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Old Sep 19, 2018 | 11:49 PM
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Default Triple Flush

Have a 2015 A8 with 15000 miles. I haven't experienced any transmission issues yet, and recently installed the Range AFM. My question is should I do the triple flush anyways? Is it covered by GM since there have been so many issues. If not what is the average charge to have it done?

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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:05 AM
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:48 AM
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I'm not stating this as fact - rather, I'm just passing along what I heard. I haven't fact checked any of this. Felt it's worthy at least of mention to get some conversation going about it though.

I was talking to a tech that works at the local Chevy dealer as I sold him some of my old Camaro tires. He does a lot of the transmission work at this dealership- and was very familiar with the A8 issues. He mentioned that Mobil just released a new friction modifier package for their fluid - and he felt this was the real fix. His contention was that even using the Range Disabler, the way the transmission is programmed to shift (which is biased by gas mileage goals) it still causes the TC to go in and out of lockup. He said the new fluid's modifier was supposed to prevent TC damage from this. He advised me to be proactive and get the triple flush done now with the new fluid. He also told me that you have to check the date on the fluid to know if it has the new package or not. I asked if I'd be covered under warranty if I stated I had shudder issues when I walked in. His response was that unless he saw the shudder via some type of scanner - the warranty work wouldn't be authorized. That being said - being proactive would be 100% on me. I've done nothing with this - but I haven't heard of this change in the friction modifier package. He also said that his dealership is either still replacing - or back to replacing the TC when a customer comes in with confirmed shudder. No more triple flush.

Anyone else hear anything similar?
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 01:24 AM
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I have a 2015 Z51 with 20K miles and developed a delayed engagement into drive. I took it in for that and they did a TCM(transmission control module) update. I was charged $250 for the update. I pushed back on being charged for it and was told it isn't covered under the 5yr/100K powertrain warranty and is covered under the emission warranty which is 3/36 which I was beyond. So I brought up the TSB for the shudder issue and the triple flush and asked if they would do that(I was not and have not had an issue with shudder since I bought the car at 15K). He said he would check with the warranty gal there at the dealership and see if it was covered under warranty. Didn't hear back for a day so I called to see what the status was. He said my car was almost done and the tech was test driving it. So I asked if they did the triple flush and they had done it. No charge to me. My car shifts so much nicer now and no more delayed engagement. I did put a range unit in at 16K miles. Best money I have spent on the car so far. I would push the dealer to do the flush under warranty. Worked for me.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 09:47 AM
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I plan to have my '17 GS triple flushed as a preventative measure. I'll pay for it as I have no problems yet. I've got a little over 2400 miles on mine. I also have my Range unit which I haven't tried yet. I'm hoping that with both of these "solutions" in place, I can enjoy my car for many years to come.

I do kinda wish I'd stuck to my guns and just waited until I found an M7, especially after constantly reading about all of these A8 issues.

Last edited by Sconn; Sep 20, 2018 at 09:49 AM.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 09:52 AM
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I have the shudder but also the Range. I am going to go to the Dealer in the spring and see what they do about fixing it. Figured I should while still under warranty
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by danh63
I have the shudder but also the Range. I am going to go to the Dealer in the spring and see what they do about fixing it. Figured I should while still under warranty
Did you have the shudder before the Range?
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 09:58 AM
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I think the new flush is a SINGLE and blow out all the lines. Don't do the triple any more. I too would like to get the new fluid on GM's dime. Maybe GM will do a TSB and do for all even though your aren't having problem.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Sconn
Did you have the shudder before the Range?
I got the Range after a couple hundred miles. It wasn't doing it before. I unplugged it this last spring for my yearly oil change with only 2000 or less miles and drove to the Dealer and noticed the shudder and tach jumping. With the Range plugged in nothing! I figure by next spring hopefully everyone has the new fluid and that will take care of things. Really don't want the rear end of the car tore apart for a TC
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by danh63
I got the Range after a couple hundred miles. It wasn't doing it before. I unplugged it this last spring for my yearly oil change with only 2000 or less miles and drove to the Dealer and noticed the shudder and tach jumping. With the Range plugged in nothing! I figure by next spring hopefully everyone has the new fluid and that will take care of things. Really don't want the rear end of the car tore apart for a TC
See and that's exactly what I've been afraid of with the Range... It's just a cover-up.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by 2L8ULUZ
I have a 2015 Z51 with 20K miles and developed a delayed engagement into drive. I took it in for that and they did a TCM(transmission control module) update. I was charged $250 for the update. I pushed back on being charged for it and was told it isn't covered under the 5yr/100K powertrain warranty and is covered under the emission warranty which is 3/36 which I was beyond. So I brought up the TSB for the shudder issue and the triple flush and asked if they would do that(I was not and have not had an issue with shudder since I bought the car at 15K). He said he would check with the warranty gal there at the dealership and see if it was covered under warranty. Didn't hear back for a day so I called to see what the status was. He said my car was almost done and the tech was test driving it. So I asked if they did the triple flush and they had done it. No charge to me. My car shifts so much nicer now and no more delayed engagement. I did put a range unit in at 16K miles. Best money I have spent on the car so far. I would push the dealer to do the flush under warranty. Worked for me.
I dropped off my car on Tuesday at my dealer and handed them a copy of the Bulletin detailing the triple flush procedure. They still have the car so I don't know if they are doing the triple flush or putting in a new TC. If it's a new TC this will be my second replacement. GM really needs to get their act together on this issue. I can see a lot of issues down the road when the drive train warranty is no longer valid. I'm trading mine before this occurs. This is a pathetic situation.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:06 PM
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Originally Posted by witness140
I'm not stating this as fact - rather, I'm just passing along what I heard. I haven't fact checked any of this. Felt it's worthy at least of mention to get some conversation going about it though.

