Santiago
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2007 Siverado questions
I have a 2007 Silverado, 4X4, crew cab, short bed. The engine is the 5.3 Liter that goes between 4 and 8 cylinders (I can not tell the difference
other than mileage). Auto tranny. Has 195K miles.
My mechanic (a very well respected shop in my town) will not even change the tranny fluid as he's freaked I have this many miles on it -- everytime I
walk in his shop he crosses hisshelf and I think he's Morman.
Literally, the only thing I have done to this drive train is change the oil when the computer tells me (roughly 5-7K miles), a couple of serpentine
belts, did a radiator flush a couple of years ago, changed the sparkplugs and wires last year. I've had ball joints go out but after Baja that's to be
expected.
He tells me that the first to go will be the tranny but never told me how it would go - slowly so I can get back to the home and have it fixed (1000
miles if in Gecko) or all at once. Any of you guys know?
My buddy is starting to make hints that I need a new truck before he will go to Baja again, "oh ye of little faith" and all that. Is he right?
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chuckie
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Is this a joke? My 93 Astro has 213000 on it and my Dodge 323500...Get a new mechanic....
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tjsue
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My 94 Astro has 205000 on it. I agree, get a new mechanic.
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durrelllrobert
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My 02 Yukon has 260,000 miles with the same engine/tranny as the Silverado. The tranny went out suddenly (no forward or reverse movement) at 170,000
miles. Fortunately a rebuilt in Ensenada was only $500 US.
Bob Durrell
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
Is he right?
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As Yogi might say, "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Just drive.
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Hook
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Well, based on what you wrote up above, YOU HAVENT CHANGED YOUR TRANNY FLUID IN 195K? That's WAY too long between changes, even if you were using a
synthetic tranny fluid. The very-imperfect screen that traps metal particles probably has a lot of them in it, but there are probably plenty in
suspension in the fluid as well. It's those particles and dirt that usually kill trannies. That, and heat, of course.
I'd say your mechanic is right, IF you havent ever changed the tranny fluid or had that screen cleaned. Your tranny probably will be the first thing
to go.
My Ford truck had a tranny that was notorious for failing at around 100k miles, if it had done a significant amount of towing. I found out about this
on diesel truck websites and found that the problem was an unusual amount of suspended matter in the fluid (Ford eventually released a TSB or
something on this, many years later) AND the torque converter was a single disc type that would develop lots of heat under load and it would lead to
tranny failure.
I put in an external filter, bought a three disc torque converter on line and began using synthetic fluid, changing it about every 70k miles. I now
have over 203k on the tranny, while trailering a 35 foot trailer through 95 degree heat and a HEAVY camper through the same conditions for 5k miles
each summer.
I guess my point is, CHANGE THAT FLUID!! I highly recommend using a synthetic fluid, too. They dont break down at high operating temps the way a
conventional fluid does.
[Edited on 6-8-2013 by Hook]
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chuckie
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Correct...Hard to believe that anyone would let that go that long...I change mine about every 50 or so, and have the screen cleaned every other
change....In Baja if you are towing ANYTHING an after market cooler and temp guage is a must....
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Hook
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Santiago, WHEN you go in for the fluid change, make sure they use a method that also gets the old fluid out of the cooler and the torque converter.
Some shops just drain the fluid in the transmission, itself, before cleaning the screen. There can still be a few quarts of old fluid in other areas
of the system. You want them to pump out the old stuff until you see the new stuff circulating.
Dont settle for less. Ask them how they change the fluid and if it doesnt involve pumping the old out, go somewhere else. It's really important,
especially with how old your fluid is.
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woody with a view
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it's called an "exchange" not a drain/fill. bring some synthetic mobil1 with you to save on the cost.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
it's called an "exchange" not a drain/fill. bring some synthetic mobil1 with you to save on the cost. |
Does that stuff work in transmissions? I mean....I don't know.
.
[Edited on 6-8-2013 by DENNIS]
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Santiago
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OK, Ok, enough already. I pulled out my file and yes, I have had the tranny fluid 'flushed', not just drained @ 75k and 140k. I'm getting the
slightest of 'clunks' when shifting from reverse into drive. Something in the tranny-to-rearend is a little bit sloppy, maybe a worn U-joint?
I will go have this done and switch to synthetic. I only trust guys who can name the three Alou brothers so I'm going with Hook on this one.
By the way, I have not done much towing with this truck - my 2000# boat/motors/trailer about a dozen times to Gecko and back, not much else.
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woody with a view
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yeah, DENNIS, M1 makes t-fluid.
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DavidE
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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A friend had an older C20 Chevy 350 that finally gave up the ghost at 500,000+ miles. Hard to believe but I saw it myself. He let it go until it would
not pass smog.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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motoged
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I like Amsoil products.....really smoothed the tranny on my BMW.
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/transmission-fluid/automatic/
Don't believe everything you think....
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Hook
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Probably your u-joints. Not that expensive to replace.
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