2000 Impala 3.4 - Transmission Problem?

This car has around 134K miles and the transmission was serviced around 50K miles ago. The car/transmission whines once the car gets in the highest gear at around 50mph. The whine will get louder the faster I go. The noise will continue if I put the car in nuetral and rev the engine. The noise stops if I put the transmission into Drive 3. I checked the fluid with the engine hot and it seems to have a lot of air bubbles in it and the level is hard to determine. The fluid does not smell burnt but it has a different odor than new fluid. I took the car to Advanced Auto and they did a scan and there is a P1404 that points to the ERG. I don't think that has anything to do with the problem. I've searched the forum but without any luck. Anyone have any ideas? Think the car is OK to drive without causing any more damage?

Thanks for your help!!

I don't think there is any way any engine fluids can get into the tansmission short of coolant and I have never seen that happen (not saying it can't). I have seen the transmission fluid get air in it like it sounds like you are describing. Foamy like. I have only seen it when the transmission has been over filled. It's not over filled is it? :confused:

No, it has never been overfilled. It my daughter's car, so everytime she comes home, I'll do a quick fluid check ,etc.... I have never had a problem or had to add any transmission fluid..

I am not real sure on this but I think a special scanner is needed for trans codes. Sounds like there might be something going on with the overdrive. Might be that the filter is clogging up. At 50k since last service it's time, with that many accumulative mi total (my opinion). Best place to start I think. I don't care much for the auto chains and their services, but then dealers drive people away in madness wondering why, not everybody hates them yet! What can we do to make it 100%? Be sure to post if you find the solution.

As mentioned this should be scanned with a trans function scanner, the pcs solenoid can cause harsh shifting and the whine for one.

If your getting bubbles and squeeling, that is usually a indication of low fluid and the torque convertor is squeeling because it is low on oil. It could be something as simple as actually being low on oil, or, the tranny filter has managed to make its way out, and is leaking oil, and the tranny is not getting its required oil when driving because its loosing oil/pressure.

If its good in third gear, no squeeling, then it most likely just needs more oil. Add about 1/2 a quart when its cold at this point, start it up and go for a drive, warm it up and then check the level then, add as necessary if its still low.

:screwy: I took the car to Cottmans and they wanted $450 to remove the transmission for figure out what was wrong. Did not do that... Kept the car for a couple of days trying to figure out my next steps. Had a local shop recommended to me so I scheduled it there. While driving to the shop, I could not get the car to exhibit the same symptoms. The shop could not find anything so I had them flush the transmission, put a new filter in and he did a complete diagnostic. Said no codes at all, everything is fine!! Now I can't figure out if the transmission is shifting to overdrive. It's so smooth & quiet. Even when I was going 75 mph and shifted from "D" to "3", I could hear no difference in the engine speed. I guess my only option is to put a tach on it to verifiy the RPMs are changing. Anyone know of a simple way to get an RPM reading for this? Appreciate any suggestions..........

At 75 you should definitely notice a difference between 4th and 3rd. A scanner would be the easiest. Autozone will rent you a scanner but I don't know if it has access to the data stream.

Another update: The car has been running fine but the transmission whine is still there. Just took a 1300 mile trip with no other problems. My brother in law, GM mechanic did a complete diag and summarized it is the thrust bearing in the transmission. He says there is no repair other that to replace the transmission. So I 'm just goping to run this thing until it breaks. Go figure...

Faulty Pressure Control Solenoid, GM knows about it, there are TSB about it. Harsh shifts when hot. The best and cheapest thing to do is call GM and complain. Their number is 1-800-222-1020. These transmissions are known to be defective but have yet to be recalled. I called today 6-21-2010. Ask for it to be recalled. If they get enough calls they will. Maybe

GM was useless, I guess stock prices reflect customer service

Install transgo sk4t65e kit and it did the job. Takes about an hour and total cost about 160 for kit,fluid,filter
shifts like it should

Thanks for the update on such an old post. I still have the problem but have done nothing about it.. This is a start!!

i tried to post to the most common hits when i searched for the same problem i had. That way people who have the same problem can view it and find a possible solution. But so far so good, and I would much rather put in the accumulator springs and shims than to change the pcs which might not be bad. It's worth a shot for not a lot of time or money.

