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2015 Canyon - Hesitation/Gear Searching


Surf75

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I have had my new Canyon for about a month now and love it. I made the switch to GM from an '04 Dakota I had for 11 years. Making the change from a 4.7L V8 to a 3.6L V6 in a mid-size truck is hardly noticeable with the VVT engine. However, I have noticed some slight hesitation or gear searching when going up an incline or from simply letting off the gas on a level road and then giving it gas again. The truck seems to struggle to find the proper gear sometimes. It's almost like the computer is trying too hard to find the most fuel efficient way to deliver power. (Coming from my old V8, when I hit the gas I expect power not hesitation then power). I wanted to reach out to forum members to get some insight and opinions on whether or not this is something others are experiencing or a unique issue I'm having or if this is to be expected from the 3.6L VVT. Thanks!

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Ya it's probably still in learn mode. My '14 Silverado's trans acted a little weird at first. It would shift hard, but then after somewhere between 1K and 2K miles the trans is smooth as silk and haven't had any problems since then which I have just under 11K on the truck now. Also I'm sure your trans has a TQ management like mine where it will seem to hesitate and not give full power from a stop and that's to protect the trans and axles from dumba**es like how I use to drive.

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Just wanted to for warn everyone that GM posted bulletin #PIP4112Q regarding Sag or Hesitation on Acceleration. It was posted on September 16, 2015. My 2015 Colorado LT is experiencing moderate to severe hesitation concerns. It's progressively getting worse. I first brought it back to the dealership to have it checked out around 4500, 10,000, and 12,000 miles. Each time they claimed they can't do anything because the diagnostics reveal no trouble codes, although, per aforementioned bulletin, there's proof that a problem exists. I inquired if it could be a mechanical issue, but they refused to because no diagnostics produced no codes/proof. Therefore I contacted GM regarding the concern and am in a tussle right now with the issue.

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I just bought a Canyon and have around 800 miles on it. I am glad I read it is still in learning mode. I am having the same transmission issue: where it is not sure it knows when to shift. THere have been a couple time it was a very hard shift that kind of surprised me.

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Adam is there any other info you can give about the new truck? Likes, dislikes. I'm pretty sure a Canyon or Colorado will be my next truck. My biggest concern is interior room and ride quality.

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Steve: Ride quality is top notch. The steering, turning raidius and responsiveness is very tight, making it a nimble vehicle in the city. The 4wd auto feature is convenient and capable in the last few snow storms we had here. As far as interior room... I think it's got ample room. I'm about 6' and have had adult passengers in the back with no complaints. (compliments actually). Overall I love the truck.

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So, I am at a little over 1100 miles and the transmission is getting better. I have not had any surprise shifts and it seems to be getting smoother except on the entrance ramp to the highway - still learning...

 

 

Bobw - Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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If it makes you guys feel any better, I just got back from a vacation trip where I rented a brand new Toyota Camry with only 7000 miles on it. The transmission was exactly the same. Cruising was fine, give it a little gas to accelerate and not much happened. Keep gradually pushing the throttle down and suddenly it jumps like 2 or 3 gears and takes off with the motor screaming. It was also very quick to upshift unless you had your foot really in the throttle. Other than this it was a really nice car to drive, but that took some getting used to.

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Just wanted to for warn everyone that GM posted bulletin #PIP4112Q regarding Sag or Hesitation on Acceleration. It was posted on September 16, 2015. My 2015 Colorado LT is experiencing moderate to severe hesitation concerns. It's progressively getting worse. I first brought it back to the dealership to have it checked out around 4500, 10,000, and 12,000 miles. Each time they claimed they can't do anything because the diagnostics reveal no trouble codes, although, per aforementioned bulletin, there's proof that a problem exists. I inquired if it could be a mechanical issue, but they refused to because no diagnostics produced no codes/proof. Therefore I contacted GM regarding the concern and am in a tussle right now with the issue.

Going through the same thing now with GM. I don't buy the whole "It's normal operation of the vehicle" response. I have since opened a case with NHTSA. I don't think this shifting issue is safe and hopefully GM will have to address the issue with a recall or update of some sort after a federal investigation. I'll post any progress.

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I have the same problem with my 2015 Canyon. It's been searching as you described since new and I now have over 20,000 miles on it and it has NOT improved. I've complained to the dealer twice, but after inspecting and driving the truck, they claim there's no problem. That's just the way it is. This is extremely irritating, and at times unsafe, especially when I need that down shift quickly in order to pass another vehicle. My problem is especially noticeable around 40 mph when I'm in 6th gear (O-drive) and need to pass someone. It hesitates as if searching, then suddenly drops down to a gear that feels and sounds like 3rd. RPMs fly up dramatically and the noise level does the same. I saw somewhere that the 2017 models of both trucks are coming out with a different transmission. That might be GM's not-so-subtle way of admitting that we have a problem with our 2015s. Anyone found a solution? Thanks, Ron

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Well, just to let you know how GM is concerned with this problem (NOT), I bought a late model 2016 Canyon on December 30th, 2016 and started noticing the tranny/engine problem almost as soon as I drove it off of the lot. Since it was a new vehicle to me, I decided that maybe it was just me needing to get used to a newer product. After driving the Canyon for about 2 months, I decided that I did not like how it was shifting and the lack of power and acceleration. I returned it to the dealership for answers. Low and behold, I was told exactly the same thing that the rest of you had been told, that there were no error codes so the vehicle was operating "as designed". This was a totally unacceptable answer and I proceeded to demand to speak to the service manager about it. The service manager (who is no longer at this dealership) informed me that GM states that if no error codes come up that the vehicle is operating "as designed" and there is nothing that they can do about the problems since everything is computer controlled and there are no adjustments that they can make without new software which can only come from GM. He suggested that I contact GM directly. I did as suggested and contacted GM but they did nothing but explain that since there were no error codes, and that the dealership did not follow up with any type of problems, there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. I was also informed of the adaptive learning of the transmission. This is bunk! Who writes the error codes in the software? Why GM does!!

