My husband said it couldn't be done (Suburban transmission content)

I'm pretty sure I have killed the transmission in my Suburban, in less than 2 years of ownership.....

I seem to have a knack for wrecking autotragics within a year or two of purchase, and I really thought that this one would be different; after all, this Suburban is supposed to be able to tow more than it's own weight without a problem, surely it could handle at least 2 years in my possession...Apparently not.

Just in case I'm wrong, here are the stats and symptoms: 2001 1500, 2WD, just hit 150k miles. Occasionally (quickly becoming frequently), when taking off from a stop, I hit the gas and there's no go. It feels like it's 'slipping' between first and neutral and doesn't make it into first until I completely let off the throttle. After a hard shift into first, it takes off like normal, and doesn't repeat the problem for the next stop or 4, but that 5th stop, it's doing it again.

Aside from imminent slushbox demise, any other thoughts as to what could be causing this?

Governor is sticking not allowing it to shift into first. Flush/change the fluid and filter.

turboswede wrote: Governor is sticking not allowing it to shift into first. Flush/change the fluid and filter.

That was done within the last 10k miles, hence the feeling of unavoidable doom....

In reply to turboswede:

No governor on a 4L60E. It has 150k on it, skip the filter/fluid.

Quick test, if it no-go's from a stop, place it in 1. If it moves, the one sprag is junk internally.

As for the other, I suspect the OD and direct clutches are glazed and sticking together coming to a stop. VERY typical at your indicted mileage.

Either condition warrants a complete rebuild.

Morbid wrote: That was done within the last 10k miles, hence the feeling of unavoidable doom....

No comment while trying to do the right thing.....

Ranger50 wrote: In reply to turboswede: No governor on a 4L60E. It has 150k on it, skip the filter/fluid. Quick test, if it no-go's from a stop, place it in 1. If it moves, the one sprag is junk internally. As for the other, I suspect the OD and direct clutches are glazed and sticking together coming to a stop. VERY typical at your indicted mileage. Either condition warrants a complete rebuild.

^+ eleventy billion.

Sprag toast, input drum cracked, clutches toast.... any of the above. Time to pull it and rebuild.

150k on a 4L60E? You're lucky. That thing was on borrowed time. I've never seen one last past 135k.

Appleseed wrote: 150k on a 4L60E? You're lucky. That thing was on borrowed time. I've never seen one last past 135k.

I've actually saw 500+k kms on one (non-rebuilt). But yes, basically this.

Lucky for you, since everyone has done one, they are (for a tranny) s00per cheap to get rebuilt well!

that transmission- a glorified 700r4 with electronic controls- was designed for 3200 pound Camaros and Corvettes when they put out under 200HP... your Suburban weighs somewhere north of 5000 pounds and has an engine that puts out around 300hp.. yeah, they upgraded a few things over the years, but it is still a woefully inadequate transmission for a Suburban that gets used as anything besides a large station wagon.

Morbid wrote: I seem to have a knack for wrecking autotragics within a year or two of purchase...

I am going to assume you are not doing 4000 rpm neutral dumps in your 'burb.

Do you come to a COMPLETE stop when you are backing up (out of the driveway, parking space, etc) before slipping it into drive? Or do you do it when the car is still rolling (even a little)?

Do you manually shift it through the gears?

Do you start the car in park or in neutral?

Appleseed wrote: 150k on a 4L60E? You're lucky. That thing was on borrowed time. I've never seen one last past 135k.

Isn't that the truth. I only got 120k out of my 4L80E, and the trans shop said that was doing pretty well.

SVreX wrote:

Morbid wrote: I seem to have a knack for wrecking autotragics within a year or two of purchase...

I am going to assume you are not doing 4000 rpm neutral dumps in your 'burb. Do you come to a COMPLETE stop when you are backing up (out of the driveway, parking space, etc) before slipping it into drive? Or do you do it when the car is still rolling (even a little)? Do you manually shift it through the gears? Do you start the car in park or in neutral?

No neutral drops, I never understood the point.

Always complete stops before changing gears.

No manual shifting.

Always start in park.

All of these were drilled into habit by my dad after we replaced the transmission in my first car ('94 Escort, doomed from the start) about a year after I got it. Then they were re-addressed when that transmission started to mess up a year later. Same story with the Saturn I got to replace the Escort; one year in my possession and a terrible grinding sound between first and second showed up.

