no reverse, 96 astro van

[tazmann64]

my 96 astro lost reverse, i came to a stop, put it in reverse and heard a pop.
now it wont go in reverse. i can hear a whining sound coming from the trans. i can drive in all forward gears. the linkage seems to be ok, and does any ony know what type of trans is in it,
thank you, the tazmann

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by tazmann64

my 96 astro lost reverse, i came to a stop, put it in reverse and heard a pop.
now it wont go in reverse. i can hear a whining sound coming from the trans. i can drive in all forward gears. the linkage seems to be ok, and does any ony know what type of trans is in it,
thank you, the tazmann

Welcome on your first post on AF.
You should have a 4L60-E / electronic 700R4
If it poped and reverse is gone it is time to replace or rebuild it.
What is the mileage and service history?
MT

[tazmann64]

i just hit 80K, i got this van used 1 1/2 yrs ago. is it better to rebuild or buy a new,or rebuilt one
thanx for the info
tazmann

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by tazmann64

i just hit 80K, i got this van used 1 1/2 yrs ago. is it better to rebuild or buy a new,or rebuilt one
thanx for the info
tazmann

Depends on how many more miles you want to get out of it and how much you want to spend.
You can not but a brand new just rebuilt.
A GM factory rebuilt unit 3 year 50K parts and labor warranty will run up to 2K.
Call your local dealer for pricing.

If you go aftermarket rebuilt or have yours rebuilt check around first.
And make sure they do good work and stand behind it.

Check around Ask around
Word of mouth.
Family friends coworkers neighbors business people and delivery people.
Mailmen and parcel delivery people get around and notice a lot of stuff.
Even a good parts house knows what shops are good and not good.
Chamber of commerce and better business bureau and city hall.
If you find a good referral to a repair shop go look them over and talk to them.
Look for a clean looking busy place with nice people running it.
Ask a few questions and ask about their qualifications and training.
Not all places have trained tech/mechanics.
If they do not find a place that does.
Even all dealers do not have all trained techs/mechanics.

Good Luck
MT

[Blue Bowtie]

It may be worth having a shop take a look at it to make sure it's not an easily repairable problem. Some things can be done right through the pan opening without removing the transmission. You might be suffering from a common reverse valve bind-up due to a worn valve body. There is a slim chance that the Rev abuse valve has a problem. If you're not absolutely certain that you have good engagement of the 3rd (direct) range, there is another slim chance that the torque converter stator sleeve has spun, blocking the reverse oil passage. That would require a removal, but not a complete disassembly. Then again, if it has to come out, you might as well replace the wearened original parts with better ones.

If it's an AWD Astro, you may be better off having a qualified shop rebuild it. Ask specifically for a TCI "Beast" reaction sun shell (could be what failed, and will continue to fail if you install the GM replacement part), a five pinion input planetary set, a six-stack clutch pack with full thickness steels (or 7-stack Raybestos "Z" Pack, or eight-stack Red Eagle if you really want bullet-proof), a 13-vane pump, an Alto "Red Eagle" HD band, a clean torque converter, and a good valve body (with all the wear surfaces sleeved or honed).

[tazmann64]

thank you, im going to check that 1st. some one else said that too.
tazmann

[Blue Bowtie]

Wow! Did I actually type "wearened" in that last reply? No doubt about it - My fingers need more caffiene.

Don't be surprised if MT2500 is right, but it can't hurt to scan for error codes (in case you lost a solenoid) and perform a little easy inspection and line pressure check in the different ranges to make sure it isn't something relatively easy before submitting to a R&R and/or full rebuild. At 80K miles, there really shouldn't be much that is worn out unless the trans has been abused or used hard, and there is likely either a catastrpohic failure of a component.

Are you certain is solidly engages all four forward ranges? Have you tried manually selecting every range and manually shifting to see it they all engage properly?

[lloydroy1960]

I have the 99 Astro with only 58,000 miles and yesterday when beginning a low grade accent after turning onto a city street, I felt the transmission downshift because of my drop in speed and as I gave a little gas to go up the slight hill heard a pop sound and then just a second of metal to metal noise. Did not know that reverse had been lost until about an hour later when I had parked and needed to back out of the parking space. No revers, but all forward gears seem to shift and work ok. Any suggestions? Thanks

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by lloydroy1960

I have the 99 Astro with only 58,000 miles and yesterday when beginning a low grade accent after turning onto a city street, I felt the transmission downshift because of my drop in speed and as I gave a little gas to go up the slight hill heard a pop sound and then just a second of metal to metal noise. Did not know that reverse had been lost until about an hour later when I had parked and needed to back out of the parking space. No revers, but all forward gears seem to shift and work ok. Any suggestions? Thanks

Better to start a new post on it.
No reverse is not good news.
MT