4l60e Transmission Issues

96superflow

96superflow

Active Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Location
Cary/Raleigh, NC
Trying to find out if anyone has had this sorta issue before. I have done some searching around and can't find an exact/better answer. Here is what it is doing. I drive this thing to work daily (to keep the where and tear off of my tahoe, less than 3 miles each way) and I haven't had any problems, but now this past weekend I drove the truck out to a local club's spot (approx 14 miles away) and it started puking transmission fluid out of the vent tube. Caught the engine bay on fire (quickly put it out). So I relocated the vent tube, thinking that the transmission may be a bit overfilled or something and then it started puking out of the dipstick tube and caught fire again (less than a mile from where we needed to be). So my first thought was that it is severely over-filled. When we got to where we were going, I dropped the pan just a bit and let about 1.5-2 qts out of it. Then later that day drove it home (with it still semi leaking out of the vent tube, but it didn't catch fire). So then Sunday, I take it out for a short drive in the morning and when I get back to my house it starts puking it out of the dipstick tube again! (another 1-1.5 qts of trans fluid) But I had no choice but to get back in it and go pick up 1 more part from about a mile up the road, and while I was in the auto parts store it did yet another 1.5-2qts on the ground from the dipstick tube yet again. So I finally get it back home and it pukes up probably just another half quart of fluid. So i decided to park it that evening after fixing my other truck, and I have to throttle it to get it to move telling me that I know that it is low on fluid now(Ruling out that the trans was way over filled, I believe). I have checked the minor thing(kinks in the cooling lines). But I have no idea why it keeps puking out fluid? Can anyone provide some insight to this problem? All of the measurements are estimates. This is in a 1996 Blazer 4wd with no modifications to the engine or transmission. All of that is factory. Any input is appreciated!
 
there are a few things it can be.
1) the seal in the front of the t-case is bad and it's sucked the fluid out of the t-case(t-case only holds 2-3 qts. though)
2) it has blown the pump gasket (it has a flap to cover the vent hole)
3)something in the trans is slipping and creating heat which is boiling the fluid and pushing it out
4) if the filter has collapsed it could possibly push it out the dipstick(doubtful)

since it's a 96, is the check engine light on?
if it is and it gives you a 1870 then the converter has puked and that's where the heat is coming from.

be warned, if you try to drop the pan, you must remove the crossmember, if you dont then you will most likely break your shift solenoids at the rear of the valve body, and not notice until it's all back together and it doesn't shift.
 
Thank you so much Lee! I did a filter change and new fluid a couple of years back(hasn't been driven but about 10k since), I will definitely drop it the xmember to do it. I hope I dont have to drop the trans... the torque converter hasn't been locking up lately anyways, and it doesn't have an CEL'S. Just strange problems with this trans...
 
I have a 98 Tahoe that I picked up Has a 4l60e trans only has a 1 2 shift no drive or 4th It came with a spare 4l60e in the back minus the torque converter It is a 2001 as best I can tell Will it interchange with my 98 trans. It looks like I need to change the bell housing to use the converter out of my bad 4l60e any help will be appreciated.
 
I had the exact same issue and found out that my vent tube on top of the transmission was clogged. I ran a piece of welding wire up it and some dirt came out, never had the problem again.
 
poetman1500 said:
I have a 98 Tahoe that I picked up Has a 4l60e trans only has a 1 2 shift no drive or 4th It came with a spare 4l60e in the back minus the torque converter It is a 2001 as best I can tell Will it interchange with my 98 trans. It looks like I need to change the bell housing to use the converter out of my bad 4l60e any help will be appreciated.
Click to expand...


those transmissions won't interchange. the 98 is a split year so your trans may not have a removeable bellhousing. if the converters look different it definitely won't work. the 03 is most likely a tmbx converter which was behind a 5.3 and will not interchange, the electronics are also different.
 
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