Like I said, 'gifted'...or something...

I hate to jinx myself, but I have almost 150k on the '60 in the Av.... Of course I can tell the trans is getting worse, but it still shifts and moves the vehicle.

Morbid wrote:

turboswede wrote: Governor is sticking not allowing it to shift into first. Flush/change the fluid and filter.

That was done within the last 10k miles, hence the feeling of unavoidable doom....

Anyone else ever noticed that flushes have a really good chance of killing high mile transmissions? Seems like every time I hear of a slushbox crapping the bed, it's 5-10k after a flush.

Meanwhile, my dad's BMW E39 is at 240k on the original auto trans with nothing but an ATF drain & fill/filter change routine.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that flushes almost always do more harm than good. Something about the pressure.

Out of curiosity, and perhaps/probably ignorance, but what ill effects do starting in Neutral and manual shifting have on an automatic trans?

volvoclearinghouse wrote: Out of curiosity, and perhaps/probably ignorance, but what ill effects do starting in Neutral and manual shifting have on an automatic trans?

Personal opinion: Not a damn thing.

"Professional" opinion: Not a damn thing.

SlickDizzy wrote: Anyone else ever noticed that flushes have a really good chance of killing high mile transmissions? Seems like every time I hear of a slushbox crapping the bed, it's 5-10k after a flush. Meanwhile, my dad's BMW E39 is at 240k on the original auto trans with nothing but an ATF drain & fill/filter change routine. I seem to recall reading somewhere that flushes almost always do more harm than good. Something about the pressure.

Because they have a problem already and people think that it's like their body, flush out the bad, in with the good, and it's all better. It "seems" to work "better" after the service, but really it isn't worth spending money on.

Is a rebuild the best option, or swapping in a rebuilt unit?

Ok for the automatic transmission retarded, what is the difference between a drain and refill and flush? I have never owned and therefore worried about how to service automatics until I bought this truck.

Appleseed wrote: 150k on a 4L60E? You're lucky. That thing was on borrowed time. I've never seen one last past 135k.

Just rebuilt Dad's. 186k on it. It only got rebuilt because the TCC switch had gone bad. But at that age, for $700 it was a good deal. Shifts better than ever. Of course, it is now running a Trailblazer SS internals with new cllutches etc...

pinchvalve wrote: Is a rebuild the best option, or swapping in a rebuilt unit?

Personal preference from a few years of trans shop experience, I prefer to rebuild units, and not "dealership rebuilt" either, from the original vehicle, unless it is caked up with metal. The way the factory builds them anymore, I would be leery of OTS stuff because of so many different running changes they make during a production run. Also with the OTS units, sometimes, depending on WHO "rebuilt" it, they can get skimped on because of what the unit came out of originally. If I were to use the 4L60E as example, just because it IS a 4L60E and it bolts up, the OTS unit might have been originally from a V6 S10/Colorado and being stuffed into a Suburban. Greatly differing applications and therefore service life.

In reply to 93EXCivic:

Easy answer: Static vs Dynamic.

Static= drain and fill.
Dynamic= flush.

Flushes always break E36 M3 loose that shouldn't be moving and washing off additives that may have been crutching the trans along. Reason I said that flushes are a waste of money because by the time the flush happens, the trans already has a problem.

How ya like that Lincoln now?

N Sperlo wrote: How ya like that Lincoln now?

Oh I still detest it! I'll go back to driving the Impreza before I even consider sitting in the Lincoln

I should clarify that the governor thing was based on my experience with Chryco 3-speeds, even then the symptoms point more to low fluid since a stuck governor would cause it to hang in a higher gear from a stop.

Also when I say flush, I don't mean one of those things they try and up-sell you at a quickie lube. More of a drop the pan and make sure all of the old clutch material, etc is washed out of the pan/tranny cooler and anyplace else it seems to be hanging around before replacing the filter.

Question: Do you drive it with two feet or just one? Sometimes if you're a left-foot braker you can cause some extra wear by either dragging the brakes or hanging the throttle open while on the brakes. Just a thought. Sounds like a reman might be in the cards though based on input from others that are more experienced with this truck.