Just bought a 2005 GMC Savana AWD - Need some help

[sdamike]

Hi all, Looking on this site made me want a awd express / savana van and I recently found one. Im having a problem and it seems like there is enough owners on here so Maybe you guys can help ( i hope ).....

So, I just bought a 2005 GMC Savana with AWD +5.3L with 81k miles on it about a week ago.

My real first day of using it was today just driving around town running errands and on the drive home it starting shifting really hard from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. And by hard I mean like it had a shift kit hard. If it was 2wd Id probably be chirping tires. Up until this it shifted super smooth. Out of curiosity I gunned it and at WOT it shifts smooth still, but at part throttle its very hard shifts.

Today was the longest I have used it since I bought it about a week ago, everything else was short trips and a semi short drive home from the dealer.

I checked the fluid, seems fine, no real odors, and appears to be light red. The fluid does seem to be reading high, past full. Also No SES lights set or anything, yet. But I didnt drive it long after it started shifting hard.

Any thoughts on this? Im not sure what to do here. I dont want to keep driving it and do major damage.

Im starting to feel like I bought a turd here, the heater/ac also stopped switching where it blows out the air out of nowhere today too...also no idea how to fix that either. Well, Thanks for any input.

EDIT: I used my scanner and I have a Pending Code of P0894 - Transmission Component Slipping

 

[simple]

I don't know much about transmissions but I heard they don't work right if over filled. If no drain plug, stick a small hose down the fill tube and suck some fluid out. On the HVAC controls, there is a bundle of vacuum hoses that mate via a molded plastic clip up under the dash on the passenger side. If that connection came apart stuff wont work right. Also basic but always a good idea to check fuses.

 

[dar395]

I had a like concern three weeks ago and took it to a transmission shop, the guy was great and kept the truck for two days. It stumped him and he had thirty years in the business but what he found was that I had an exhaust blockage, sent me over to my mechanic new muffler installed and it went away, now shifts correctly. What I was told is the truck was trying to go into "Safety Mode".

 

[sdamike]

Thanks for the replies. I checked the vac tubes in passenger side and yep 2 were disconnected so that fixed my heater controls, yeaaa!

I took the van for another drive today, and could not get it to do the hard shifting thing again. I tried everything even went down the same road with the same hills and nada.

Whats weird is when I scanned the computer again, the pending Code of P0894 - Transmission Component Slipping, is now gone even though I didnt clear it. Im not sure if it seen another driving cycle with no problems so it got rid of it on its own? Im really not sure. Not sure if I should be concerned or forget about it?

 

[dar395]

Mike this sounds just like mine did, try standing behind the van and have someone slowly increase the RPM's and listen for a rattle coming from the exhaust. Mine to came and went I think my code was the same.

 

[simple]

Regarding exhaust blockage. I had a cat go bad once on an mazda truck. A chunk broke loose and clogged it up and then blew out and another chunk eventually get stuck and blew out before I replaced it.

 

[86scotty]

I used to drive AWD Chevy vans at work. I loved them when they were new but they developed lots of tranny/transfer case problems over the years, starting with weird shifting. We have fleet mechanics but I was curious and talked to them a lot about it since I loved those vans so much. If I remember right it was the tranny or transfer case (more likely) fluid breaking down. It seems like they figured out something after a while that worked, different fluid or something like that. Sorry I can't help more but maybe this is a common AWD issue that a little research will solve.

Good luck!

 

[sdamike]

Well I took it to a tranny shop, they drove it with a scanner on it and said the torque converter is slipping and verified the P0894 code I had seen earlier. They said needs a rebuild and was quoted $2200 to $2400. Now I get to take the van back to the dealer I bought it from and fight to get it fixed. Never thought this would be a issue at 80k miles but the tranny guy said he has seen this problem as low as 50k...crazy!

 

[simple]

Bummer! I think that is really common GM transmission and readily available from parts yards or an off the shelf rebuilt unit. Probably the best the dealer can do is swap in a used transmission if they have their own mechanic and shop. That would be a pretty fair deal since it's a 10 year old vehicle with 80k on it. If they don't have a shop, maybe they can give you back $500 so that you can put it toward a repair or remanufactured transmission. I'd think you could buy a rebuilt one for less than $2400. Total PITA but in the end you'll end up with a serviceable van. Where are you located?

 

[martell06]

Not sure how a converter slipping translates into needing a trans rebuild. I have heard of vacuum issues effecting trans shifts. I'd get a second opinion.

 

[Eaglefreek]

Not sure how a converter slipping translates into needing a trans rebuild. I have heard of vacuum issues effecting trans shifts. I'd get a second opinion.

Yup, maybe reconnecting the vacuum lines fixed it. I would have the codes cleared and drive it some more.

 

[86cj]

Yup, maybe reconnecting the vacuum lines fixed it. I would have the codes cleared and drive it some more.

Has the Van been sitting around? Has it been under water? Maybe it is just some condensation and or the computer re-learning your driving habits after being without power at some point. You could just drive it some more and see if it gets better. I would change the fluid and filter then see what's in the pan, if it's normal just drive it some and watch for codes.

If you do get a different trans make sure you pay for the good upgrades available, those 4L60E4/ 700R4 OD transmissions have been all figured out through several decades of abuse. Don't settle for a generic rebuild! You don't need a tire chirper 1-2 shift, but a nice towing converter and HD clutches are good, the van's 7300 GVW is alot for that trans, also shifting from 3-4 at wide open throttle does not come stock..:ylsmoke:

 

[CherryBomb]

I don't want to start a separate thread for van issues so I'll ask my question here.

I have a 06' Chevy Express. The cruise control has an issue. It works almost perfect and sometimes it has no issues BUT it shuts off when I put my turn signal on to the right , its fine if I'm switching lanes to the left, but to the right and it kills my CC. It did that the first time I discovered I had CC then it stopped doing it, now its doing it again. Any ideas? Just a loose connection somewhere? Thanks.

 

[onemanarmy]

if your question was related to the OP question RE: transmission problems, then it would be ok to clog up this thread with other questions, but posting a completely unrelated question makes everything confusing.

 

[CherryBomb]

Ok. Sorry