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Chevy TrailBlazer Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • biglinkbiglink Member Posts: 13
    the same thing happened to my transmission dip stick and the dealer said that it was normal and that it would cause no issues. Since then I have had to have the transmission replaced twice in the last two years and now they are saying that the water is coming from a defective radiator. Looks like now it may be my third transmission in less than 3 years and 20k miles.
  • biglinkbiglink Member Posts: 13
    save yourself some grief and get rid of it. i have a 03 ext and have replaced the transmission 2 times in the last 2yrs and may have to again. Now they are saying that the radiator is leaking into the transmission.
  • biglinkbiglink Member Posts: 13
    I didn't get a recall either. I had the check engine light come on and the code was for a loose gas cap after this happened a couple of time I took it to the dealer and they told me where the gas tank meets the tube where you fill up was cracked. They wanted like $600 then the catalytic converter went out. A month after that I was traveling out of state and had issue when I went to the dealer in that state they let me know that a recall had just been issued so the swapped the tank out then. I went a while with no issues then the tranny went out twice and now possible 3x all within 20k miles and less then 2yrs.
  • genorileygenoriley Member Posts: 1
    My son-in-law has exactly the same problem with his 06 TB--exactly the same! Did you ever determine what the problem is? We have put $2600. into trying to fix it with no solution--eugene.riley@cox.net
  • edgex4edgex4 Member Posts: 1
    my brothers TB is having a bad slipping in the trans when accelerating acting just like as if it had a bad clutch if it were a manual but it is a auto trans does anyone have and idea here about what is wrong ???? :sick:
  • icojonesicojones Member Posts: 61
    I have an '02 LTZ that no longer has a third gear. I have the option of spending $2700+ for a factory rebuilt transmission from my local dealer or spending less than $2k for a rebuild at a franchised shop owned by a family friend. Chevy comes with 3 year warranty, franchise with 2 year. Car has 63k miles and is a station car that drives about 4-5k miles a year. Any strong opinions either way?

    Much appreciated.
  • kymms39kymms39 Member Posts: 4
    I went with a local guys it was much more cheaper and I haven't had one problem with it since....
  • donnak5472donnak5472 Member Posts: 3
    My 2004 Trailblazer transmission just decided it didn't want to shift out of 3rd last Saturday. It only had 66,000 miles on it. I just had it flushed at 60,000 and I take very good care of my vehicles. Mechanic found dip stick problem as stated in other postings here as well as signs of rust. He contacted GM and of course GM is aware of the problem but doesn't want to take responsibility for it! I can't afford new vehicle ( out of job) and i don't want to just patch it, so I'm getting it replaced and it comes with a 100,000 warranty. Costly, I know. But I can't afford for it to go again. So we bail out GM again! Did I say how much I dislike my vehicle? Crappy gas mileage, a/c that takes forever to cool. I will never buy another GM product! :mad:
  • r3shortr3short Member Posts: 4
    I have 20,000 miles on this one and the tranny has been slipping around slow turns, and when starting off cold it has a whirring sound until it gets warm.Fluid is full and fine. Any ideas??
  • kathy29kathy29 Member Posts: 7
    To: r3short post 381 dated Aug 14, 2009. Your post title is Trailblazer SS 2008 then your message reads I have 20,000 miles on this one...May I ask you what "this one" means?, Are you talking about the Trailblazer SS 2008? If you are talking about the 2008 SS then it should be under warranty weather you bought it new or used, unless of course it has over 100,000 miles on it.
  • kisharkishar Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 trailblazer Lt..Had no problems until last mth with the slipping tranny... and like urs fluid is full. I even had it changed. My ck engine light came on so I took it to Advance Auto Parts store let them put the test machine that finds the code. Mine was a sensor, just like a friend told me These trucks have an electrical tranny and a sensor will make u think ur tranny is going bad. My truck pulls going from 2nd to 3rd..code stated solenoid b stuck on, which means the tranny is not downshifting when u slow down to stop. The sensor for solenoid b, is abt $18.00. Where is goes I still have to find out.. rather do that than buy another tranny
  • aarongribbinsaarongribbins Member Posts: 1
    My 05 Trailblazer started slipping/missing about 2 weeks ago. I purchased it about 2 years ago, and with never replacing the spark plugs since I bought it, I did just that hoping that the problem would cease. Unfortunately, the vehicle is still missing as before. I've got 113,000 miles on the vehicle and have had no major problems with the engine since purchasing the vehicle. I'm not at all ready to hear a mechanic tell me its my transmission, but does the missing usually point to the transmission going out??
