Rough shifting...Help!

Vance Siverling III · February 21, 2020

Hi guys! My concern I have been noticing since I bought my truck is that randomly when reversing or driving and coming to a stop. The shifting seems to be hitting a little hard. This seems to happen only at low speeds. It doesn’t happen 100% of the time and I’m afraid if I take it in it wont happen when needing to happen and they will say they can’t find any issue.

2019 Chevy Silverado LT Z71 4wd 5.3L.

Anyone else have a similar issue or have some advice? Thank you in advance!

bshort · February 21, 2020

Probably one of the most well-documented issues.

Steve Martin · February 21, 2020

same with mine except LTZ. Dealer says normal. BS!

Vance Siverling III · February 22, 2020

1 hour ago, Steve Martin said:

same with mine except LTZ. Dealer says normal. BS!

I've been hearing the same comment that it is "normal." Doesn't feel "normal" when it happens. Is your truck 4wd? If so, when in 4 HI...does it every feel hard on the tranny when reversing?

Thanks for the response!

Steve Martin · February 22, 2020

Sadly last night is the first time I put it in auto. We finally got some snow here in NC. So long and short I haven't had it in 4WD just yet. I just enabled it in the driveway when I first got it to make sure it would shift in and out, but that was all. Same setup as your truck, but LTZ.

To your point, frustrating because I drove a loaner truck they had when I had some issues address last year and smooth as silk. That's the way it should shift. Not mine. Has a 1-2 hard shift at times, usually on the first cycle of the day, which GM says is normal, but mine is not limited to the first cycle of the day. It does it anytime and random. Stop light and pull through the gears one time, smooth, next time hard 1-2. No rhyme or reason. The other frustrating thing is I can't tell if the dam thing has any transmission fluid in it. No dipstick... I know that's by design now, but really? Are we sure it got filled properly? I know GM has a procedure to check, but the dealer didn't bother... "It's normal."

The other thing it does is I always back into my spot. Very rarely pull straight into anything. So my camera doesn't always work and I miss sometimes anyway, but I shift forward to adjust at times and it can't transition from reverse to forward and vice versa at times and bangs the dam transmission. Dealer had it for a day and couldn't reproduce. I can't reproduce at will either, but every so often, it bangs the transmission into gear. I don't think I will get 21 years out of this truck... Sad.

Vance Siverling III · February 22, 2020

Wow, you described exactly my problem and the random times mine also hard shifts. At least I know I'm not the only one. Thanks for the info and maybe there might be an answer someday. Good luck.

Thomcat · February 22, 2020

First check the build date on the body sticker on the driver's door frame. 3/19 and later builds come factory filled with the new Mobil1LV HP fluid, previous build 8 speeds had hydroscopic Dextron VI which caused shudder problems in some of the 8 speeds. Correction was a complete flush and refill with the new Mobil 1....level of correction is likely related to whether problems caused by the Dextron were reversible and corrected by the flush and fill. My .02....If I had Dextron VI, I'd go for a change and not sit and wait for a problem.

Hard first 1-2 and R overnight cold shifts below 50F are usually delayed and/or hard depending upon temperature. And normal. If I prewarm the 8 speed for about 5 mins, initial overnight cold shifts smooth out. This temperature/viscosity dependency is born out in the tech literature indicating the proper test to determine a problem is with a tranny fluid temperature above 122F....attached.

https://gm-techlink.com/?p=11127

So yes, a shudder problem could be caused by the DextronVI and may or may not be reversible with a flush and refill, but similar overnight cold hard shift - temperature dependency on shift quality is no stranger to anyone that has ever driven a Chrysler Torqueflite. Hard shifting from 2WD to 4WD is likely more of a drive train or transfer case slack effect than a tranny problem.

Vance Siverling III · February 22, 2020

Ok, went and checked my door and found mine is 1/19. Is this something my factory warranty would cover do you think? Thank you for the info.

AD80 · February 22, 2020

My build date is 6/19, and mine bangs into reverse just about every time. Shifts smooth into drive, and shifts smooth while driving. After driving a few miles, it still clunks into reverse, but not as hard. I can hear it but not feel it, but when it’s cold it will slam in and shake the whole truck. When I say cold, I don’t mean the engine, even after I let it warm up,it will still do it. I don’t know if it’s coming from the trans or the transfer. I know it can’t be good for it. Sounds like the gears banging into place. Took it to the dealer and after the long drive there, of course it just did the softer clunk and not the harder one, so I got the ol it’s normal speech.

ILSilverado · February 22, 2020

17 hours ago, bshort said:

Probably one of the most well-documented issues.

I agree the 8 speed transmission has a mind of its own and most Dealers don’t even want to touch them at this point. I made complaints about mine and was told that’s normal for THIS transmission. We have plenty of complaints in the Corvette forum as well. Plain and simple it’s a shitty poorly designed transmission. It’s in its 6th year of production and GM still can’t get it updated to work normally.

bigdoug42 · February 22, 2020

That's interesting, mine has a build date of November 2018, and I only noticed harsh shifts when it's 25 or below and then it smooths out after trans reaches operating temp. It's 50 in North Central Ohio today and shifts have been smooth. Outside of 2 brake recalls, I have had no issues with any fit or finish and get like 19 mph combined, so I guess I got lucky. I will ask for my trans fluid replacement at my first oil change, however.