TSB Seems To Fix 8-Speed Automatic GM Transmission Problems
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We’ve covered the problems of the eight-speed GM transmission on numerous occasions. In fact, we cover a class action lawsuit brought against GM back in April, complaints from owners, and even a recommendation that GM replace the eight-speed altogether with a new unit as quickly as possible. Now, GM Authority has learned that there’s a new fix that seems to be alleviating the eight-speed’s shifting woes outright.
As of July 8th, 2019, GM began using a new type of Mobil 1 automatic transmission fluid for the troublesome transmissions. Customers that complain of shuddering and harsh shifting characteristics in the 8-speed GM transmissions are recommended for a trans fluid flush. As of August 7th, GM dealers should also be flushing all potentially affected new vehicles on the lot.
The GM 8L45 eight-speed automatic transmission
According to TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) 18-NA-355, the latest update addresses “torque converter clutch (TCC) shudder conditions on 8L45 and 8L90” eight-speed automatic transmissions, RPO codes M5N, M5T, M5U, and M5X. Affected vehicles include Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac vehicles, as follows.
Chevrolet
- 2015 – 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- 2015 – 2019 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2016 – 2019 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2017 – 2019 Chevrolet Colorado
GMC
- 2015 – 2017 GMC Yukon
- 2015 – 2018 GMC Sierra 1500
- 2017 – 2019 GMC Canyon
Cadillac
- 2015 – 2017 Cadillac Escalade
- 2016 – 2018 Cadillac CT6
- 2016 – 2019 Cadillac ATS
- 2016 – 2019 Cadillac ATS-V
- 2016 – 2019 Cadillac CTS (excluding V-Sport models)
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS-V
The issues with the 8-speed GM transmission are two-fold. First, some customers report the transmission shuddering frequently. Secondly, the shifts are very harsh between first to second, and then second down to first, especially when accelerating and the transmission is upshifting or decelerating and the transmission is downshifting. These conditions are most commonly observed under light and medium throttle applications, and as often during full throttle applications.
However, a new fluid flush appears to fix the issues, with some customers beginning to report a dramatic change in shift quality after swapping out the old juice. If the flush doesn’t fix the issue, the next step may be to replace the torque converter, which could be glazed.
2016 GMC Yukon
The issue seems to stem from “moisture content in the transmission fluid.” As such, the old GM transmission liquid is swapped for new Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP fluid. Driving the vehicle for about a week or so improves shift quality even further as the new fluid cleans things up inside the transmission and the adaptive shift algorithms relearn various parameters.
This is obviously a big deal for owners struggling with their vehicle’s eight-speed. Hopefully the new fluid swap will provide a lasting fix.
Have you experienced shuddering and harsh shifts with your eight-speed GM transmission? Have you gone in for a fluid-swap fix? Let us know your experiences by posting in the comments section, and don’t forget to subscribe to GM Authority for 24/7 GM news coverage.
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actually we (gm dealer employee) have had the new fluid for quite some time now, and we have swapped fluids 3 times, the first 8 speeds shipped with gm made fluid then we went to Mobil 1 black label fluid and now blue label Mobil 1. The newest fluid seems to have corrected the issues with the shudder almost immediately.
Would you be so kind to provide exact part number?
19417577 is the new fluid. However the fluid only temporarily fixed my 8 speed sierra. I have a shudder worse than before after about 2500 miles.
2017 CAMARO i have had 2 flushes done worked fine for about 1000 miles then came back worse then before also
I am in my second visit from 36k to 47k. I hope they get it right before 60k or I may to break 45 years with GM for Dodge
e transmission’s are defective and gm will say it’s a characteristic of the transmission, don’t they test them before they sell them!!!
I know a guy that works at General Motors Proving Grounds in Michigan. They knew at the time there was a problem but the engineers didn’t know how to fix it. That was back in the summer of 2022. I’m tempted to call my friend from GM and ask him if this really will fix it.
What really will fix it?
Rebuild
The mobile one fluid that they say will fix the problem.
And I think later adding 20 oz Lubeguard Platinum helped mine too (along with the blue label Mobil 1 at first )
Hey Chevy fix the problem
I am surprised they do not have a real fix for this. My Sierra had the 1st fluid change in 2019 with 1442 miles. The second full triple flush procedure was done at 36,000 and didn’t seem to have any effect. Still shave harsh shifts mostly noticeable first drive of the day. Then the low to mid speed shudder which the dealer says they can not detect.
20 oz of Lubeguard Platinum and the Blue Label Mobile 1 helps a good bit! BUT also get the Range Technologies AFM/DFM Disabler, helped mine a LOT!!! And no, I don’t sell any of this or connected in any way, it just helps!
