Friends, my C6 went wrong...

Today the automatic gearbox broke down. When I push the accelerator, it doesn't want to move to a higher gear and just revs freely. On the other hand, when I use “kick down”, it doesn't switch to a lower one.

What could be the problem having in mind these symptoms? I decided to ask you, guys, because in my country Corvette isn't popular at all and I have big problem with the so called “dealer” here – they are absolute amateurs concerning Vettes.

Any advices will be a big help for me!
Thanks in advance!!!

 

Have you done any mods to the car or even moved around any of the wiring underneath?

The reason I ask is that I had a similar problem when I installed headers on my car. The vehicle speed sensor wiring for the left rear tire partially melted which put the car into "limp" mode and the car behaved a lot like what yours is doing.

 

Yes that can be one possible reason or it could just have gone into a type of 'limp mode' from just hard driving or heat.

My recommendation is to disconnect the battery overnight (at least 15 straight hours completely disconnected) and then reconnect it and see where you're at...I don't think your trans is totally fried.

 

Or see if you can find somebody with a code reader to see if there are any codes and reset them if possible.

If your car starts behaving normally right away (if only for a short period of time) then your transmission is probably fine.

 

Thanks guys, you are really great here!
Yes, my car is modded with headres and complete exhaust system...
I will do everything you said me, and will keep you up to date with the problem, because your advices are more precise than the mechanics which have to repair the car over here...
Thanks again!!!

 

Good luck and feel free to PM me with any specific questions you have.

 

Boyko23,
I agree with all of the fellas that have suggestions thus far, if you need any other ideas IF you still have problems, PM me and I will forward THX007's and my experiences in past posts. We and several others had problems that were not as severe as yours BUT they just may be connected. In any event, good luck , I have confidence that the fellas in this Forum will be able to give a whole lot of help as they certainly gave me a bunch that helped me make decisions on my problem.
Fran

 

Update on my case:

Yesterday I went to the local dealer/service to check the ECU for any “errors” as you said. There was any. The mechanic told me, that unfortunately the problem with the gearbox is mechanical. It doesn't want to switch third and fourth gear and simply revs freely... Now, the problems for me just begin... So, I have few questions for you guys:

1.Does anyone of you have any idea what can be the broken part/parts and is it possible to be repaired reliably, or I have to install a new automatic gearbox?
2.What is the price of such a gearbox in the USA? If I have to buy one; I will import it from the USA, because in Europe the prices are much different...
3.My car still has a warranty. But the problem is that it was the first C6 imported in my country and at that time we didn't have an official importer, so the regular services (oils, filters and so on) weren't done in an authorized service of GM? Now we have and my question is – Do I have the right to insist on warranty replacement of the gearbox with a new one?
4.Last one. For sure I will face reluctance from the so called “local dealer”, because here the most important part for them is to sell you the car and the service after that is beyond any levels... So, does anyone know which GM “institution” to contact in Europe or even in the US for support about the warranty?

Thank you friends, an please excuse my poor English. You were great whenever I asked for help! Thanks in advance!!!

 

Wow, this would be a frustrating situation! I am still not convinced it is mechanical. As Fran mentioned, many of us here in the US have had issues with the A6 transmission, but most of the problems are solenoid or computer related, not mechanical. I would find the European customer care number for GM and contact them directly. They do want your business and that of others in your country. I would demand that they be involved in finding a solution for you.

All the best, hope it is resolved soon!

 

Boyko, I want to say first that this is going to be a long post, as I want to enlist my fellow U.S. Corvette owners to help you as much as we can.
Boyko, You PM'd me today on the latest development in this problem. I want to put out a call to all that can possibly help.


Guys and Gals, We have a brother Vette owner, the FIRST in his country no less that is in dire straights due to a problem with his automatic transmission, he is alone and needs our help. Let's show him what we can do to help if possible ! I have an idea that I would like to propose:

1. I have read on this forum of guys who have talked directly to thier G.M. representatives about problems they have had. Perhaps one of us has had or does have a good enough relationship with thier rep to ask if he can dig into this problem officially to help with Boykos problem.

2. If we pass the word around enough we may even get one of our supporting vendors/transmission vendors who would possibly be able to talk via email to the technical guy who is working on the car. In this way he may be able to get more info than they are letting out at this time.

3. I am not putting down the technical expertise of the service personell in Bulgaria. However it is more than possible that since this is a first Corvette with a major problem they may not understand as much as is needed to solve the problem. They may be reluctant to ask for help and in the end the customer, Boyko, suffers.