    As I'm driving down the interstate, I can feel the missing take place, but also watch my RPM Needle jump. It feels as if it's trying to keep up with my acceleration, but just can't quite get it. I appreciate any feedback.
  • bob421bob421 Member Posts: 1
    My 2003 TB seems like it is stuck in one forward gear (3rd?). Sounds like high RPM (not engine rpm) with low power. Problem started two months ago and disappeared for two months but is back again. Will manually shift into reverse but still has whirring rpm noise, even in neutral.
  • kevinjoshkevinjosh Member Posts: 2
    I have an 02 tb with 185000 on it. ran great til today. the trans is stuck in 4lo and wont shift to 2wd. also slips a bit when starting out. I also noticed that if I turn the wheel right or left hard it seems like the front diff is almost locking up. Any imput?
  • kevinjoshkevinjosh Member Posts: 2
    WOW do I feel dumb. If you have this problem, take time to read the owners manual. You need to put the vehicle in neutral in order to shift out of 4lo. DUH!!!
  • elijesseelijesse Member Posts: 2
    I bought my 2002 TB in 2004, just out of warranty, I have driven only Honda's, usually getting 250-300K before trading. Not sure what possessed me to buy a GM product, but I did, and since the day I drove her off the lot, I spent money, on average, $ 500-600 every 3-4 months just to keep the darn thing on the road. Never mind that I paid almost 18K list price. Long story short, this TB has had two clusters replaced, the 2nd one does not work and I will NOT pay for another one, the switch for the heat and air work when they want to. The radio has gone out completely, it started going out about 18 months ago, Apparently, the transmission has been on it's way out for about a year now, though I didn't know it, and after six trips to the dealer and other repair shops, no one could tell me what the "funny" sound was coming from the rear of the car. "The car was paid off three days ago, and the transmission froze up this morning. I added up what I have spent on the "Chevy piece of junk" and it looks like 26,000.00 is a good round number, that does include the 18K I paid for the darn thing. It's sitting in my drive way, I dropped 2400.00 on it in the past 7 months, sadly none of the money was for transmission repair. It has 133,00 miles on it, and it will never roll another mile, as I plan to junk the car. I have had it. I cannot believe that only 3 days after paying the final payment, the car is not drive able. I called for a price on the transmission and they quoted 3100.00. I wouldn't pay 100.00 much less 3100.00. I'm done with ALL American Made Cars. I tried, and have regretted the choice I made almost daily. I'm going back to Honda, Toyota, or Nissan. Buyer beware!! Don't buy a Trailblazer, as I have a very good friend that bought a 2006 and she is having same issue with the cluster going out, and hesitation, sluggishness, which she worries is the trans.
  • kathy29kathy29 Member Posts: 7
    Hi taluhlabelle12,

    How many miles did you have on your 02 Chev Trailblazer when you had it at the dealer for your transmission or when GM agreed to pay for the repair? Also I cannot find the Internet link to the safety recall for the sun gear/sun shield, where is it? so many people talk about it but I have yet to find it on www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov. If anyone reading this message knows where the Internet link is about the Sun Shell/Shield please reply with the link, thanks. BTW I have an 02 Trailblazer LT regular length with only 21K as of October 2009. I really can't afford to buy another vehile just to have peace of mind that sometime soon my 02 Chev TB transmission may bite the dust.
  • prestonschevyprestonschevy Member Posts: 4
    Wow get rid of it asap!
  • chainbreakerchainbreaker Member Posts: 1
    I had a transmission problem, checked the oil level, to high. Drained off one quart, chacked the oil level, low. I had to put back one quart to bring up the oil level back to the normal full mark. Question why did the oil level rise, and why did it go back down.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Was it warmed up and running when you checked it?
