No 3rd Gear In 03 Yukon

spot102 · October 19, 2009

My 2003 Yukon transmission is causing me grief. I can now only drive it with selector in 1 or 2. I put it in 3 or D and it overrevs as soon as it shifts into 3rd. Any help or am I looking at a new trans? I'm told it's a 4L80E.

Nytemare · October 19, 2009

most likely 3rd gear is toasted man.

Time for a rebuild.

As far as the trans goes...if you have an engine larger than the 5.3 you most likely have a 4L80E

alwcurlz · October 22, 2009

My 2003 Yukon transmission is causing me grief. I can now only drive it with selector in 1 or 2. I put it in 3 or D and it overrevs as soon as it shifts into 3rd. Any help or am I looking at a new trans? I'm told it's a 4L80E.

How many miles are on that truck?

rodram · October 22, 2009

... if your 3rd and OD (4th) is gone and there is no other issues then it is likely that your “3-4” clutches are worn out. This will require R&R. The truck is safe to drive (in 2) until you can get it fixed.

... take it to a trusted transmission mechanic.... if it is a 4L80E, then the repair may be as simple as getting these clutches replaced.... however if it is a 4L60E, and you have more than 120,000 miles on it, then you likely need a total rebuild as there will also be many other parts worn badly by this time..

spot102 · October 23, 2009

94000 miles. And the extended GMAC warranty expired 3 weeks ago! Tried to get a little wiggle room from them since it has been in their shops for well over that much time (combined) in the past 6 years but they said no. Since it wasn't a prior service issue (like the dozen other drivability issues they still can't solve) I'm out of luck.

May be the last new GM I buy. Too bad, my 88 C1500 has 298K and runs like a champ.

And I found it's the 4L60E tranny.

I'd love to hear from a group of guys who's 4L60E died out in under 100K, always kept 700R4's running for much longer than that.

Nytemare · October 23, 2009

A reman'ed 4l60E is around 1200 plus core.

If you can put it in yourself...this may be a good option for you.

Chances are that the third gear clutches are burnt. the most common ones to go are 3rd and 4th because you are always downshifting from those gears. Shifting is what creates the most heat in there. If you decide to do a rebuild...replace 3'rd and 4th clutches, and get yourself a light shift kit, something like the trans-go Jr shift kit. This provides quicker shifts and minimizes the time the clutches are slipping, which reduces wear. It will be barely noticeable when driving so it wont feel harsh.

rodram · October 23, 2009

... my 4L60E (in a '97 C2500 w/5.7L) starting slipping and spewing trans fluid on the highway at 212,000 km (132,000 miles) in June while I was pulling my travel trailer home out of storage

... I limped it home with the transmission in '2', but I needed it running again real fast for vacation time..

.. I took it to my mechanic shop and they advised to have a total rebuild of transmission and torque converter

.. 2 days later and $2790 poorer (Canadian, including all parts, labour & taxes)... I was back on the road again

I was probably told three or four times by the mechanic to ALWAYS have the transmission in '3' to pull any trailer with the truck. This keeps the trans from slipping back and forth from 3 to 4, and keeps the heat down.

rodram · October 23, 2009

... kind of sucks on the warranty

... a friend of mine lost the transmission on his 2002 Acura 3.2TL last summer (2009) and took it to the dealer for diagnosis with some sense of fear of the potential repair cost...

... he was informed that the original 5-year warranty had been recently extended to 7-years to cover some known transmission problems and was told that he still had 1 month left on his 7-year warranty period..

... he got a complete new transmission for $$$000 on full warranty

ARE YOU LISTENING GM.....??????

alwcurlz · October 24, 2009

The life span of GM transmissions has been typical between 120,000-130,000 miles. My 4L60E has 137,000 miles on it and I can tell it's a bit sluggish and acts kinda strange sometimes. When I get mine repaired I'll probably either get it rebuilt and upgraded to the 4L65E or get a crate 4L65E.