What can (should) I do? (please read)

[mds2004]

First of all I have a 1996 GMC Yukon and am having a problem.

I took the truck today to a transmission shop and told them about a problem of mine when the shift from second to third wasnt firm, a 200-600rpm flair up before fully shifting. I also wanted them to install a shift kit after determining the problem.

However, they called me telling me they took it for a test drive and the transmission is toast. He then proceeds to to tell me he will rebuild it anywhere from 1700-2500. I told him I did not have the money to do so as I work at Pepboys and make a measly $7.50/hour and $400-600 per month. He then told me I can get a certain credit card with all the local mechanics in town and I can use the card to rebuild it. I told him I will not do that and I will just go there to pick up the truck soon.

So I come down and pick it up (I did not have the shift kit installed) and on my way home the transmission was 300 times worse. It would not shift into third or fourth, it felt as it went into neutral; so I had to slow down and manually shift it to first to get it back into gear and limp it home that way.

Anyways, when I came home I told my father and he called them telling them about the problems and they hung up on him. So my father and I went to Transmission DR's (their name) and said it was our fault because we knew it was already messed up and drove it there (2miles).

The drive has been driven a MAXIMUM of 10 miles (from work to home and then home to the shop). The only problem even while driving it to the shop was just that 200-600rpm flair which wasnt a firm shift and ONLY occured on second to third gear shift. Also after knowing of the problem I let go of the gas to let it upshift without the flair.

Within 200 of the last transmission driven miles it was perfectly fine. I even drove to Montana and back without a single problem (over 2000 mile round trip mind you). On the way back from Montana when I was almost home, the engine's crankshaft broke and we rebuilt the engine. I am thinking their may be a grounding problem or some sort as the transmission has NEVER been pushed since the rebuild of the engine due to breaking in.

Another thing to add is the transmission problem started right after I had an electrical problem which consists of my power door locks not working, rear hatch window opening, dome light coming on when door opens, and the driver power seat not moving.

Also, could this have been the problem the whole time? There is a Technical service bulletin on the 1996 4L60E similar to this problem. A simple fix was needed which consists of a jumper in the ecu which Gm started doing after 1996. We told the guy at the shop about the TSB and he said it didnt matter becaus eno matter when something flairs, the whole thing needs to be rebuilt. Here is a quote of the TSB:

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1-2 AND OR 2-3 UPSHIFT SLIP/FLARE #66-71-04
SUBJECT: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1-2 AND/OR 2-3 UPSHIFT
SLIP/FLARE, NO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR, LAUNCH SHUDDER,
DTC P1870 (REVISE VCM WIRING)
MODELS: 1996 CHEVROLET AND GMC C/K, S/T, M/L, G1, G2 AND P3 MODELS
1996 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA
WITH VCM AND 4L60-E (M30) OR 4L80-E (MT1)
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CONDITION:
SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS
EITHER A
SLIP OR FLARE ON THE 1-2 AND/OR 2-3 UPSHIFT, OR NO 3RD OR
4TH GEAR, OR LAUNCH SHUDDER. DTC P1870 MAY ALSO BE STORED
IN THE VCM.
CAUSE:
A POOR INTERNAL GROUND BETWEEN THE TWO CIRCUIT BOARDS OF
THE VCM CAN CAUSE THE VCM TO COMMAND ERRATIC LINE PRESSURE
AT THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOIDS (PCS).
CORRECTION:
USING HARNESS JUMPER WIRE AND INSTRUCTION KIT, P/N 12167310,
REVISE THE WIRING HARNESS AT THE VCM CONNECTOR.
CORRECTIONS WERE MADE TO THE VCM BEGINNING 2/14/96. THE
CORRECTED VCM'S ARE IDENTIFIED WITH SERVICE NUMBER 16244210
ON THE VCM IDENTIFICATION LABEL.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED
WITH THE SERVICE KIT:
1. REMOVE THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL FROM THE BATTERY.
2. MOVE THE WIRE LOCATED AT CONNECTOR J3
(WHITE/GRAY/CLEAR), PIN 18 TO CONNECTOR J1 (BLUE), PIN 23.
3. INSTALL THE JUMPER WIRE BETWEEN CONNECTOR J2 (RED),
PIN 26 AND CONNECTOR J3 (WHITE/GRAY/CLEAR), PIN 18.
4. INSTALL THE TAG INCLUDED IN THE KIT AROUND THE VCM
WIRING HARNESS. THIS TAG NOTES THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAS
BEEN MODIFIED.
5. RECONNECT THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL.
ROAD TEST TO VERIFY THAT THE CONDITION HAS BEEN
CORRECTED.
IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE NOTED, THE
TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE REPLACED, OR FOR CANADIAN
DEALERS, REPAIRED.
-TRANSMISSION FLUID OXIDATION OR EXCESSIVE SEDIMENT.
-TRANSMISSION SLIP OR FLARE AFTER THIS SERVICE FIX IS
PERFORMED.
-DTC P1870 IS STORED ON A 4L60-E (M30).
THE FOLLOWING TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE FROM KENT-MOORE (1-800-
345-2233) FOR USE IN REMOVING AND RELOCATING THE VCM WIRES:
-J41758 TERMINAL TOOL: USED TO REMOVE THE WIRE FROM THE VCM
CONNECTOR.
-J41759 PUNCH: USED TO PUNCH A NEW HOLE THROUGH THE
CONNECTOR SEAL.
PARTS INFORMATION
P/N DESCRIPTION QTY
12167310 HARNESS JUMPER WIRE KIT 1"[/b]

Any reccomendations/comments will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Mark.

[stssilverado]

Had an 87 firebird do the same to me. the tranny feels like a slipping clutch? it slowly lost overdrive, then third, and i limped home in 2nd gear. It was trashed and it cost 900 to rebuild (in 1992). Best bet is to find a "shade tree" that knows what the hell he's doing or get a salvaged one for temporary use.

tough break, good luck.

[RedHeartbeat]

Check the pcm per the tsb and see if the mod has already been done. If not, contact your local gm dealer and see if they fix it under the tsb free of charge or not. also see if they cover damage to the trans due to the problem created by their bad wiring.

[mds2004]

Originally posted by RedHeartbeat@Apr 29 2005, 04:56 PM
Check the pcm per the tsb and see if the mod has already been done. If not, contact your local gm dealer and see if they fix it under the tsb free of charge or not. also see if they cover damage to the trans due to the problem created by their bad wiring.

Awesome idea. Il check on that now. Thanks a lot!

[kirkrhughes]

I'd call the Better Business Bureau on that shop too, sounds like they may have done some thing to make it worse.