4l60 cold hardshift
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
4l60 cold hardshift I have an Australian Caprice 2000 with a LS1 and 4l60e. When the car is cold the 1-2 gear shifts hard and is delayed. As the temperature rises after driving for 10 minutes to operating temperature it shifts like new. I examined the problem more closely and found out that when the car is cold the tranny dipstick reads halfway and shifts hard. But when the car is fully warmed up the tranny dipstick reads full and it shifts like new. Is this normal? Should the tranny dipstick read full when cold. Is this a clogged filter? The fluid is clean red and does not smell. I do have a check engine light for a faulty oil pressure sensor, will this cause this problem? I am going to first change the oil sensor and see if it helps. Any ideas?
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 10
From: Maryland
I've wondered the same thing myself, mines does exactly what you're describing when cold. I really don't think that it's out of the norm, because it does take a little while for all of the fluids to circulate and get settled into everything. But, then again, I don't think I've ever driven a vehicle that shifts the way mines does when cold so it does make me scratch my head a little bit. Maybe someone can chime in and clarify.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Well I fixed the problem. I let my car get warmed up, and checked the tranny dipstick. It was above the hot mark uper dot and overfilled. I put a plastic tubing and a handpump into the dipstick hole and pumped out fluid untill it was lower than the upper hot dot. Now the car shifts much better when cold, I can still feel the 1-2 shift but now it is much softer and crispier. Note: If you pump the fluid out hot it will weaken the hand pump, so I recommend doing it cold. Also do not check the dipstick when cold, only check it when the car is fully warmed up for at least 15minutes or after a long drive.