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    The truck runs good and then it starts sucking in air and the rpms. go high and the trucks moves slow can anyone tell if it is the transmission going out or can it be a sensor in the truck. ;)
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    I had the same problem with my 02 tb, took it to a mechanic(good honest one, which not too many around this days) and he told me it was the engine fan pulley. Seems that a circiut goes out and that the computer communicates with the trans via that circuitry. The trans is not getting the info to shift properly coz of that circuitry problem. Got a new pulley from an authorized AC/Delco parts store for under 80 bucks. Installed it myself. When I started my tb after installation, I could notice immediately the difference in rpms and idling of the engine. Took for test and ran as good as new. Dealership wanted about 500 bucks for pulley with fan. Stated that pulley was not guaranteed if bought separately. This happened to me over 2 yrs ago. TB has been running great since. You can install without removing fan cover, but it will be tight. You can bend both fan and cover just enough to get pulley in there. Intalling screws will also be tight, but a bit of patience, you can get it done. Hope this helps. Spend the 30-40 bucks to get it checked for pulley, it will be worth it if you save the hundreds of $ to get the trans worked on and not be the problem.
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    Engine Fan Pulley it is the part in front of the tb is it under or next to what part.Also thanks for answering my question . A little :confuse:
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    Engine fan pulley i can not find it is this what i call that part when i go to the part store and what does it look like.thanks
  • heezyjosheezyjos Member Posts: 2
    my suv when i drive it i willl hit the gas pedal the rpm's will go up but the car seems as if its idoling like im revving the engine in drive is the best way to describe it and i cant get the car to go over 40mph it seems. autozone checked my check engine lite and they advised that there was a problem with the coolant sensor however would this causethis type of problem. i also just had the battery replaced and the battery is only a few weeks old we checked the connection on the battery an they were not tight but autozone tightened them for me and it is still doing the same thing.do you think this is similar enough to what you went through ?
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    My apologies, it is not called a engine fan pulley, but the fan clutch. you can see a pic of it at

    http://www.am-autoparts.com/AM/Fans/Chevrolet/Trailblazer/-/AM-18868449/?utm_sou- rce=google_base&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=new_google_base_feed

    where are you located? you might think of calling these guys(very repuatable) here in my area, outsells the dealerships in replacement parts for ac/delco parts.

    Full Service Auto Parts
    1518 Mid Cities Dr · Pharr
    (956) 781-8983

    see if they will ship to you. if not, contact me again and see what we can work out. if I am not mistaken, I got the part for a fraction of what the dealership was asking. good luck!
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    I think so. will it release gears after hitting certain rpms and you release the accel. a bit. will it shift ok if you start on d1 or d2 and manually upshift? if you said yes, I do believe you are having the same problem. see post 399 and 395. I even put a website address in 399 to where you can get an idea of what the part looks like and going price. call the guys I advice post 397 and try the same thing. they had the part for a hell lot less than those sites I found. also, if they can ship to you, come back here and let me know what we can work out. maybe have you pay them, i pick up and ship to you and you reimburse me via paypal or some other way. let me know.
  • dws2kdws2k Member Posts: 12
    I have a 2003 trailblazer ext and when I take off, it starts from a low gear and is loud. I have not been to dealer yet. Someone said it could be a trans sensor that needs to be replaced. What's your thoughts on this?
  • dws2kdws2k Member Posts: 12
    I tried to change the oilin the transfer case. I stripped the plug while doing this. What could I use to get the plug off. It is on there really tight.
  • dws2kdws2k Member Posts: 12
    If the fan clutch is bad, does it make a clicking sound when the engine is running?
  • dws2kdws2k Member Posts: 12
    How do we go about filing a class action suit against GM? My transmission is bad also. I don't have that kind of extra cash for a tranny rebuild.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Good luck. Most class action suits never get anywhere or take years to wind through the courts, only to see very little gain for any of the plaintiffs. How many miles do you have? What's the problem, broken gear cluster (star shell) like many people?
  • dunn03dunn03 Member Posts: 1
    My 04 chevy tb has had the air compressor pump replaced thinking this was the problem but it didn't solve it. Sometimes it gets hung up on 2000 rpms in all gears and doesn't accelerate i can push the gas more and sometimes it will shift and go to a higher rpm. does anyone know what could be causing it?
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    YES.
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    sounds like you're having the same problem most of us have had. It's not the trans, it's the fan clutch. see posts 395, 399 and 400.
