4L60E Issues and Proactive Service

Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
5
Location
Gaithersburg MD
I bought a 2006 Chevrolet express 1500 AWD back in 2018 with 57k miles on it. It looks like it was well taken care of but I did not get any service history. I pulled some ATF from the tranny when we bought it and sent it off to blackstone and it came back with great results.

At 60K miles, I changed all the fluids including doing a drain and fill on the transmission with Maxlife ATF, at the same time I installed a Tru Cool 40K auxilary trans cooler with a thermostat and installed it inline after the OEM cooler that is in the radiator. The van did not have an OEM external cooler.

I have since put 30K miles on the van, easy driving, mostly highway miles. Have towed a hand full of times, trailer was always less than 2,000 lbs so nothing major. We do drive it on the beach in deep sand, always air down and have never gotten stuck, never had to abuse the tranny. Essentially this thing has been babied.

Since we have owned it there have been 4-5 times where from a dead stop the transmission stayed in 2nd gear and when I have gone to accelerate it tries to start from second, then shifts down to first after a couple of seconds. It now has 87K miles. Recently I have noticed a very faint hesitation in the 1-2 shift and it will shift "hard" (very slightly) into 2nd. It does not do this all the time and this is by no means a "Bang", more like a light "thud".

This seems to be different than the 1-2 slip and bang that I have read so often about 4L60e, maybe it's just the beginning of the issue. I am going through the van now to prepare it for spring/summer trips and would like to address this now before it gets worse or causes any damage.

I have read about shift solenoids, valve bodies, servos, shift kits, etc. I am looking to make this tranny last and have confidence in it when we are out on a beach in the middle of nowhere and it's a 1 hour sand drive to the ferry that takes us back to civilization. Any suggestions on where to start or what I need to diagnose and address for my particular situation is greatly appreciated.
 
What brand of trans cooler did you install?
Is this tube and fin type or stacked plate type?

Was the Maxlife trans fluid compatible with your Transmission? I am guessing your car specs Dexron VI. I would check the thickness of the Maxlife trans fluid versus the Dexron VI

I am guessing you also changed the trans filter?

Before you do the above, check the trans fluid level.
 
Subscribed : Hopefully clinebarger will chime in soon. My 2005 4L60 e with 234,000 miles has the same symptoms as yours and has only done this 4 or 5 times as well in the last 5 years or so. Sounds like it might be a fairly common problem.
 
Valvoline's website had this link:
https://sharena21.springcm.com/Publ...2d889bd3/5ca3517a-e29c-e711-9c10-ac162d889bd3

I don't want to sound like a carmudgeon but Maxlife's super universality is just too broad to be believable.

If it was my vehicle, I'd do the equivalent of 2 or 3 drain & fills using real Dexron VI just to see if anything improved.
It's the cheapest thing to do first.

My '07 Volvo called for JWS3309. It got the last of my Maxlife supply.
40K later I bought a fluid change kit from either FCPEuroparts (the old FCPGroton) or eEuroparts
I felt a small improvement when I used the Volvo fluid. Now that I have no ATF inventory, I use the reasonably priced maintenance kits because I like having no inventory.

Also, I remember the Wolf's Head Super Universal Synthetic ATF (an Amalie product) delivering slightly smoother shifts than the Maxlife.
Try the factory juice. It can't hurt and may resolve your issues.
 
2006 is old enough to have been Dex III originally. Dex VI does supersede it, but it would be a much thinner LV ATF. I think I would at least try exchanging it for Dex III (or Dex VI) in place of the MaxLife to see if it helps.
 
What brand of trans cooler did you install?
Is this tube and fin type or stacked plate type?

Was the Maxlife trans fluid compatible with your Transmission? I am guessing your car specs Dexron VI. I would check the thickness of the Maxlife trans fluid versus the Dexron VI

I am guessing you also changed the trans filter?

Before you do the above, check the trans fluid level.
I installed a tru cool , here is the link: https://www.trucool.com/products/tru-cool-max

I bought the 40K model which was complete overkill but I got it on sale for the same price as the smaller units. I figured it can't over cool because of the thermostat so bigger can't hurt anything.

