2000 Venture on 3rd solenoid in 3 months for p1811

[rodstayner]

I have a Venture with 120,000 miles on it. I first had an issue in October 2009 with a p1811 code and had the transmission diagnosed and they recommended a solenoid replacement. It was replaced and worked fine until our big Western road trip in August 2010 when the issue returned. I thought we just drove it too hard, and after we got home it worked okay until the hot weather returned this summer. In august of this year I took it back in and they replaced the solenoid again...costing me another $532.

I didn't even get the van home that day before it started the hard shifting again. I took it back and the transmission shop said the solenoid that was installed tested BAD again...so they replaced it under warranty.

Again, last week I took it back for the same problem. They AGAIN replaced the solenoid under warranty...saying everything else appeared okay and it might be a rash of bad parts.

But unfortunately the problem still is not fixed as it acted up afterwards on a trip with a lot of stopping and going.

I forgot to mention I have installed an aux transmission cooler as well.

Trying to figure out what to do. The transmission shop has a decent reputation, but I hate "parts changing". There has to be something else wrong here....

Any suggestions?

[Tech II]

Where are they getting the parts from? Not OEM?

Fluid condition checked?

Was a transmission service done?

It's possible, you may need a valve body and/or the filter screens to the valve body may have debris....

Were the "taps" reset after replacement?

[trannyman52]

transgo shift kit ,,,addresses shift accumulators to clean up harsh shift...should be done in conjuntion with replacing solenoid,,,I would have the accumulators re-worked with this kit before replacing another solenoid !!!!

[SilverOLDS]

Originally Posted by trannyman52

transgo shift kit ,,,addresses shift accumulators to clean up harsh shift...should be done in conjuntion with replacing solenoid,,,I would have the accumulators re-worked with this kit before replacing another solenoid !!!!

Definately do this. I had the same hard shifting and a was quoted $2500+ to rebuild. (the shifts start to take longer as the clutches wear so the computer puts the pump into max pressure). I couldn't afford this and did a lot of searching and ended up doing the transco shift kit. No hard shifting for 2 months now. I know that this may only put off the real problem but if it a can last for a year or two i'll be happy.

[trannyman52]

the matter of the solenoid raising line pressure in most cases is not the result of worn clutches,,,this seems to be a temp issue.....standard or common practice of re-building I would bet the problem will not be addressed,,,and will come back.....This transmission is very common in GM units,,,question to me is why it seems to only surface quite often in only certain models???? The valve body must be upgraded with a Sonnax VB kit to assure the problem will go away..........also the harsh shift ,,,though annoying,,,,does not mean that this trans is going to fail next week...the inlaws venture has this issue,,,,dressed the accumulators,,,,cured the problem,,,for a while,,,still does it ,,sometimes,,,that was about 30,000 miles ago,,,still hanging in there,,would trust it to go anywhere