'04 Escalade trans flutter

skyhighZJ

skyhighZJ

Gov retirement < needs to live
Joined
May 31, 2012
Location
Aberdeen, NC.
My wife has a '04 Escalade with about 150,000 on the clock. Has the 6.0 and is AWD. She has owned it about 2 years (right before we met) and doesn't remember ever having the trans serviced since she has owned it. It has towed a small toy hauler but has all the factory "tow package" options.
The question/ issue is, in the last week of so it has started to flutter while trying to go into O/D. Say if your driving through town @ 45mph (it will be in O/D) and at the edge of town the speed limit bumps up and you accelerate (not NASCAR but smooth change to the faster speed), it immediately kicks down and once it reaches about 55-60 it seems to flutter a bit trying to grab O/D. Fluid is topped up and doesn't smell any worse than any other cherry juice I've smelled before... what say ye
 
Whatttt? A 4L60E that has a shuddering issue...that's almost hard to believe! (sarcasm)

It's pretty common. I've noticed it on most GM 4 speed automatics. I want to say it usually boils down to a torque converter issue.
 
They sell some shudder fix supposed to work great... Might be worth a try before tearing it paying to have it torn into. Might also be lockup pwm solenoid related? (Keeps it from slamming into a locked state) I know some 4l60e are prone to have that sort of failure, just not sure if yours falls in the applicable year range @transman731 would know.
 
I had a 98 Tahoe with a similar problem. I dumped two bottles of GM rear end gear oil friction modifier fluid in. No more shudder.
 
I appreciate all the info so far. Going Monday to get a fluid and filter change cause it needs an oil change anyway. Figure I might as well start with as clean of a slate as possible to start diagnosing.
 
Stutter Stop available at Car Quest. I had the same problem in my Ford once. After about 200 miles it went away and never had another problem.
 
150,000 is about the lifespan of a 4l60... I'm right there with my wife's Yukon XL so hoping it holds out for a while longer...
 
For the record, it should be a 4l65e. My Denali has the same drivetrain and I get a slow 1-2 shift and a slight slip from 2-3. It jumps about 400rpm between 2 and 3 when it's cold and slightly low on oil.
 
I know this may not relate but I had fluttering like you describe from my wife's Ford Windstar (years ago) and changed the fluid and it went away. It was quite profound.
 
catfishblues said:
For the record, it should be a 4l65e. My Denali has the same drivetrain and I get a slow 1-2 shift and a slight slip from 2-3. It jumps about 400rpm between 2 and 3 when it's cold and slightly low on oil.
Click to expand...

I'm not super sure as I'm not a GM guy so it could be a 4l65e either way this is only when trying to lockup for overdrive. Regardless, we are gonna put fresh fluid and a filter in it and see how it acts.

a_kelley said:
They sell some shudder fix supposed to work great... Might be worth a try before tearing it paying to have it torn into. Might also be lockup pwm solenoid related? (Keeps it from slamming into a locked state) I know some 4l60e are prone to have that sort of failure, just not sure if yours falls in the applicable year range @transman731 would know.
Click to expand...

Do you know if that solenoid being faulty would throw a code? There are no cel showing but like I said above I drive a Cummins and wheel a Jeep so GM is a bit foreign to me.
 
Not if the solenoid failed due to a hydraulic fault. Code would only be electrical portion. You may end up with a lockup code if the converter stops locking (due to PCM being able to detect lack of RPM drop). I would advise against changing fluid and trying the anti shudder fix first. Sometimes the old fluid with particles in it is the reason the trans is still surviving. YMMV. That all said, it's not likely to be a solenoid. More likely converter begining to fail.
 
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