In general, Max Life gets a thumbs up on the internet for the 4l60e, and we all know that anecdotal evidence on the web is universal and correct (in all seriousness, I have no idea, very good question that I will need to look into)

Yes trans filter and gasket where changed

I have checked the level and it was good but will do it again.
 
I've seen several '04 & '05 4L60E's do 2nd gear starts then quickly downshift back to 1st gear.....Caused by a faulty VSS/OSS Sensor, There's even a TSB for it. If any GM vehicles would have previous years hardware.....It would be Express/Savanna vans.

The only way to properly diagnose this is.....To catch it in the act while Data Logging the Shift Solenoid State & Commanded Gear, If PCM is commanding 2nd Gear while the vehicle is stationary......It's an VSS/OSS Sensor Input issue.
If it's commanding 1st but it's in 2nd......It's a sticky Shift Solenoid, Low AFL Pressure, Or debris in the Valve Body.

The 1-2 Shift complaint is almost "Built-in" because the way GM calibrated/built these units, Fixing it can be done with the unit in the vehicle but it's quite involved & requires dropping the Valve Body, 2nd Accumulator Housing & removing the 2nd & 4th Servos.
 
2006 is old enough to have been Dex III originally. Dex VI does supersede it, but it would be a much thinner LV ATF. I think I would at least try exchanging it for Dex III (or Dex VI) in place of the MaxLife to see if it helps.

I bet a 2006 was factory filled with Dexron VI, I've never noticed a difference between Dexron III & Dexron VI in 4L60E's....Or Maxlife LV for that matter.
 
I've seen several '04 & '05 4L60E's do 2nd gear starts then quickly downshift back to 1st gear.....Caused by a faulty VSS/OSS Sensor, There's even a TSB for it. If any GM vehicles would have previous years hardware.....It would be Express/Savanna vans.

The only way to properly diagnose this is.....To catch it in the act while Data Logging the Shift Solenoid State & Commanded Gear, If PCM is commanding 2nd Gear while the vehicle is stationary......It's an VSS/OSS Sensor Input issue.
If it's commanding 1st but it's in 2nd......It's a sticky Shift Solenoid, Low AFL Pressure, Or debris in the Valve Body.

The 1-2 Shift complaint is almost "Built-in" because the way GM calibrated/built these units, Fixing it can be done with the unit in the vehicle but it's quite involved & requires dropping the Valve Body, 2nd Accumulator Housing & removing the 2nd & 4th Servos.
I have done some reading on this forum and your posts are an incredible wealth of practical knowledge, thank you.

Catching in the act can prove to be a difficult task. If it has done this 5 times in 30K miles, that is once every 6K miles. Looks like it's a $40 part, I will test it and see if it's good. I may just replace it and see what it does. If it does it again I know I will have to investigate further.

Will that slow 1-2 shift shorten the life of the transmission? Am I gaining anything by going in a fixing it or is it just a matter of improving the shift? The slow shift doesn't bother me enough to go in and to the fix, but if it will prolong the life of the transmission I would probably do it in time.
 
I have a 2005 model like yours and also tried the Maxlife as it seems to be rated for about everything. That was at the 180,000 mile mark and my transmission started having shift issues. After several weeks of not acting right I drained the Maxlife - changed the filter again - and flushed all the Maxlife out of the torque converter. My refill fluid was Valvoline Dex-Merc in the blue bottle and it has been perfect for the last 60,000 miles. Now at 240K and pull a trailer or boat 2 times a week on average.
 
Will that slow 1-2 shift shorten the life of the transmission? Am I gaining anything by going in a fixing it or is it just a matter of improving the shift? The slow shift doesn't bother me enough to go in and to the fix, but if it will prolong the life of the transmission I would probably do it in time.

My recipe can/will prolong 2-4 Band & 3-4 Clutch life, However.....I've seen many 4L60E's last 300,000+ miles with sloppy shifts.
 
My 2004 avananch has done that a hand full of times in the last 10 years, then works fine. I caulk it up as a little confusion in the electronics.
 
