Tranny Trouble

kaneak2002 · May 30, 2007

I have a 2005 2500HD GMC with around 39000 miles on it. The transmission was replaced in Sept. of 06 with 29000 on it. So a new tranny. Last weekend I went camping and have a overhead camper on board. My first time hauling a real load with my pickup. The trip down no problems, coming home a different story. About half way home I was climbing a hill, not to steep, I was in Tow/Haul because of the weight and I was traveling in mountainous terrain. I was close to the top and noticed that the engine was rapped up to above 3000 rpm and wasn't trying to shift out, as I went and topped the hill it still wouldn't shift into 4th, then I noticed the tranny temp was rising and before it got to the red the hot transmission came across the indicator. I pulled over right away and let it cool, checked fluid, looked for leaks, and everything looked fine. I got back on the road after letting it cool for awhile, it would not shift into overdrive the whole way home. So when I was going through town I manually shifted the gears and each shift was hard but when I hit D it finally shifted into OD. So today I drove it to work and it shifted through all the gears and into OD just fine, but when I got to town doing the start and stop the tranny temp started to rise and it wouldn't shift into OD and the shifting was real sporatic. Now going back to the top, when I drove down last weekend, the tranny temps never got higher than 130-140. When I drove to town today the temps were 110 until I got to town then they were around 150 and I'm empty! I called my service dept. but can't get in until June 5. I parked it and won't drive it until they fix it but just wondering if anybody has any ideas or imput on what is going on!!!

TonyMazz · May 31, 2007

2500 HD diesel or gas ? What year truck ? Allison or 4L65E or 4l80E tranny ? Are there any codes ? Have you had it scanned for stored codes ? Have you had any trouble before ?

How heavy a load ?

Sounds like a plunger stuck or got hot and stuck ?

Why was the tranny replaced ? Did you own it when it was replaced back in sept 06 ?

Fluid changes ? Who installed the new tranny ?

sthurston · May 31, 2007

PLEASE HELP- getting desperate...

Too new to create new thread so figure this is close as it got for my question..

I have a 93 2500 with a 4l80e with problems- I found a 2003 4l80e and need to know if there are any issues with putting a newer trany in- and/or is there an adaptor to make this work? Finding one that matches up other than in currently working vehicles is proving very difficult and I found the 2003 with very few miles on it and cheaper than what everyone wants to rebuild mine.

thanks- sthurston

Fluid changes ? Who installed the new tranny ?

kaneak2002 · June 1, 2007

2500 HD diesel or gas ? What year truck ? Allison or 4L65E or 4l80E tranny ? Are there any codes ? Have you had it scanned for stored codes ? Have you had any trouble before ?

How heavy a load ?

Sounds like a plunger stuck or got hot and stuck ?

Why was the tranny replaced ? Did you own it when it was replaced back in sept 06 ?

Fluid changes ? Who installed the new tranny ?

Tony,

Its a gas, 2005, I couldn't say if it is the 4L65E or 4L80E what ever they put in the 05 2500 HD's, I just took it in to the dealer yesterday and they won't be able to look at it until june 5th to see if there are any codes. The only trouble I've had is when I got the new tranny in I didn't think it shifted right, so I took it back and they couldn't find any codes and the shop forum didn't think anything was wrong.

The load was a cab overcamper weights in at about 2000-2300 lbs. loaded. I havn't drove over the scales yet but thats my estimate with what the camper says and just ball parking gear.

The tranny was replaced because it made a noise in first gear, I can't remember the the diagnoses but they replaced it. Yes I owned it.

I have not replaced the fluids, it had only about 10500 miles on it. The dealer did the work.

It is still under 12000 mile---12 month warranty.

TonyMazz · June 1, 2007

They probably need to run the tech-2 and update / reprogram the PCM after the new tranny....some times the line pressures differ from one tranny to the next....a tech can road test your car, have a tech scanner hooked up and watch how the tranny shifts....... I am assuming you are going to a dealer to do this right ?

I didn't need a new tranny but mine started out in second gear and slipped bad...brand new

You should not be left with a crappy scenario with that few miles on it...AND a newly installed tranny....challenge them, and talk with the service manager....have him ride in the vehicle with you and the tech and show them....clearly, do not accept less than 100% perfection....your tranny will need to do work one day...and you need a solid unit.

A decent service department should be able to fix you up...but you may need to be persistent and contact the head of that service department....the ol' shoulder shrug I dunno routine doesnt' cut it....

Do the following only if you are on the last straw.....

If that doesn't work....then park the truck in the middle of the garage, get out walk away and say I am on my way to talk to the dealership manager....the garage techs, service manager love this as now they have to explain why they can't do their job......and walk in and demand an explanation....start your sentence of with "...before I write my letter to the regional manager about what a s**tty service department you have, I thought I'd come in and discuss with you first.....", proceed to explain the time, repeat trips, shoulder shrug, can't find anything wrong, etc etc....... BTW this usually works nicely with about 50 people milling about....