Thanks for the update on such an old post. I still have the problem but have done nothing about it.. This is a start!!

I had the exact same thing. A whine/howl that started at 50 MPH. I could drive it in 3 and the howl was gone. Also, in D, I could let up off the gas and the howl would be gone.

I had a code P0742, TCC circuit stuck on. I did a reset and it was gone, but I knew it was in the trans.

I ordered the PCS, TCC, 1-2 and 3-4 solenoids and put them in. Problem solved! HUGE job! About 6.5 hours. Parts about $125 through a place on the internet. I just did the job in May. The howl was the pump in the trans.

You can get a scanner from Auto Zone that will not give transmission codes, but it will give RPM.

Starting off in D, you should get 4 drops in RPM. 1st to 2nd...2nd to 3rd....TCC lockup....and around 50 MPH, it will shift to overdrive (4th).

I was confusing the TCC lock up as a shift to 4th. The car actually had no 4th (OD).

If you would like more information on how to do the job, here's a link to BNaylor's great description of how to... It gives a nice diagram of the valve body and where the solenoids are. It's getting the trans side cover off that is all the work.

Huntersville, NC? I wish you were a little closer. I'd give you a hand. I'm near Eden, NC.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/t656849-pressure_control_solenoid.html

Thank you all for the updates. I'll have to put this one on the list of things to do. I'm not sure I have the talent/time to accomplish this project. With no way to lift the car or get under it, these tasks can seem daunting. But it's still running for now!

I was dreading changing the pcs, but it was easier than i thought. I am not a mechanic and I am not suggesting that you do this, this is what I did and it worked fine and saved a bunch of money and was easy to do. Anything you decide to do is your choice and I am not liable for it
1. disconnect battery and drain transmission fluid, put transmission pan back on with a few bolts, you can change the filter when you are done with everything else and put all the bolts back in
2. take off air filter housing and air intake, take electrical plug out of transmission
3. raise boot on steering gear box and take bolt out of steering connecting to steering shaft, it is one bolt and has to come completely out and then slide the shaft up off of it (this is done so you do not damage the steering when you lower the cradle)
4. loosen axle nut and lug nuts so you can get them off when you raise the vehicle.
5. raise vehicle,and support it,take off the following only on drivers side: wheel, brake caliper (hang out of way), lower ball joint off of lower A arm, tie rod end, sway bar
6. now you can take out the 3 strut nuts from up top and tap on the axle nut very lightly, then take the axle nut off to get it out of the front hub assembly,
7. push down on the lower A arm, and pull the strut out (i left the strut, rotor, front hub assembly as one when i took it out), also take out engine splash shield which has 3 plastic rivets in it, then pull out axle, i used a slide hammer
8. I had 3 different areas of support , the body, the transmission, and the front drivers side cradle
9. I placed a piece of plywood on the jack and used it to support the transmission, be careful not to raise it to high and crack your coolant reservoir
10. I placed another jack on the cradle
11. I used jack stands to support the body
12. I took out the tranny mount nuts that bolt it to the cradle.
13. With the tranny supported, as well as the Cradle, I loosened the 2 drivers side cradle bolts and took them completely out. Lower the cradle down. This allows you to get to the bottom bolts of the side cover. Then lower the transmission down to get the rest of the bolts out.
14. Pull off side cover and replace solenoids. Disconnect wire harness, they have a pin that you must pull out with needle nose pliers, pull out solenoid
15. Reverse procedure to assemble
16. got alignment

This job took about 5 hours, because it was my first time doing it, but it is real easy
I bought a solenoid kit off ebay for $108, fluid and filter for about $60, I used about 10 qts

every car is different so use common sense when you are working on it, you have no one to blame but yourself if you screw up, good luck

the whining is the trans fluid pump spinning at full tilt to keep the pressure up to keep the plates from slipping.... whether their is a fault or the PCM just thinks there is do to a bad component likE the PCS.