Lost Reverse and overdrive

[Slimtv]

As the title states my wife started the Envoy today and put it into reverse only to find it begin to whine. It at first would not go into park but did after I put it into Drive and then back to park. It started a few weeks back with a slight clunk in rearend only occassionaly so I thought it might be the slide yoke as stated in other threads...I was putting it off til next oil change to be looked at.

I drove it to the mechanics to be looked at on Monday. It would wind up to 3k before 2nd gear and 3K-4K before shifting into 3rd gear and never would go to 4th/overdrive at speed. Any thoughts as to problem....am I headed for a new tranny at 119K babied miles? Thanks.

 

[The_Roadie]

Any maintenance issues before now? Did it get serviced regularly, and the fluid changed at 100K?

 

[Slimtv]

Any maintenance issues before now? Did it get serviced regularly, and the fluid changed at 100K?

No issues before now. I had the transmission serviced(fluid/filter change) at 105K in August of 2011. I changed the transfer case and both differential fluids at 55K and 108K...thanks to you all on this site.
My service shop called and said the tranny is shot (without tearing into it). Said it now would not shift into second gear when they drove it. This is the shop that did the fluid change. $2700 for a warrantied GM rebuilt transmission installed. Not sure what I will do after making some more calls to transmission shops in town. It may be time for a new vehicle.

 

[seanpooh]

I am speaking from experience, there is a 99% chance that you lost your reaction sun shell gear. Thats the bad news. The good news is that the tranny can be rebuilt and upgraded. Don't let one shop take advantage of you, call around to actual tranny shops and ask for estimates. Tell them you have a 4L60E and you need the sun gear reactor shell replaced/upgraded.

The estimate (which I took) for my tranny was ~$800; add on a shift kit, servos, deep pan and more, it came out a bit more.
A GMC dealership in Portage, MI quoted me $1,600 to replace.
I don't know how well you know that shop but make sure they aren't taking you for a ride.

Regardless, I don't think replacing the tranny with a GM rebuilt is not a good idea because most likely it will fail again since they didn't upgrade the stock sunshell to "The Beast".

Just google sunshell 4l60e and you'll find out that that part is the weakness to the transmission along with the planetary gear. The planetary gear can also be upgraded to the 5 gears (from four gears) which will make the tranny bulletproof. Changing the planetary gear won't add on another speed gear.

All in all, inform yourself and find a better price.