

There a few tests that I know of that can be done in the vehicle. The first is to check the dc electrical resistance of the coil. It should be a few 10's of ohms.

A second is to check the voltage across the coil while the vehicle is running in park (with the electrical harness connected to the transmission). It should be zero. This can be done by back probing the connector, or piercing the wires with straight pins to the check the voltage.

Lastly, you check for the sound of the solenoid engaging by removing the harness from the transmission and briefly putting 12 volts on the solenoid (with the engine off). You should hear the click of the solenoid as it actuates.

All of the transmission control solenoids are located under the side cover, which is found on the driver side of the vehicle. On my '96 it can be removed after draining the transmission fluid and the transmission mount (with it properly supported). I did this by siphoning the fluid through the transmission dipstick tube, then removing the driver side wheel, supporting the transmission with a jack, then removing the support and cover.

You should be able to find a diagram showing which one is the TCC control solenoid.