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    I am having my fan clutch replaced this tuesday will let you know if it works better :shades:
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    It is 2 day after the fan clutch was put in and the trucks runs great thank you for the help KUQUE the part i purchased from autozone cost me 216.50 but it came with limited life warranty and had a machanic put it in for 25.00 I hope that is all it needs so thanks again KUQUE :shades:
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    replace the fan clutch i did on mine and it works better now read my post on that same problem trail03 I also had that problem
  • clutch_artistclutch_artist Member Posts: 5
    My 03 Trailblazer has 201k on it with no problems. Tranny had first flush at 164k. Recently it started acting a little funny in overdrive. At cruising speed (50mph and up) it acts like it is searching for a gear. It doesn't actually drop down to third but at 60mph for example, it bounces between about 1600rpm and 1900 rpm about every 5 - 10 seconds. Ever heard of this? Any suggestions? I'll be going about 3k miles over Thanksgiving towing a trailer and want to prevent any problems. Thanks in advance!!
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    It could be the torque converter locking and unlocking. With that many miles the pump in the transmission is probably worn and the internal fluid pressure may be low. You may want to have it checked. When it was flushed was the filter changed?
  • clutch_artistclutch_artist Member Posts: 5
    I did have the filter changed at the time it was flushed. Can a tranny shop diagnose this with any confidence? I really don't think the tranny is slipping. It shifts firm in all gears. I don't want them to tell me it needs a rebuild if it really doesn't. What kind of repair bill can I expect?
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    happy to hear that your truck is running great now. wish I had me to guide me when I first encountered problem...lol. I replaced mine over 3 yrs ago, and it's still running great. t/c :shades: :shades:
  • KUQUEKUQUE Member Posts: 8
    you can take it to any mechanic with a diagnostic computer and it will give them a code. take that code and call dealership and ask what that code means. if it refers to fan clutch, you don't need trans rebuilt. most diagnostics cost about 30-50 bucks. good luck.
  • clutch_artistclutch_artist Member Posts: 5
    Well I had it hooked up to the computer and there were no codes, so I didn't figure it was the fan clutch, but I ordered one and put it in anyway. It really wasn't too bad to change. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, it didn't change anything. I guess I'll have to take it to a tranny shop. I'm running out of time here before I take it on vacation. I like to put a few miles on a vehicle locally, before I take it on a trip to make sure everything is functioning properly. Do you think if the tranny needs repair, I can be confident that it will work properly and not leave me stranded? The shop I plan on taking it too seems pretty reputable.
  • dws2kdws2k Member Posts: 12
    I will take my truck to the trans shop and get the flush. I hope that works. They need to have a recall on these trans, if there are so many people having problems.
  • timb2timb2 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 02 Trailblazer with 160k miles. For the past year when I step on the gas from park or being stopped it goes well up til 25 to 30 mph, then it does not seem to shift into second gear until the rpms get up to about 3500 to 4000, The past month it has not wanted to shift at all into 2nd gear
    My mechanic said there are shifting solenoids that may be bad The tranny shop said 1800 dollars and I will rebuild it
    I just replaced the spark plugs and the problem has seemed to have gone away where it wont shift into 2nd gear at all and back to the first situation
    My question is what is going on with the transmission
    Two local dealers of G M Vehicles say the transmission is verry tough and they have not heard of this happening any Ideas???
  • trail03trail03 Member Posts: 21
    replace the fan clutch my trailblazer was doing the same thing the fan clutch has a sensor in it and it some how tells the trans to shift gear aslo yoiu can read my post on that same problem on #394 and the answer is on 395
  • steveutsteveut Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 TB Ext and just got a call from my friendly neighborhood mechanic who said my front differential is fried and will cost $2000 to replace. I have not owned an american car for many years and now I know why. I have a Toyota Sienna with the same amount of miles, it's a 1999, and have never had anything more than routine maintenance. Anyway, thanks for the posts on this topic, at least I know I'm not alone. Could someone who knows clarify the relationship between a fan clutch problem and this front differential problem? Is there a relationship? My mechanic told me several months ago that my check engine light being on was caused by the fan clutch and not to worry about it as it is expensive and doesn't really effect much except maybe the gas mileage slightly. WHat do you think??
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I take it it's 4wd since your referring to the front differential. There's no relationship between the fan clutch and the front differential. What happened to the differential to make become "fried"? Was all the lubricant gone?
  • kapitkapit Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if you resolved this issue and what did you have to do? I am having the same problem with my transmission on my 03 TB. I had the fluid and filter changed about 5k miles ago and the problem just showed up where it wants to fluctuate rpms from 2k to 1.8k and will not hold steay. Thanks
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