I've seen several '04 & '05 4L60E's do 2nd gear starts then quickly downshift back to 1st gear.....Caused by a faulty VSS/OSS Sensor, There's even a TSB for it. If any GM vehicles would have previous years hardware.....It would be Express/Savanna vans.

The only way to properly diagnose this is.....To catch it in the act while Data Logging the Shift Solenoid State & Commanded Gear, If PCM is commanding 2nd Gear while the vehicle is stationary......It's an VSS/OSS Sensor Input issue.
If it's commanding 1st but it's in 2nd......It's a sticky Shift Solenoid, Low AFL Pressure, Or debris in the Valve Body.

The 1-2 Shift complaint is almost "Built-in" because the way GM calibrated/built these units, Fixing it can be done with the unit in the vehicle but it's quite involved & requires dropping the Valve Body, 2nd Accumulator Housing & removing the 2nd & 4th Servos.

Thanks for that info about the 2nd gear start, Clinebarger. I have thought about posting to ask you about that.

My 2001 Silverado has done it at most once or twice a year since new. (Filter change and flush with Mobil 1ATF at 36,000 and pan drains every 20-30k since.) At first I thought it was slipping, but eventually figured out that it felt like starting in the wrong gear. I asked a service writer about it on a warranty visit once, and he basically said it would be impossible for them to diagnose.

I might consider changing the VSS next time it happens. If it doesn't start getting worse or more frequent, can I assume that the other causes aren't doing any harm?
 
I have done some reading on this forum and your posts are an incredible wealth of practical knowledge, thank you.

Catching in the act can prove to be a difficult task. If it has done this 5 times in 30K miles, that is once every 6K miles. Looks like it's a $40 part, I will test it and see if it's good. I may just replace it and see what it does. If it does it again I know I will have to investigate further.

Will that slow 1-2 shift shorten the life of the transmission? Am I gaining anything by going in a fixing it or is it just a matter of improving the shift? The slow shift doesn't bother me enough to go in and to the fix, but if it will prolong the life of the transmission I would probably do it in time.
@ clinebarger And very nice of you to be willing to share your knowledge and help us!
Thank You!
 
When I got my 03 4l60e trans rebuilt for the 2nd time, I asked if using Dex6 was ok, since that was what I was doing my D&F with. They told me that Dex6 was a great fluid, they use havoline since they can get it in bulk. The continued on to specifically call out Valvoline MaxLife ATF and said not to use it.. ymmv. I'll be sticking to OEM fluid.
 
My recipe can/will prolong 2-4 Band & 3-4 Clutch life, However.....I've seen many 4L60E's last 300,000+ miles with sloppy shifts.
Hi @clinebarger , does any of this change if I tell you that the sloppy 1-2 shift happens 70% of the time? The other 30% the shift feels good. I have not been able to pinpoint any specific variable that makes it happen/no happen like throttle position, speed, temperature, one hand or 2 hands on the steering wheel.
 
Hi @clinebarger , does any of this change if I tell you that the sloppy 1-2 shift happens 70% of the time? The other 30% the shift feels good. I have not been able to pinpoint any specific variable that makes it happen/no happen like throttle position, speed, temperature, one hand or 2 hands on the steering wheel.

Yes, 4L60E's are sloppily built & mis-calibrated straight from the factory, A quick/short 1-2 shift can be attained even with a high mileage Band. How about a good shift 70% & a great shift 30% of the time?
 
Yes, 4L60E's are sloppily built & mis-calibrated straight from the factory, A quick/short 1-2 shift can be attained even with a high mileage Band. How about a good shift 70% & a great shift 30% of the time?
@clinebarger so if it shifting sloppy 70% of the time that is just the sloppy nature of the 4L60E? I ask just because I want to make sure there is nothing immediately wrong with my transmission. I don't really mind the sloppy shift, it's a van and not a sports car so I just want it to get me to the camp site in comfort and carry all my stuff. If there is something specifically wrong I would address it, if not, I will roll the dice and hope this is one of the ones that reaches 200k with sloppy shifts.
 
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