2016 Yukon Transmission Shudder

[Borrowed_Time068]

Good morning. First time poster here. I did read some past threads on this issue. But am looking for some recommendations .

Bought a CPO 2016 Yukon with 75k mikes in 2019. Of course, shortly after the warranty expired things started to go wrong. (AC broke twice) Now, with 103k on it, the 6 speed transmission has started that common shuddering issue which I’m fairly certain is the torque converter as referenced in the TSB. About 10k ago, I had the transmission pan dropped, filter and fluid replaced. Fluid looked good at that time.

I happen to live near a very reputable transmission shop that has done work for me in the past. But should I take it to an actual dealership first for the diagnosis? I read there is a possible law suit against GM on this. Thank you.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

I cannot personally help you with your question; however, other members on this Forum that are much more knowledgeable than me in this area will chime in.

@NickTransmissions can give you some great perspective on your issue.

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

I cannot personally help you with your question; however, other members on this Forum that are much more knowledgeable than me in this area will chime in.

@NickTransmissions can give you some great perspective on your issue.

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

I cannot personally help you with your question; however, other members on this Forum that are much more knowledgeable than me in this area will chime in.

@NickTransmissions can give you some great perspective on your issue.

Thank you! I am in Massachusetts. Unfortunately

 

[NickTransmissions]

Good morning. First time poster here. I did read some past threads on this issue. But am looking for some recommendations .

Bought a CPO 2016 Yukon with 75k mikes in 2019. Of course, shortly after the warranty expired things started to go wrong. (AC broke twice) Now, with 103k on it, the 6 speed transmission has started that common shuddering issue which I’m fairly certain is the torque converter as referenced in the TSB. About 10k ago, I had the transmission pan dropped, filter and fluid replaced. Fluid looked good at that time.

I happen to live near a very reputable transmission shop that has done work for me in the past. But should I take it to an actual dealership first for the diagnosis? I read there is a possible law suit against GM on this. Thank you.

Welcome to the forum.

Shudder is almost always torque converter and specifically, the shuddering is coming from the stator one-way clutch inside the converter that is supposed to be holding during torque multiplication until fluid coupling (aka stall speed) is achieved.

The 8L45s/90s were/are the subject of a class action lawsuit against GM for failing, leading to accidents and unsafe situations (super hard, back-breaking shifts, etc) for people driving those vehicles at the time of failure. I'm not aware of any lawsuits for the 6L transmissions but wouldn't be surprised in the least if some are on-going as the TC is one of the four most prolific failure points in the 6L45,50,80 and 90 transmissions. The converter clutch is .020" thick which is way undersized.

Your transmission shop should have no problems diagnosing the concern (just tell them what you wrote here and that should be sufficient). They will likely recommend a complete overhaul as when the converter fails, it typically contaminates the rest of the unit and scores up the pump pretty bad. Figure to pay between $3000-4500 for a bench build and $5000+ if you have the transmission shop remove and reinstall it as well.

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

Welcome to the forum.

Shudder is almost always torque converter and specifically, the shuddering is coming from the stator one-way clutch inside the converter that is supposed to be holding during torque multiplication until fluid coupling (aka stall speed) is achieved.

The 8L45s/90s were/are the subject of a class action lawsuit against GM for failing, leading to accidents and unsafe situations (super hard, back-breaking shifts, etc) for people driving those vehicles at the time of failure. I'm not aware of any lawsuits for the 6L transmissions but wouldn't be surprised in the least if some are on-going as the TC is one of the four most prolific failure points in the 6L45,50,80 and 90 transmissions. The converter clutch is .020" thick which is way undersized.

Your transmission shop should have no problems diagnosing the concern (just tell them what you wrote here and that should be sufficient). They will likely recommend a complete overhaul as when the converter fails, it typically contaminates the rest of the unit and scores up the pump pretty bad. Figure to pay between $3000-4500 for a bench build and $5000+ if you have the transmission shop remove and reinstall it as well.

Thanks for the reply! Quite the expense.. cost of ownership of this Yukon has been brutal. Are there any other services/ parts I should have them do/replace while their at it?