 

My Canyon now has about 7400 miles on it and it was in to the dealership Monday for an oil change and to have the transmission checked again. They had it for 2 days and drove it for around 43 miles but said everything was functioning normally. However, the service tech that drove it did say that he noticed a slight hesitation on acceleration on a slight grade but that was "normal". This "test drive" was done under very unusual weather conditions for this time of the year in this part of Florida. The morning air temp was only 65 degrees at 9:00 am with a low humidity. These are the conditions in which this vehicle runs the best. Its main problems start to occur in high temperature (85 or higher) high humidity.

 

Since my GMC Canyon is a late 2016 model and a lot of these forum complaints started in 2015, GM has done nothing to actually correct these problems, probably hoping the problem will just go away.

 

As per an email that I have from a GM Rep., they know there is a problem with the 6 cylinder engine and 6 speed transmission but have not solved it yet. Oh, yes they have, they replaced the transmission with an 8 speed one to create more problems.

 

If they (GM) would get these shifting problems resolved, I would really like my GMC Canyon a lot..

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I don't know how long it takes for the transmission to "learn" the driver but I took our 2015 canyon in for a oil change at 6K and it still clunked, shifted hard and bogged at 11K. They did a transmission recall update during the oil change that screwed it up good, the transmission worked fine until the update. We also had steering malfunctions(power steering would turn on and off at random) after the power steering recall update they did, so bad they had to replace the steering modulator and assembly. After that the truck was loose, had new front end noises and we lost faith in the truck after the initial steering failure....simple answer was to get rid of it as quick as possible with help from the dealer we traded it off for a new 2016 Silverado.

Too bad since the Canyon was a nice truck until the GM recall updates. There is going to be no recalls done on our new Silverado without my permission so I can research them and not run into this major hassle a 2nd time.

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How long have ago did you submit a concern with NFTSA? If we can get a multitude of concerns gathered, maybe it will prod GM to

I filed the complaint on 12/18/15. Currently there is only one other complaint on the website (link below) in regards to the shifting issue. If anyone else is having this issue, I suggest visiting safercar.gov and reporting it to get this issue escalated so GM will have to address this with a recall or update.

 

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults;jsessionid=f4sjWCbPvgqWLT78pbYr3ntGCgXVjzrdRHG7GQhnLnbDTKNLr3qh!182953998?prodType=V&searchType=PROD&targetCategory=A&searchCriteria.model=CANYON&stats=1978406%2C4%2C0%2C19%2C6%2CCANYON&makeStats=&jsonBaseURL=%2Fdownloads%2Ffolders%2F&searchCriteria.model_yr=2015&searchCriteria.make=GMC&searchCriteria.prod_ids=1978406

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Update

 

Here's what the manual says about the shifting issues I'm experiencing...

 

D (Drive) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load ,driving on steep hills, or driving off-road. Shift the transmission to a

lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often. Down shifting the transmission in slippery road conditions could result in skidding. See“Skidding”

under Loss of Control on page 9-5 . The vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that adjusts the transmission shifting to the current driving conditions in order to reduce rapid

upshifts and downshifts. This shift stabilization feature is designed to determine, before making an upshift, if the engine is able to maintain vehicle speed by analyzing

things such as vehicle speed, throttle position, and vehicle load. If the shift stabilization feature determines that a current vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the

transmission does not upshift and instead holds the current gear. In some cases, this could appear to be a delayed shift, however the transmission is operating normally.

The transmission uses adaptive shift controls. The adaptive shift control process continually compares key shift parameters to pre-programmed ideal shifts stored

in the transmission’s computer. The transmission constantly makes adjustments to improve vehicle performance according to how the vehicle is being used, such as with

a heavy load or when the temperature changes. During this adaptive shift control process, shifting might feel different as the transmission determines the best settings.

When temperatures are very cold, the transmission's gear shifting could be delayed providing more stable shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts could be more noticeable

with a cold transmission. This difference in shifting is normal.

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I have the same issue on my 2016 Colorado. I have also been searching for a solution but haven't found anything. I hear the same excuse from the dealer "that's just the way these 6 speed transmissions work". I have about 14k miles on my truck so I agree it isn't a learning problem. My wife drove it yesterday and even noticed the issue and she's not the most observant driver. I wouldn't think the issue would be hard to solve. instead of allowing the engine to operate around 1000rpm when driving, set the min engine speed to 1300-1400rpm in the software and down shift at these engine speeds instead of 1000rpm.

 

My cousin who own's a 2013 or so Ford Explorer said his vehicle does the same thing which I thought was interesting. Maybe they have the same transmission.

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