"Best" additive to treat early signs of slipping-2005 Silverado 5.3/4L60E

T

TurboTravis

Joined
Jul 26, 2007
Messages
307
Location
NY
Guys,

My Silverado seems to be slipping very lightly on occasion during the 2-3 shift. The trans has never been neglected, regular service, etc. Currently has Dexron VI as the fluid which was serviced about 10K miles ago. I am not mad or surprised, the truck has served me well and will continue to do so. With that said, what is the 'best' additive that I can use that may prolong it's life? FWIW, the fluid is still red and smells 'fine'.

-Travis
 
Hmm maybe try Lubegard red or Lubegard Platinum ?? Lubegard is highly regarded on here by many members.

I am going to look up those two I have mentioned and see what Lubegard says about them. I'm curious as well.

Reason being is my lady's Camry takes Dexron III...

Went to Lubegard website and it does recommend Lubegard red or platinum in a circumstance like yours.

I would get the Lubegard red and follow the dosing recommendations on the bottle.
 
Last edited:
Type f atf. Contains no friction modifiers. Swapping some of that in may stop slip if its not solenoid or pressure related.
 
Maybe have a reliable transmission guy look at it? My 05 has 200k and so far no issues, but I've been considering getting a shift kit installed and a few of the most common valve body issues that can lead to clutches burning out.
 
New ATF with 4 qts of it being type F. I did this to my daughters Honda Civic with a slipping 2nd gear. It now has 47,000 on it and still going.
 
What year and how many miles on your Silverado's transmission?
I'm surprised it's slipping if it's been serviced regularly.
I am a big proponent of LG Red as a fluid enhancer (raise the heat fighting ability of the fluid) but in your case the partial Type F fluid
swap may be a better solution.
If your Chevy is a 2005 or older it came with DexronIII....so maybe a thicker ATF like Castrol High Mileage would be better than DexronVI.
 
TurboTravis said:
Guys,

My Silverado seems to be slipping very lightly on occasion during the 2-3 shift. The trans has never been neglected, regular service, etc. Currently has Dexron VI as the fluid which was serviced about 10K miles ago. I am not mad or surprised, the truck has served me well and will continue to do so. With that said, what is the 'best' additive that I can use that may prolong it's life? FWIW, the fluid is still red and smells 'fine'.

-Travis
Click to expand...
What is the mileage? Original transmission?
 
I also have a 2005 silverado with the 4L60E and 5.3. I now have 214,000 miles. I serviced my transmission with Dexron 6 and the shifts felt slow and maybe felt like slipping. All of the suggestions sound good. I went through the same thing at 190K. I would start with a cheap suction hand pump for about $5 and suck out what I could from the dip stick. You will get a little less than 4 quarts. I would then add 3 quarts of Dexron 3 back or however much it takes to get it up to the lower mark on the stick.

I would make sure the transmission is hot before filling to the full mark. This will cost less than $20 and less than 30 minutes. Drive at least a few hundred miles and let the computer adjust shifting. If that does not help I would try Lubegard red.

Also think back to the transmission service and make sure the filter was sealing like it should be. If any doubt on the filter sealing i would cancel everything above and take the pan off to make sure the filter is sealing.

At 190,000 I replaced my transmission filter seal. Everything has been good since. I do not use all Dexron 6. I may use half Dexron 6 and half Dexron 3.
Sounds crazy but as long as my transmission shifts right I am happy. 25% of my miles are pulling a 16' trailer or an 18' boat.
Good luck.
 
No additive will prolong it's life.

First thing is to check the MAF, The easiest is using a scan tool that has the Engine Load PID read in Percentage.....
*Take it out on the freeway & find a good grade if you can, Drive @ 55 MPH & pour the coal to it, Up to about 70 MPH.
*The engine load PID should read 95-100%, If not....You have a MAF problem assuming everything else on the truck is in good shape.
*If you can only get a Grams per Second PID.....Let me know.

It should downshift to 3rd during this test, Don't try this at lower speeds 'til you get this sorted as the 3-4 clutch is easily smoked with low line pressure!!! Downshifting from 4th to 3rd doesn't stress the 3-4's as it's applied in 3rd & 4th.


Another very common possibility is......
*The 2-4 Band Clearance is very loose & needs to be tightened up with Sonnax part# 77787-02K, This is particularly difficult to do in the vehicle as the Pin has to be ground/fitted to obtain the ideal .060" of Band Clearance.
*Install a "Corvette" Servo at the same time along with a GM inner cushion spring part# 8681195 (Installs inside the original cushion spring)
*I also recommend a Sonnax Line Booster Kit part# 4L60E-LB1 which includes a 10% over Pressure Regulator Spring & a .490" Boost Valve & Bushing. (The stock valve is .472")
 
No additive is going to have long term success and replace the worn off material back on the worn out clutches in your transmission. You might obtain a slip free transmission by adding a can of something but I doubt it will last a long time.
 
Lubener said:
No additive is going to have long term success and replace the worn off material back on the worn out clutches in your transmission. You might obtain a slip free transmission by adding a can of something but I doubt it will last a long time.
Click to expand...
Correct, worn or faulty parts are not going to be fixed with an additive. If it is a bit of varnish or wear materials messing things up, a pan drop filter change and some up LG Red might help. Operative word, might. Worn or faulty parts, all bets are off.
 
Thanks for all of the replies, and sorry for the slow follow up on my end. The mileage is 240K, and Dexron 6 replaced Dexron 3 within the last 10K or so. With that said, I am willing to bet that the swap from 6 to 3 caused this problem, or greatly accelerated it. I am not expecting it to be a long term fix, but I'm going to put Dexron 3 back in it, perhaps with one of the additives that has been mentioned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
4L60E Fluid
2
Replies
30
Views
18K
barkingspider
T
  • Locked
2005 5.3L Silverado-please advise on trans fluid
Replies
18
Views
8K
clinebarger
I
  • Locked
2005 Sienna trans issue
2
Replies
27
Views
11K
i6pwr
B
  • Locked
4T65E occasional rare slip
2
Replies
20
Views
23K
bxd20
B
  • Locked
Routine ATF change...from Dex VI to Maxlife
2
Replies
23
Views
9K
SteveSRT8
Back
Top