Do they fixed? I’m dealing with my 2017 canyon with the same problem..
It will not get fixed, they do not have a fix for it at to why there is a class action lawsuit in the u.s. I am in nova scotia Canada I have had my truck since 2018(new) and since feburary 2019 to date the truck has been in for service over 20 times they have fixed alot of parts yet still the truck has the problems continuously I have made 3 calls to dealership to rectify the on going problem, they wont return my calls. I have lost $24000 in down payment and monthly payments. I have reached out to the manufacturer for assistance with this on going problems and they responded with a $1500 as a incentive towards a new truck.What a disrespectful offer I have been a gm driver for the past 19 years. I myself, place of work and family will never buy another GM also I pity anyone who drives one to date. owning a gm only pays and promotes for a CEO to live a great life when customers are sold an engineering mistake. I have over 30 recent videos and many more from the last couple years of the on going issues will post or send to where suggested to help prevent anyone from going through the loss and pain I’ve endured.
××××BEWARE CORRUPT COMPANY DO NOT PURCHASE/TRADE IN IF YOU OWN A GM-DONT SUPPORT THEIR CORRUPTION. STAND AS A VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE NOT THE CORPORATION××××
Hi Jeremy.
GM said TSB in USA don’t count in Canada. (I’m here in Montreal)
I insisted to go for a test drive with the mechanic for my 2018 Colorado LT. He understood and confided to me it was a known problem. The dealer has hundreds of gallons of Mobil 1 lv ATF HP in stock due to this problem.
However he said since my km was low (25000) the flushing should fix it, and also reset the software because I’m the second driver.
This is still covered under warranty and I was assured this problem will be fixed.
To be continued.
Hello just wondering if your problem was resolved. I have a brand new 2022 2.7 Turbo with an 8-speed transmission. Just going around 16,000 KMS now and I’m just starting to experience the slight shudder at low RPM. Just seeking some advice from someone that has gone through this situation prior. Please respond if you have found a solution
Had my transmission fluid changed two times I had to pay for the second charge.contacted GM ,my complaint fell on deaf ears. I was told by a service manager I would have to continue changing the fluid. My 2016 z06 only has 12,000 miles
Ok. I have tried everything including a torque converter change. Nothing really worked. 4 weeks ago I asked them to reset the software in the adaptive transmission. I was warned that may make the problem worse, but I thought….what the hell. Honestly, this is the smoothest the transmission has ever been. Hard shifts and shuddering have gone away. It’s only been 4 weeks and about 800 miles. So far so good.
I have a 2017 GMC Sierra 6.2 with 8 speed transmission. It has had erratic shifting since new. Harsh shifts from first to second at times and seems to have a delayed shift when stopping. The transmission has been reprogrammed 2-3 times and had the flush done. Maybe a torque converter change would help.
Truck has 58000 Kms on it and very disappointing.
Brand new fix for the 8 speed transmission shudder.
My 2016 Cadillac Escalade had all the symptoms.
The dealer replaced free of charge the following items:
Transmission wiring harness # 24298757
Filter # 24274402
EHC6 ENV Fee
Gasket# 24260071
Seal # 15077362
Clamp # 20779890
Seal# 15035747
It runs really well now.
My dealer has had my 2019 truck for 3 weeks now trying to figure it out. The latest is they have ordered a new transmission.
With the lack of availability of parts let’s see how long this takes. They did give me a 2020 truck to drive in the interim.
My dealer has my 2017 Colorado right now. It’s been there for two weeks. They said they are installing a new transmission.
what dealer is doing this for you mine wont
Is there a specific TSB that can be referenced for the wiring harness and associated change?
Mike, I don’t have the TSB in my info, but I just had my harness replaced Under Warranty. I took my 2016 Silverado in, with the Shudder, again. It had started at 25K miles. Was then double flushed & refilled with the former Blue label fluid. NO One was told the New Black label fluid, came out in July 2019! 46K miles & my shudder is back. I’m pretty sure they flushed it & filled with the Black label, tested & Still had shift problems. They told me it was the Harness, which was $538. I noted to them about the Letter sent to me of August 2020. Stating, Some 8 speeds had a Harness problem, or could develop a problem, & I would be Covered for 10 years, or 120K miles. Then they said they found that bulletin, & replaced it under the warranty. Free! I haven’t tried, but you can probably Goggle GM Ser. Bulletins. Or have any Professional auto shop, look it up. Also, contact Chevrolet Customer Assistance Cnt., at 1-800-222-1020. Whether it helped in my case, as I waited a Week on my truck, or not, Customer Assistance, was Very pleasant to me! Good Luck! BTW, For Now, My problems seem to be fixed!