 

[NickTransmissions]

Thanks for the reply! Quite the expense.. cost of ownership of this Yukon has been brutal. Are there any other services/ parts I should have them do/replace while their at it?

You're welcome!
Yes, have the shop install a much better/upgraded torque converter with a .050+ thick clutch. I'd also do the following:

- Sonnax Zip Kit
- Sonnax 3-5-R HP apply ring (allows for an extra friction and steel in that clutch)
- Sonnax 4-5-6 piston kit (allows for an extra friction and steel in that clutch)
- Sonnax billet 1-2-3-4 piston (won't crack like the factory piston)
- Reinforce the welds on the 3-5-R clutch drum to prevent leaks (common problem, mostly in pre-2010 units)
- Completely overhaul pump, machining both working surfaces and rotor/slide pocket so clearance is .0015 between rotor surface, slide surface relative to pump body deck surface
- Transgo unbreakable pump ring kit
- Updated GM HD parking rod assembly
- Updated GM cooler bypass valve to keep temps around 175-180 max at all times (or run a delete kit from Superior Technologies)

Check out my 6L80 Information thread for a complete list of all parts and upgrades available for these transmissions and let me know if you have any more ?s

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

You're welcome!
Yes, have the shop install a much better/upgraded torque converter with a .050+ thick clutch. I'd also do the following:

- Sonnax Zip Kit
- Sonnax 3-5-R HP apply ring (allows for an extra friction and steel in that clutch)
- Sonnax 4-5-6 piston kit (allows for an extra friction and steel in that clutch)
- Sonnax billet 1-2-3-4 piston (won't crack like the factory piston)
- Reinforce the welds on the 3-5-R clutch drum to prevent leaks (common problem, mostly in pre-2010 units)
- Completely overhaul pump, machining both working surfaces and rotor/slide pocket so clearance is .0015 between rotor surface, slide surface relative to pump body deck surface
- Transgo unbreakable pump ring kit
- Updated GM HD parking rod assembly
- Updated GM cooler bypass valve to keep temps around 175-180 max at all times (or run a delete kit from Superior Technologies)

Check out my 6L80 Information thread for a complete list of all parts and upgrades available for these transmissions and let me know if you have any more ?s

Excellent, thank you! Is there a specific brand TC you’d recommend?

 

[NickTransmissions]

Excellent, thank you! Is there a specific brand TC you’d recommend?

The shop will know what to go with but i have good luck with Circle D for high performance as well as my own local builder who does converters for 99% of all my rebuilds.

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

The shop will know what to go with but i have good luck with Circle D for high performance as well as my own local builder who does converters for 99% of all my rebuilds.

So the shop just called. I won’t have time to get over there until tomorrow for them to explain everything to me. But they are saying the torque converter is the issue, but that the entire transmission needs to be rebuilt. $5,800 or $6,025 with heavy duty TC. Ouch. Should I get another opinion? This is a reputable transmission specialist that’s been around a long time and has done work for me before. Huge expense!

 

[NickTransmissions]

So the shop just called. I won’t have time to get over there until tomorrow for them to explain everything to me. But they are saying the torque converter is the issue, but that the entire transmission needs to be rebuilt. $5,800 or $6,025 with heavy duty TC. Ouch. Should I get another opinion? This is a reputable transmission specialist that’s been around a long time and has done work for me before. Huge expense!

Sounds about right. Those transmissions are expensive relative to the previous generation of four-speeds (especially compared to a similarly built 4L60E) due to higher cost of parts plus all the parts that have to be installed for a proper overhaul. Feel free to shop around but my guess is that all the quotes you'll gather will be within a couple hundred of each other and may vary a bit in terms of what exactly is done with the transmission.

Find out if their HD torque converter comes with a billet cover and .050+ converter clutch (or perhaps multi-disc set up) and go with that if so.

- Are they replacing the TEHCM with a new one directly from GM?

- What updates/upgrades will be installed (if any)?

- What is the warranty?

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

Sounds about right. Those transmissions are expensive relative to the previous generation of four-speeds (especially compared to a similarly built 4L60E) due to higher cost of parts plus all the parts that have to be installed for a proper overhaul. Feel free to shop around but my guess is that all the quotes you'll gather will be within a couple hundred of each other and may vary a bit in terms of what exactly is done with the transmission.