I was talking to a tech that works at the local Chevy dealer as I sold him some of my old Camaro tires. He does a lot of the transmission work at this dealership- and was very familiar with the A8 issues. He mentioned that Mobil just released a new friction modifier package for their fluid - and he felt this was the real fix.
His contention was that even using the Range Disabler, the way the transmission is programmed to shift (which is biased by gas mileage goals) it still causes the TC to go in and out of lockup.
He said the new fluid's modifier was supposed to prevent TC damage from this. He advised me to be proactive and get the triple flush done now with the new fluid. He also told me that you have to check the date on the fluid to know if it has the new package or not. I asked if I'd be covered under warranty if I stated I had shudder issues when I walked in. His response was that unless he saw the shudder via some type of scanner - the warranty work wouldn't be authorized. That being said - being proactive would be 100% on me. I've done nothing with this - but I haven't heard of this change in the friction modifier package. He also said that his dealership is either still replacing - or back to replacing the TC when a customer comes in with confirmed shudder. No more triple flush.

Anyone else hear anything similar?
In reference to what I highlighted in Bold, I would say that's true from my experience.
My 2016 w/Z51 A8 has had a slight shudder since new and I used a Range for about 300-400 miles when new.
After that I didn't use the Range anymore because it didn't seem to make any difference between using it and not using it.
Now with over 17,000 miles on the clock I just drive it, and it has a slight shudder in both Auto or Manual mode.
Sometimes the shudder is more noticeable than other times but 85-90 % of the time it's hardly noticeable.
It's more noticeable cruising steady on the highway, otherwise it's doesn't seem to be an issue.
Earlier this Summer I brought it to my Dealer to see about getting the Flush, and had the Tech drive it with me in the car and he didn't feel it was needed.
Of course it was a real hot day and the shudder is almost none existed in that type of weather.
The Tech did say if I wanted it Flushed, they would do it if I decided to have it done at a later date no problem.
He has done quite a few and also said they only do the Single Flush now with the updated Fluid..

On another note: I went to another Dealer closer to me that usually only has 1 Corvette in their showroom at any given time to see if they had any experience with doing the Flush.
The Service manager said they have Not done any Corvettes but had done a lot of the Colorado's.
I have a month left on the Factory 36 month Drive train warranty and told him I also have the Major Guard extended warranty.
And that's when he told me the Flush would only be covered under the Factory 36 month Drive train warranty
IMO, that remains to be true or false depending on the Dealer, and will be doing more research on that before it's too late.
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth from my experience and research
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Dif
In reference to what I highlighted in Bold, I would say that's true from my experience.
My 2016 w/Z51 A8 has had a slight shudder since new and I used a Range for about 300-400 miles when new.
After that I didn't use the Range anymore because it didn't seem to make any difference between using it and not using it.
Now with over 17,000 miles on the clock I just drive it, and it has a slight shudder in both Auto or Manual mode.
Sometimes the shudder is more noticeable than other times but 85-90 % of the time it's hardly noticeable.
It's more noticeable cruising steady on the highway, otherwise it's doesn't seem to be an issue.
Earlier this Summer I brought it to my Dealer to see about getting the Flush, and had the Tech drive it with me in the car and he didn't feel it was needed.
Of course it was a real hot day and the shudder is almost none existed in that type of weather.
The Tech did say if I wanted it Flushed, they would do it if I decided to have it done at a later date no problem.
He has done quite a few and also said they only do the Single Flush now with the updated Fluid..

