Hello all -

I have a 4L60 in a 1998 Chevy G1500, custom van. Up until last week the tranny was shifting perfectly with no signs of an upcoming issue. My wife was going to back out of a parking spot on Friday and she says it made a high pitch whine and then wouldn't go into reverse. So she drove out straight through an alley and limped it home.

When she got it home, I got in and verified there was no reverse like she said and I also found it would jump 2nd and 3rd, right into the overdrive. And it would only go into overdrive if I got it past 20 mph and released the gas pedal. I thought that 2nd and 3rd clutches were gone and that I would verify that when trying to drive in those gears. I tested all four forward gears and they all worked just fine and did not slip, but it would still jump from 1st to OD.

I dropped the pan yesterday and to my surprise there were zero metal chunks or debris and very little "dust". So I replaced both shift solenoids, installed a new filter and filled it with new fluid. After I let it warm up for 20 - 30 minutes to ensure the fluid was completely pushed through the new filter I drove it around the block and it sill has no reverse and skips from 1st to OD.

I know in my heart that it has probably failed internally, but I'm wondering if there might be something that I may be missing to check? I even checked the tranny fuse in the fuse box. I drove it the day before all of this happened and there were zero symptoms that this was coming like slipping, noise or not shifting.

Am I pipe dreaming or is there something else I can do or in the opinion of the pro's here, has the old lady actually gave up the ghost?

Thanks for the input.

Steve D
USN Retired...

 

If you only have 1st and 3rd and not 2nd and 4th gears, then you have lost the sunshell. Check this to make sure what gears you have here. You will lose 1st, 3rd and reverse when the sunshell fails.

 

Agree with this. It can be hard to tell if it skips to 3rd or 4th. I'm betting you have 1st and 3rd only.