My dealership goes 200% to make sure that everyone is happy, satisfied and repairs are done correctly with no call backs....hell, once I had my new tahoe in for an oil change...and the tech dripped oil on the cross member...I went home...and next day I had drops of oil on the floor.....my dealership volunteered to come out with a professional crew and scrub my garage floor, gave me a free OC and told the tech to be more careful....I will take my trucks to this dealer ship until they fold...the very best on the planet.

Do NOT settle for less....and Do NOT take it somewhere else (private garage etc) until you have been a sufficient PITA to the dealer ship...it has to be on record....their record...the minute you dink with it or someone "expert" dinks with it...you have trouble...

TonyMazz · June 1, 2007

PLEASE HELP- getting desperate...
Too new to create new thread so figure this is close as it got for my question..

I have a 93 2500 with a 4l80e with problems- I found a 2003 4l80e and need to know if there are any issues with putting a newer trany in- and/or is there an adaptor to make this work? Finding one that matches up other than in currently working vehicles is proving very difficult and I found the 2003 with very few miles on it and cheaper than what everyone wants to rebuild mine.

thanks- sthurston

Fluid changes ? Who installed the new tranny ?

Keep in mind that a 93 is pre OBDII and the "e" stands for electronic as in controlled by the computer. The 2003 will not work in your 93....as everything is driven by the drivetrain module., PCM...I can't remember what they put in a 93....but can tell you that the computer setup is much different....

While this is your first post...I suggest you tell us what the "problems" are, how many miles, and some basic information on the symptoms.....maybe there is a cheaper solution like change the fluid, filter... new clutches etc....

Have you changed the fluid lately ? Filter ? etc.... what does a tranny shop say ? etc etc..

sthurston · June 1, 2007

PLEASE HELP- getting desperate...
Too new to create new thread so figure this is close as it got for my question..

I have a 93 2500 with a 4l80e with problems- I found a 2003 4l80e and need to know if there are any issues with putting a newer trany in- and/or is there an adaptor to make this work? Finding one that matches up other than in currently working vehicles is proving very difficult and I found the 2003 with very few miles on it and cheaper than what everyone wants to rebuild mine.

thanks- sthurston

Fluid changes ? Who installed the new tranny ?

Keep in mind that a 93 is pre OBDII and the "e" stands for electronic as in controlled by the computer. The 2003 will not work in your 93....as everything is driven by the drivetrain module., PCM...I can't remember what they put in a 93....but can tell you that the computer setup is much different....

While this is your first post...I suggest you tell us what the "problems" are, how many miles, and some basic information on the symptoms.....maybe there is a cheaper solution like change the fluid, filter... new clutches etc....

Have you changed the fluid lately ? Filter ? etc.... what does a tranny shop say ? etc etc..

OK. has 194000 miles on it. Original trany to the best of my knowledge, I bought the truck in early 95. A number of years ago I did have to have a sensor replaced and was well until almost a year ago the truck started pretty much body slamming me when it "shifted". It would only do it occasionally at first and then it also would not go into reverse- without a lot of effort- high rpm to get it finally to "catch" or if you could catch a break and be on a hill it would go fine( not just gravity- it would actually reverse). It kept getting worse, had other issues that had to be fixed so my son took it home and fixed the other problems- dropped the trany and says it either needs to be rebuilt and he does not want to use my truck to learn automatic rebuild with- costs too much for me right now to take it to a shop. Love my truck- pulls horse trailer. Also do not want to go his other suggested route and put a 3 speed in it. Would rather have the overdrive for when not pulling, gas mileage already is bad enough- do not want to decrease.

He had tried the trany fluid etc quite some time ago and did not make any difference.

kaneak2002 · June 2, 2007

Thanks Tony for the good advice, I will let you know, when the dealer looks at it this coming Tuesday.

Webb · June 3, 2007

Im not sure but I think pre-OBD II was where you connect two terminals together on the pcm hook-up and count how many times the check engine light blinks, well thats the way it was on my old s-10. You didnt need one of those code checking units, just a paper clip. The only prob was the codes where different for every vehicle so you couldnt get some universal decoder like OBD II, had to be vehicle specific. I dont know if Im remembering this right?

Ive got some tranny probs too, shifts a lil hard. still under warrenty though. might try one of those code scanners before I go to the dealer though, caus of the $200 co-pay

kaneak2002 · June 6, 2007

Well I just got home from talking to the service tech, He said overdrive went out. He had the tranny apart on the table and showed me some of the parts. The clutches were all burnt up, the torq converter was discolored from getting hot. There were bits of clutch material in the pan. All in all pretty ugly. They have a new tranny on the way. It is a 4L80E, what does everyone think of these trannys, did I just get a bad one or are there alot of problems with these?

TonyMazz · June 6, 2007

..probably just got a bad one.....the old versions had the situation where the overdrive would float in-n-out while pulling a load and just hammer the tranny to death...

The tow mode changes the shift points and pretty much disables the overdrive (I think) so that it won't shift in and out going up a hill etc...

4L80E is a beefed up 4L60E...you will be ok..... the only thing better would be to step up to a duramax with an allison....the allisons are what they put in M1 tanks....they are bullet proof...

but you will be fine....so the dealer was reasonable....??