On another note: I went to another Dealer closer to me that usually only has 1 Corvette in their showroom at any given time to see if they had any experience with doing the Flush.
The Service manager said they have Not done any Corvettes but had done a lot of the Colorado's.
I have a month left on the Factory 36 month Drive train warranty and told him I also have the Major Guard extended warranty.
And that's when he told me the Flush would only be covered under the Factory 36 month Drive train warranty
IMO, that remains to be true or false depending on the Dealer, and will be doing more research on that before it's too late.
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth from my experience and research
I'd also like to know if the extended warranty GMEPP will cover it...Thanks...
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 12:51 PM
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Lots of good information and things to look into. I am in the Seattle/ Tacoma area, anyone in Washington State recommend a dealership with a good service department?
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 01:20 PM
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My dealer just called. Waiting on a transmission filter. They are doing the triple flush. If shudder returns I will get another torque converter. My drivetrain warranty is covering this work as my 3/36 warranty has expired.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 04:09 PM
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The only reservation i have with trying to get it done under warranty is that my dealer, the one I purchased from (turns out that fact means nothing to them), wanted to tear my tranny apart to verify before they did any work. I'm just not sure I want them to do that as I've heard of problems resulting from the effort to address the shudder.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 04:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Dif
In reference to what I highlighted in Bold, I would say that's true from my experience.
My 2016 w/Z51 A8 has had a slight shudder since new and I used a Range for about 300-400 miles when new.
After that I didn't use the Range anymore because it didn't seem to make any difference between using it and not using it.
Now with over 17,000 miles on the clock I just drive it, and it has a slight shudder in both Auto or Manual mode.
Sometimes the shudder is more noticeable than other times but 85-90 % of the time it's hardly noticeable.
It's more noticeable cruising steady on the highway, otherwise it's doesn't seem to be an issue.
Earlier this Summer I brought it to my Dealer to see about getting the Flush, and had the Tech drive it with me in the car and he didn't feel it was needed.
Of course it was a real hot day and the shudder is almost none existed in that type of weather.
The Tech did say if I wanted it Flushed, they would do it if I decided to have it done at a later date no problem.
He has done quite a few and also said they only do the Single Flush now with the updated Fluid..

On another note: I went to another Dealer closer to me that usually only has 1 Corvette in their showroom at any given time to see if they had any experience with doing the Flush.
The Service manager said they have Not done any Corvettes but had done a lot of the Colorado's.
I have a month left on the Factory 36 month Drive train warranty and told him I also have the Major Guard extended warranty.
And that's when he told me the Flush would only be covered under the Factory 36 month Drive train warranty
IMO, that remains to be true or false depending on the Dealer, and will be doing more research on that before it's too late.
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth from my experience and research
The Torque Converter is part of the GM power train 5 year warranty . If you have what you believe to be TC symptoms such as the feeling of driving over rumble strips there is a protocol that the service department must follow :
1) a tech will hook up his computer to your car and while doing a road test will measure Torque Converter Clutch slip and other parameters to confirm they are either in or out of tolerance.,
2) If out of tolerance they will do the flush procedure or go straight to a TC replacement which includes the new transmission fluid that became available very late 2016 or Jan 2017.
I see that you are probably in Florida for the winter as am I . Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City FL is one of the nations largest Corvette dealers. You can call them for verification of your concerns and warranty by speaking with Justin Lawson who is the Director of Maintenance and has a great deal of experience with these issues.For TC issues , differential issues etc, I would STRONGLY recommend you only deal with a large Corvette dealership.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by 767guy
The Torque Converter is part of the GM power train 5 year warranty . If you have what you believe to be TC symptoms such as the feeling of driving over rumble strips there is a protocol that the service department must follow :
1) a tech will hook up his computer to your car and while doing a road test will measure Torque Converter Clutch slip and other parameters to confirm they are either in or out of tolerance.,
2) If out of tolerance they will do the flush procedure or go straight to a TC replacement which includes the new transmission fluid that became available very late 2016 or Jan 2017.
I see that you are probably in Florida for the winter as am I . Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City FL is one of the nations largest Corvette dealers. You can call them for verification of your concerns and warranty by speaking with Justin Lawson who is the Director of Maintenance and has a great deal of experience with these issues.For TC issues , differential issues etc, I would STRONGLY recommend you only deal with a large Corvette dealership.
.
Thanks for that info
I thought so, but wasn't going to argue with the Dealer that said it wasn't covered.
Only reason I talked with them is because they're just a couple miles away.
I live 20 miles from MacMulkin where I bought the 2016 and that's where I had the Tech test drive it.
I'll be going to MacMulkin

Last edited by Dif; Sep 20, 2018 at 04:59 PM.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 05:29 PM
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You can pretty much do it yourself.
Mine was done at 45K miles earlier this year by my dealership. I just bought ten quarts of Mobil 1 LV ATF HP and an OEM AT filter kit from my local Chevy dealership.
132.00 was the cost.
I will do a video while I change the fluid and filter at 60K miles.

What I find with the Range is the car still shakes in traffic driving.
Even in constant V8 mode sometimes the car just doesn't know which gear to be in 5-6-5-6-4-5-6-5 consistently. Very annoying.
Open highway, rides like a dream.
I am hoping changing the fluid every 15K will smooth some things out. The guys at my dealer knew nothing about any additive. There was an additive for the A6 rear differential. Not the same stuff though.

If you are looking for ATF - Summit Racing is the cheapest at 11.99 free shipping.https://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...xoCrmkQAvD_BwE
My dealership beat that price including taxes.
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Old Sep 20, 2018 | 05:37 PM
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GM has mastered locating the shudder.
They use a vibration sensor attached to the rear bolt of the drivers seat.
The software can tell if the vibration is engine, transmission or tire/wheel harmonic.

Minimal shudder is not going to be addressed under warranty.
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