4L60E Catastrophic Failure at highway speed ***long***

[HighCaliber]

Three miles into a twelve mile commute at approximately 65mph on a slight incline I hear a loud shotgun sounding bang and then smoke started entering the cabin. I immediately swerved through traffic onto the shoulder with a huge smoke cloud behind me. A hundred things were running through my head as to what had just happened.

So now I am out of the vehicle and on the side of the highway with my 2yr old son in 18deg weather. I let the smoke die down and then start checking under the hood for visible damage, failures, oils. Nothing. The smoke smelled like burnt oil so I examined further and see a lot of brownish frothy fluid accumulated under the center drivers side of the truck. I climb under there and check what it is....TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF).

Because I did not have a flashlight and I could not let go of my sons hand on the side of the highway, I did not get to actually examine the transmission case or transfer case. Knowing it was most likely entirely toast, I got inside and tried to limp it off the highway a bit more because we were in an uphill bend. It only crept 10yds before 1st gear started slipping and finally stopped working entirely. I cycled through the gears and no movement.

I had a friend pick up my son and had another tow strap me home. We towed it off and in neutral for half the ride but got into some traffic so I started the engine and put the transfer case and transmission in neutral for the remaining tow home. I called around and here are my findings so far.....

Local Trans Shops want $2,000 to $3,000 for a rebuilt transmission mattering if the case is cracked
unk Yards want $400-$500+ for a used 4L60E and a few mechanics offered between $400-$500 to install it

I assume the grenade type bang and loss of all the atf fluid means I probably cracked the case? Or is this something that happens normally? I am not mechanically inclined to the extent of a transmission or transfer case replacement nor do I have tools / equipment for such a job even if I wanted to try myself.

This is my daily driver and am SOL until I have wheels again. I just bought this truck last month for just under $4,000 all said and done last month. I didn't even make my 2nd payment on the note....now what. WTF OVER.

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[ccapehartusarmyINF.(ret)]

shop around some more on the rebuilt tranny you can find a better deal on a rebuilt 4l60e

i just had mine rebuilt for 1600 with a 18month warranty and a stage 1 shift kit put in
if at all possible dont go put a used one in there is far greater chance you mite wind up in the a similar situation not to far down the road with a rebuilt everything is new

 

[sgtpoliteness]

Man, that sucks. I have a 20 month old and can't imagine how nervous you must have been. Kudos for getting off the road!

Try craigslist? People are parting 4l60e trucks all the time.

Holy crap! Used ones are expensive there. Here in Denver you're looking at $200 tops at a pick and pull yard.




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[iceworm]

Bummer - blown transmissions suck
$2100 is what I paid three years ago. R&R + rebuild. But that is Fairbanks price, so maybe 15% high over America.

 

[HighCaliber]

Thank you everyone.

I called around and I have an AAMCO shop 16 miles away who said that it is total B.S. for a Trans Shop to quote $2,000+ without looking at it. His shop offers free diagnostics of slipping/blown trannys.

I am working tonight at 11pm through Sunday night so I can't get it down there until Monday. I wish the guy 2 miles away from my house was not being so dicky about this on the phone. This really ruined my weekend now off to work I go.

Wish me luck and thanks again.

---------- Post added at 10:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 PM ----------

Holy crap! Used ones are expensive there. Here in Denver you're looking at $200 tops at a pick and pull yard.

Do you actually Uninstaller the transmission at the yard?

All the junk yards on Long Island's East End have the parts all on shelves. The engines, trannys, rims, etc are on shelves inventoried. That's probably why they are so expensive.....storage fees lol.

 

[ccapehartusarmyINF.(ret)]

now the problem with going out and getting a used one is unless of course you know how to do it yourself you gotta pay someone to pull the old one out and put the used one in and around here thats about 450 bucks when i pulled mine out it wasnt to bad but then putting it back in after i had it rebuilt was an all day affair

---------- Post added at 07:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------

EHH ive heard nothing but bad things about AAMCO here in mesa az were i live i had a local shop rebuild mine they beat aamco's price and offered a 18month 18k miles warranty
AAMCO wanted 2200 to rebuild my 4l60E with a 12 month 12k miles warranty
the local shop i went i paid 1600 with a 18month 18k miles warranty

 

[sgtpoliteness]

Yeah, you pull all the parts yourself. It's work and you have to know how to disassemble, but the cost savings are huge.

Used parts are always a risk, of course.


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[HighCaliber]

Thanks again guys.

I am researching every option.

 

[ccapehartusarmyINF.(ret)]

yeah i was actually going to rebuild my trans at first but since have plenty of education and training and not alot of expierience rebuiliding autotrans i wasnt quite confident enough yet in my ability

 

[2door2wheel]

Thank you everyone.

I called around and I have an AAMCO shop 16 miles away who said that it is total B.S. for a Trans Shop to quote $2,000+ without looking at it. His shop offers free diagnostics of slipping/blown trannys.

I am working tonight at 11pm through Sunday night so I can't get it down there until Monday. I wish the guy 2 miles away from my house was being dicky about this on the phone. This really ruined my weekend now off to work I go.

Wish me luck and thanks again.

---------- Post added at 10:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 PM ----------



Do you actually Uninstaller the transmission at the yard?