Find out if their HD torque converter comes with a billet cover and .050+ converter clutch (or perhaps multi-disc set up) and go with that if so.

- Are they replacing the TEHCM with a new one directly from GM?

- What updates/upgrades will be installed (if any)?

- What is the warranty?

I’ll find all that out tomorrow, thank you. Just wondering at this point if going with a new or reman trans would be a better option. Guess that will largely depend on what the shop will offer for a warranty. Thanks again!

 

[NickTransmissions]

I’ll find all that out tomorrow, thank you. Just wondering at this point if going with a new or reman trans would be a better option. Guess that will largely depend on what the shop will offer for a warranty. Thanks again!

You're welcome, Borrowed_Time...If the builder is competent and knowledgable, you'll get a much better transmission from him than from any reman company, including GM...That said, GM provides 100k/36 months while most rebuilders/independent shops including me give one (1) year, unlimited mile warranties (I sometimes warranty beyond that if I feel it's called for or customer is a really good customer where the failure is minor or not entirely the customer's fault).

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

Just a quick update.. truck is currently in the shop getting a complete rebuild with an HD TC. The owner also recommended I get an AFM disabler to stop it from switching to 4 cylinder mode. He said this system is problematic with these engines and transmissions. Looking at the one from Range Technologies.

 

[Djgz71]

I had the transmission replaced at 77k miles, 2k outside of my extended warranty, grrr. It was about 4,400 for a rebuilt transmission. Coleman Taylor was the shop and they do about 6-8 GMs a week. They keep your old one and have a part of the shop that is constantly rebuilding. I have no idea what parts or upgrades they put in over OEM but they said many parts were better than OEM. No issues in the last 2 years. With inflation I am guessing it would now be over 5k for the same job

 

[Borrowed_Time068]

I had the transmission replaced at 77k miles, 2k outside of my extended warranty, grrr. It was about 4,400 for a rebuilt transmission. Coleman Taylor was the shop and they do about 6-8 GMs a week. They keep your old one and have a part of the shop that is constantly rebuilding. I have no idea what parts or upgrades they put in over OEM but they said many parts were better than OEM. No issues in the last 2 years. With inflation I am guessing it would now be over 5k for the same job

Mine had 103k. No towing and 80% highway miles. Sad we have to go through this. My rebuild is costing $6k with several upgrades and 18 month, 18k mile warranty. Pretty big unexpected expense.

 

[Djgz71]

same type of driving for my miles. This included a 3 year 36k warranty as well.

 

[Pericles]

I have a 2016 escalde with 170k miles now and the trans is going out. I've also had a few quotes in the DFW area. If anyone can help me ask the right questions as far as torque converter etc bc when i got these quotes I had no idea what to ask. Here were the quotes.
Rebuilt with all new GM parts was 3500 with a lifetime warranty at eagle transmission.
Remanufactured directly from gm and installed for 5500 at high tech transmission in Arlington. I don't know what to do, but the clunking and slipping in first gear is getting scary. I just don't want to be stranded in 109 degree heat.

 

[Tahoe14]

Let’s see if Nick can help @NickTransmissions

 

[NickTransmissions]

I have a 2016 escalde with 170k miles now and the trans is going out. I've also had a few quotes in the DFW area. If anyone can help me ask the right questions as far as torque converter etc bc when i got these quotes I had no idea what to ask. Here were the quotes.
Rebuilt with all new GM parts was 3500 with a lifetime warranty at eagle transmission.
Remanufactured directly from gm and installed for 5500 at high tech transmission in Arlington. I don't know what to do, but the clunking and slipping in first gear is getting scary. I just don't want to be stranded in 109 degree heat.

Torque converter: make sure it has a converter clutch that's at least .050" thick. Factory POS clutch is .020-.025".

Your symptoms are likely being caused by a cracked 1-2-3-4 piston in the 3-5-R drum. You'll eventually lose all forward movement.

Id find out how that one shop is defining "lifetime".

See my 6L80 Info thread for all other parts-related questions and what specifically needs to be installed at minimum and post there if you have any addl questions.