03 Denali Missing First Gear

[bq9662]

Seeking advice/help with my wife's 03 Yukon Denali with 59,000 miles. Drove it last night for the first time in while and noticed that it's missing first gear! It's starting off from a stop in second gear, like if the gear selector is placed in second gear. I even placed the gear selector in first, but still started in second gear. Checked the trans fluid, found it about 3/4 quart low. Topped off fluid, still had the same problem. No visiable leaks underneath. Drove it today, first gear works. Any ideas on possible issues? Thanks!

[99silverado1500]

Sometimes GM transmissions act like that, mine does start out in second and it will do it a lot some times. If its fine now i wouldnt really worry about it, they do start out in second sometimes.

[Shatterz]

Sometimes GM transmissions act like that, mine does start out in second and it will do it a lot some times. If its fine now i wouldnt really worry about it, they do start out in second sometimes.

 

 

Huh? You can't be serious, NO automatic should sometimes start out in second gear unless you manually select it to. BOTH of you should get it checked out at a dealer.

[silverad03]

Sometimes GM transmissions act like that, mine does start out in second and it will do it a lot some times. If its fine now i wouldnt really worry about it, they do start out in second sometimes.

 

 

Huh? You can't be serious, NO automatic should sometimes start out in second gear unless you manually select it to. BOTH of you should get it checked out at a dealer.

 

FYI - you can't manually select your automatic transmission to start out in second gear. Putting the selector in "2" does not mean your vehicle starts out in 2nd gear. The gear selector allows you to limit your gear range so that the transmission does not shift up beyond the selected gear. However, most vehicles have a safety feature that will shift the transmission into a higher gear than you selected anyway if the engine rpm's get too high so that the engine doesn't blow. So putting your shifter in "2" means your vehicle won't shift to a higher gear unless your engine rpm's get dangerously high.

 

Also, for what it's worth - GM transmissions are good transmissions but they don't perform flawlessly 100% of the time. The 4L60E transmission has been known to occasionally start in 2nd gear - mine does it rarely, but it does occur once ina blue moon. They are very complex and they have their quirks. They can also be very expensive to fix, which is especially pertinent if your warranty is expired. If your truck is still in warranty then by all means run to the dealer, but if your warranty is expired then I wouldn't suggest that. The occasional second gear start isn't going to grenade your transmission.

 

I believe there might be a TSB on the 2nd gear start - I'm sure someone here will find it if there is one.

[Chaddprice]

I am pretty sure that there's a 'winter start' feature on most GM transmissions that if you have the gear selected in second gear, it holds it in 2nd for a start with less wheel spin. It's kind of an annoying feature if you ask me.

[bq9662]

Not sure about other GM trucks, but the Denali I have will start off in second gear when selected. It's even listed in the owners manual.

But, so far after topping off the trans fluid, first gear has been working normal. Would being 3/4 quart low on trans fluid be the culprit?

[silverad03]

Ha! I had never heard of that before. I guess I was spreading misinformation. Ya learn something new everyday!

 

My bad.

[bq9662]

Yeah...the only other vehicle I've seen do this was a mid 90's Pontiac Grand Prix. It was a rental...and I drove it like a rental!

[bq9662]

Update: First gear went MIA again today plus it wouldn't go in overdrive. Basically it starts in second, goes to third and stays there. This time it finally threw a code; P0751 Shift Solenoid A CKT Performance or Stuck off. Any ideas on what that means? I like to be informed before taking it to a tranny shop. Thanks!