Tranny Trouble (again!)

[wb4lbg]

A little less than a year ago (but sadly, about 13K miles ago) my transmission died a horrible death. Apparently it had been leaking from the accumulator cover seal (common problem) and the fluid got low enough to cause a meltdown. It cost me $2100 to have the tranny rebuilt at a local transmission shop (not AAMCO!!)

I wrote about the problem then and have warned others since then that letting these 4L30E's get hot ruins them PDQ.

Well, I had to go out of town on business trip (about 140 mi). Today, when I started the truck to come home, it was shifting really hard. I didn't have much starting and stopping in the first 20 miles or so but then I had to stop at about a half dozen red lights a few tenths of a mile apart. On every start, the shift from 1st to 2nd was especially hard.

Then the blasted A/T temperature light came on. What am I gonna do, I'm over a hundred miles from home? I pulled over, turned off the engine and got out to see if I could see anything wrong. I didn't see any signs of a leak.

After about 10 minutes, I started the truck back up and the light went off. I drove gingerly for the first 10 miles or so and the light didn't come back on. I went ahead and got up to crusing speed and the light never came back on the rest of the way home.

However, it feels like there is a little slippage when I start from a dead stop. Maybe it's just my imagination but it just doesn't feel exactly right.

Anybody have any suggestions on what I should do next? I would hope the shop that fixed it would cut me a little slack on the 12 mo/12K mi warranty but they are really under no obligation to do so. I kind of hate to drain and refill the tranny to check the condition of the fluid just in case the shop would be willing to give me a break on repair #2.

Has anybody had a similar problem?

If it's gonna cost me another $2K to fix it, it may be up for sale.

Thanks!

[Ramblin Fever]

It can't hurt to double check transmission fluid level and condition, MUCH cheaper then repairing the transmission itself.

If a new transmission IS needed, look for a used one from a junk-yard, or there's a website that others have posted on here before, car-parts.com or something like that where you might be able to locate a used transmission for a very good price.

FWIW - I've often heard that the rebuilds on these 4L30-E's typically don't hold well. It's too bad you're having so many issues with it.

If you do end up selling it, you'll probably get creamed on the deal with a transmission issue, as used Rodeo's or Trooper's don't hold resale value well at all as it is; great for a buyer looking for a cheap used vehicle, but terrible for the seller.

[rodeo02]

JWS, did you verify your range sensor is functioning as it should? PRND321 dash lights acting normal means the range sensor is good. Things like bad IMG's or a weak charging system can also make a modern electronic trans go haywire. Start with the simple stuff like verifying proper ATF level & make sure your cooling system is up to snuff. It almost sounds like your torque converter may have run unlocked which caused the ATF to heat up big time & set the ATF temp light. The PCM can/will command the torque converter to unlock if it senses a misfire or operating concern. I'd have a reputable trans shop take her for a test spin & do a pan drop / filter change.

Joel