4. We also must understand that we have not got all of the information to make a good judgement call to help. We only know what the tech people are telling Boyko and in his defence he is in the same corner many of has faced with a dealer issue. That is that thier are circumstances in this isuue that at first glance can be final in a bad way. However if looked at in the big picture this problem could be solved easily with some discussion and wrangling. This is where we come in.

It is my guess that if we get a GM representative involved and he understands that these transmissions have had a more than normal amount of Technical Service Bulletins on various issues, he may be persuaded to help and at the same time prove that GM has a lot to gain publicity wise in helping a first time Corvette owner with a very major problem. Can you imagine the good will that GM could gain by being proactive with this issue? Not only could they possibly fix this problem in a fair and equitable manner but they also could build a whole lot of good feelings in another country that they are trying to sell cars in. I am not saying that this is a slam dunk to get done 100% in Boykos favor. However he could be a whole lot better off if we try and talk a GM rep into investigating this problem and smoothing the way for minimum cost to Boyko.

I am going to talk to my dealer and get my GM representatives phone number and call to discuss this with him. I hope others will try as well. Maybe if enough of us do this GM will understand that we are trying our best NOT to slam GM in any way but get them to help as much as they can. Also many of us can asdk around and maybe someone out there has had this exact problem and can help out.
As THX007 said in his response, many of the automatic transmission problem that we and many others have had recently were computer/parts problems, yours seems to be mainly mechanical. For instance I had my trans replaced with a GM rebuild unit because the parts they were to use to repair the problem were going to take almost 4 weeks to get in. My dealer tech talked to the GM representative and they decided not to have me wait that long for a problem that was GM's responsability. Others had parts replaced and to my knowledge most or all are o.k. now.
Again sorry for this long of a post but I felt compelled to try to help a fellow Vette owner who is the first Corvette owner in a country far away. Here's to a successful fix to this problem Good luck and let's see what we can do! Talk to you soon Boyko.
Fran

 

i love this forum .............
good luck

 

Thanks Fran! Thanks friends!
I can't believe how helpful you are
Tomorrow I have a meeting with the local dealer chiefs about the warranty conditions and will keep you up to date!

 

Boyko,
That's a great first step!Good luck! Now let's see if we can help on our end if needed!
Fran

 

I am not going to guess, I will just tell u whats wrong.......in the input drum of the 4L65e (your trans) is a clutchpack known as the "3-4" clutch. This is the weak link and I build these all the time. The worst thing u can do is wot from2nd tp 3rd all the time. There are numerous upgrades to satisfy u, but if re-built stock and u drive the same, it will happen again. Find a good race trans man or see me...............U have rev, 1st, 2nd, but 3rd like nuetral......cooked, just pull the pan and u will see. I do these in my sleep I have wasted so many.

 

J HERBERT,
Is this an issue that a technician can investigate for a possible TSB? Have you heard anything about this being a long standing problem with
'07's, '08's? There are a lot of us who have had similar isuues that have been taken care of under waranty due to A TSB isuue. I do not think any of this group had as a severe problem as Boyko has got. However this info is great for Boyko to discuss with his tech.
I know Boyko will thank you as soon as his wake up time comes in Bulgaria
Fran

 

05 was the last year for the 4L65e 4sp auto, the 06-up guys have the 6sp auto. The 4L65e is a direct decendant of the 1984 700R4, in fact, most all internals interchange/upgrade. The 3-4 clutch issue is a common thing, and a very big reason I drive a Z, at a grand+parts to do a bench-job, and the # of them failing, if I did more than the 3or4 a month I do now, I would never show up for my real job. Vette transmissions give me satisfaction, because it will be enjoyed. But I run a gaming establishment to pay the bills and have to deal w/ stupidity (and they want it all for free) to pay for my wonderful life. I like my job, hate the low-life customers gambling brings. Thank God for 9 sec vettes and 80+mph supercharged jet-skis

 

Thanks Herbert, thanks Fran!
Today I met with the chief of the warranty department, and as I expected they weren't very helpful... One of them almost told me not to expect anything under warranty, because my car isn't bought from them!
After that I spoke directly with the chief and was told to prepare my documentation and to apply for warranty repair/change of the transmission.
Can someone of you consult me, or even send me the warranty conditions of GM and is it a potential problem, that I haven't changed my oils, filters etc. in an authorized service due to the mentioned above circumstances?

 

Did you do a search? There have been posts about a solenoid that produces the same symtoms. Could be a relatively easy fix; good luck.

 

Boyko,
Sorry for the so-so start BUT it is a start. I have left a message for the GM Representative in my area and am waiting for a return call. I have copied all of the iformation you have given on the forum so that I can forward it to him. I will keep you posted.

 

good, luck

it's great to see people trying to help fellow c6 owners, even abroad