All the junk yards on Long Island's East End have the parts all on shelves. The engines, trannys, rims, etc are on shelves inventoried. That's probably why they are so expensive.....storage fees lol.

riverhead there's a yard called mid island or something they just quoted me a 4x4 4l60e with a month warranted for 350$. call them tell them tom with the green Tahoe sent you and said they where the best. ( they may or may not remember me i used to be there all the time)

 

[RobbieX210X]

I know that feeling. Didn't explode like yours but I lost the "high clutch" as the guy called it on my way snowboarding. Dropped it in second and drove it for a month with 1st and second. Damn shame. The prices sounds right cause mine was rebuilt at 2500 versus the 3300 for a remanufactured one from the dealer. Glad you and your son are alright. Parts can be replaced, people can't. :thumbup: I also found some rebuilt ones for like 800 on eBay. I had no way to swap it myself though. Been about 20K and it is starting to show issues again (I think) but that could be the cold weather hitting hard by me.

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[sgtpoliteness]

That's a good price on a 4l60e with a warranty.


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[HighCaliber]

This really sucks. Pricing for r&r are hovering around and way over $1,500+. I'm getting quotes for $500 labor on putting in a junkyard unit ($400-$500). So that's $1,000 total with no guarantee that I won't be doing this again in the near future.

Then on the other hand I had two shops say it sounds like my transfer case failed. That loud bang at highway speed and the shifter on the floor is sideways and loose. They said for me to beware that the transfer case didnt fail and crack the tranny tailshaft.

---------- Post added at 11:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 AM ----------

riverhead there's a yard called mid island or something they just quoted me a 4x4 4l60e with a month warranted for 350$

Thank you Tom. I am so torn between ***** vs rebuild.

 

[RobbieX210X]

If you don't want to keep the truck. Put in a ***** one and sell it before anything else happens. If you like the truck and think its worth keeping. Rebuild it. That's how I made my choice when mine went. Otherwise it will sit and you'll look at it without making a decision. Not trying to be a dick but just mapping out two options for you.

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[Gzes]

That's expensive. Down here I would do them for 1300 and a warranty of 6 month or 8k miles

 

[HighCaliber]

If you don't want to keep the truck. Put in a ***** one and sell it before anything else happens. If you like the truck and think its worth keeping. Rebuild it. That's how I made my choice when mine went. Otherwise it will sit and you'll look at it without making a decision. Not trying to be a dick but just mapping out two options for you

Not taking you as being ******* at all dude...I just bought this truck a month ago. I have a $5k loan on it because I flipped the balance of my previous car's personal loan into the Yukon GT's used car loan at only 3% interest (vs old loan @ 11% apr). I've only made 1 payment so far towards the Yukon GT loan and that makes this situation so much more sour for me.

I absolutely love this Yukon, I worked at GMC for a decade and used to lust after these things when they were in for service/warranty work. So keeping/getting rid of it is not what I am questioning. The only factor delaying repair is the total price of repairs vs. my current financial status and R&R vs USED.

Thank you again for your insight and I will keep you all posted to what happens. As any Northerners in here know, we got another 7" of snow and are expecting 3" to 14" more mattering on the incoming storms course. So I have not been able to even get under there and inspect if the transmission case cracked or not. Either way it has to be done soon, sharing a car with the wife is not working out.

 

[RobbieX210X]

Just found your post with the picks. Yukon GT. Freaking gorgeous dude. Definitely feel you on that drooling over them. That's my next purchase unless that 2000 Tahoe SS concept shows up on eBay again. I was looking for a Tahoe Sport for awhile but I bought a K5 instead.

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[HighCaliber]

Just found your post with the picks. Yukon GT. Freaking gorgeous dude. Definitely feel you on that drooling over them. That's my next purchase unless that 2000 Tahoe SS concept shows up on eBay again. I was looking for a Tahoe Sport for awhile but I bought a K5 instead.

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Thanks dude, your truck is gorgeous btw.

I made up my mind to go with the my buddy's rebuilder who came in at the lowest price on reman-ing my unit. He is under 20 miles away so I am going to save the $100+ tow fee and tow strap it there with a friend.
He said it would take 3 business days and I could come pick it up.

Lets see if tonights snow storm blankets the north east like it's expected to do.

 

[RobbieX210X]

Thanks for the compliment. Remanning is probably better. But I never could've really find what the difference really is expect they either rebuild/make like new all the internals or just replace the bad and reuse the good.

Best of luck!

Speaking of snow Govna Chris Crusty declared state of fail for my area... It's raining. :thumbdown: :screwy:

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[HighCaliber]

The bad news.

The shop called with a diagnosis and just added $500 more dollars to my repair bill.

He said "The transmission case is cracked at the tail end. Your rear universal of the front drive shaft gave out and the drive drive shaft spun around and crashed into the side of your transmission, totaling it. You need a new case, drive shaft and universals because the shaft got damaged too."

I gave the ok for all the repairs because I have no vehicle to commute to work.....so now I'm at $2,000+ dollars.

WTF man. I've never bought a car (and I've had 20+) that broke down the first month I had it. I am hoping this is not a lemon. Because I just found out I am the sixth owner and the previous two owners only had the truck 12 months and 8 months respectively. Sounds too shady.