Possible trans failure ahead?

[R18Civic]

So I’m borrowing my grandfathers LaCrosse while I finish up my porting job and ran into an alarming issue I’ve never had happen in his LaCrosse nor mine. A little background - Car was purchased in 09 with 6xxxx miles on the clock. Currrebtly has 82xxx. About 4-5 years ago my grandparents took a trip and got talked into a trans flush during a routine oil change, so trans filter has never been changed.

Took a trip to NC mountains yesterday and once I get to the foothills, as I’m sitting at a light I suddenly hear a loud grinding noise. I had my earbuds in blasting music and still heard it and felt vibration in the floorboard. Looking around afterwards the guy in the car behind me has a holy [censored] look on his face so I know it was pretty loud. Only lasted about 2 seconds. Then halfway up the parkway I pull off onto a scenic overlook and smell burnt dexron through the cracked window.

I pulled over and let it cool for 20 mins and also checked trans fluid. It’s normal color, but smelt burnt was there was quite a bit of clutch particles on the napkin. I’ve had no trouble since and thrasher performance says grinding noises can be caused by debris in fluid but Ive never managed to overheat fluid on any gm vehicle Ive owned and the grinding can’t be good.

Is it possible for a failing trans to go back n forth between normal operation and humming/grinding noises?

 

[JC1]

Not sure if the tranny is going to die soon, but it doesn't sound good. I would want to drop the pan and see how much debris is in there.

I would clean up the pan and change the filter and refill and hope you dodged a bullet.

 

[Lubener]

Save your money. a rebuild is in your future. The damage is done, as indicated by the particles on the napkin..

 

[SteveSRT8]

No reason to assume it is dead until you pull the pan.


A proper scan tool can read the adaptives to help see how far gone it is, but some Maxlife fluids and a new rock catcher may help!

 

[Donald]

I do not have any idea of how long it will last. But you need to get the burnt smelling fluid out of the transmission along with the particles. That may or may not help, but leaving it in will only make matters worse. Adding a Magnefine filter in addition to dropping the pan (changing filter) and doing a total fluid exchange would be my suggestion.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Originally Posted By: Hemispheres
I had my earbuds in blasting music ...


While driving?!?

 

[NothingNew]

Originally Posted By: zrxkawboy
Originally Posted By: Hemispheres
I had my earbuds in blasting music ...


While driving?!?


That's what I thought. But it's legal in NC.

 

[khittner]

Yeah, I'm thinking of building a new OBDII bluetooth plug-in device that'll stream mechanical failure noises into linked headphones when the vehicle's computer notes maintenance milestones that have passed . . .

 

[LeakySeals]

I had grey fluid and visible clutch material on the dipstick of my GM 4l60e transmission a few years ago. It was shifting rough, had some torque converter shudder gaining speed on the highway. A few exchanges later (with 1 qt lubegard) it shifts like new. Shudder is gone. Temp according to the gauge is down. Exchanges are so easy to do I decided to try it on my old beater Maxima with dark black fluid and some kind of downshift problem. Same results as the GM. Better. I'm going to let it marinate on new fluid for a while, then do it again. Hopefully better again.

 

[R18Civic]

Headphones blaring while checking waze for speed limit and police locations and even got a few beers in on the ride back. I’m a decent multitasker, sue me.

Back to the topic I may have found part of the issue. The fluid on his dipstick looks too worn and light to be Dex VI which I’ve changed on my LaCrosse twice now. Speaking from experience, working briefly at a Napa repair center who ripped people off and voided warranties all day long with incorrect fluids...... he has Dex III in his trans which can’t handle anywhere near as much friction and heat. Those particles can’t be helping either. And yes it’s possible to hear outside noises over the earbuds, including wind whipping past the cracked windows.

 

[SZR48207]

So there were particles when you wiped off the trans dip stick? That seems severe compared to just finding particulate build up on the bottom of the pan.

The shop that convinced your grandpa to do the flush should rot in [censored].

 

[dave1251]

You had your earbuds in while driving. I would offer you advise. I doubt such sound and logical advise would be followed.

 

[andyd]

A clogged filter will affect performance. I would do a pan drop.with a gasket and filter and several qts of ATF on hand.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Reddy45
So there were particles when you wiped off the trans dip stick? That seems severe compared to just finding particulate build up on the bottom of the pan.

The shop that convinced your grandpa to do the flush should rot in [censored].


Why are you blaming anything on a flush?

 

[WyrTwister]

I agree , pan drop and filter + gasket . New fluid .

Last time I had a FWD GM tranny rebuild priced , it was $ 2,000 - $ 2,5000 . More than the car was worth .

 

[Brigadier]

Originally Posted By: dave1251
You had your earbuds in while driving. I would offer you advise. I doubt such sound and logical advise would be followed.


^^THIS

 

[nascarnation]

1130 USD on Rockauto (plus 400 core) with a 3 yr warranty.

 

[WyrTwister]

Then either DIY or throw in the cost of some one installing it .

All in all , probably not too far from the prices I was quoted ( I was / am not able to DIY a tranny ) .

 

[R18Civic]

Earbuds have nothing to do with it. If I can hear wind buffeting and the suspension getting jarred on less than stellar portions of I 85 then the music isn’t loud enough to interfere with anything. Looking at the condition, color and smell the of the fluid it’s most likely debris getting dislodged from the filter and making its way into the moving components. It also appears to be Dex III which only serves useful for 15k-20k.

 

[Lubener]

A pan drop/ filter might buy you a little time but it won't put all that clutch pack material back on the clutch assemblies you saw on your wipeee.