I own a 2016 Z06 corvette with 12000 miles, bought it new. GM covered the first fluid change , started shuttering again worse than before. Contacted GM and was told that they will not cover second time. I paid to have the fluid change the second time and was told that they wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t have to change the fluid the third or the fourth time.. I retired from GM and have always driven GM vehicles but this has put a sour taste in my mouth. Does anyone know of a class action law suit that I could join?
What dealer ship? I just had the fluid and torque converter replaced I have driven my 2017 Sierra Denali roughly 500 miles and it’s already throwing check engine light and traction control lights rapidly and the truck shakes horribly also loss of power. I can cut it off and let it cool and it’ll drive fine. Literally the worst truck I’ve ever owned.
Austin I had the exact same problem on top of the shudder. They replaced battery,terminal connections along with wiring harness yet still had problems they did the flush torque converter replacement along with fuel pump in Hope’s to correct the problem and now I have electrical issues a worse shutter and a flywheel that sounds like curly from the 3 stooges it chirping so bad. Its something GM should be doing an overhaul on
Curious…. does it still run well?
I had the same problem and the same “fix” for my 2017 Cadillac CTS…I had to pay over $1000 to replace same parts. However, my commute to work is over an hour one way, and now after a year and a half, the problem is back. if GM insist that dealers repair the affected in-inventory vehicles before certifying them for sale/re-sale, then why won’t they own up and repair (with a permanent fix) the vehicles owned by their customers. before they no longer ‘have’ customers.
Unfortunately the answer is they don’t care and they are trying to drag the situation out until all warranty periods are expired. It’s probably one of the reasons that Toyota passed up GM in sales last year in the US for the first time.
I have a 2016 yukon Dinali with the same shifting and shuddering problems. I’ve paid to have the fluid changed twice and replaced the torque converter. Nothing helps. I want to burn it to the ground. So frustrated with this vehicle. Total of about $3500 out of pocket and doesn’t fix
My 2016 Camaro with 45000 just had the same repairs done that you listed in your post and the dealership charged me 1667.00 and I am ready to sale this car and purchase a Toyota Camry. I love the Camaro but I will not keep sinking money into it and the problems keeps reoccurring. My extended warranty expired in July 2021 so I was responsible. GM should be ashamed of themselves for turning out this type of a product.
Just a fluid and filter change?
Looks like the trans flush worked for me. I have a 2018 GMC Canyon that started to shudder. Has been 100% ever since the flush, even after towing a camper/trailer.
How big is your camper? I am considering buying a Colorado or Canyon this year before they retire the V-6 and replace it with the Turbo 4cyl. I am very concerned with the 8-Spd Auto Trans issue though. I have a 3500 lb Travel Trailer that I presently tow with a 2000 Sierra, but it’s way past time to retire the Sierra from towing duty.
I wouldn’t trust my canyon 2018 to pull a camper. Especially if the camp site is more than a few miles away. With its quality after 2 flushes and a torque converter replacement with continuing shutter amongst other drivetrain issues. You are better off to do an overhaul on the reliable 2000 seiarra less disappointments and cheaper in the long run.
Thanks for the reply. I have been considering the new Tundra, I think now with all of the issues with the 8 spd. Toyota will get my vote. I have found the Tundra is more American made than the Sierra or Silverado which is sad! Too bad GM has not solved this problem by now!
Also consider a new Nissan Titan. They are really good trucks and can tow up to 12K lbs. I’ve seen them discounted up to 5K dollars. The toyota is supported to be really expensive. In fact the projected base price will be the highest in segment. Also the next gen Colorado will have a great 2.7 turbo with allot more HP and torque. If they put the 10 speed it will be a winner. But for the money, the Titan is what I’d get. Great motor and the transmission is a daimler benz 9 speed which is a proven unit.
Tim:
So we have a Coachmen Clipper Express 12.0. It’s like 2200 lbs., maybe 2500 lbs because I filled up the water tank.
Hi Tim, I have a 2018 Colorado WT, 2wd with the 3.6 v6, 85,600 km. I pull a 21 ft TT that weighs just under 6500 lbs loaded. Truck bed is loaded too, am I over weight? don’t think so. Anyone have negative comments keep them to yourself, genious. Have towed across Canada and the US, lots of big mountains too, with out any problems mainly using the manual shift setting. I would say the trucks power is adequate. Usually cruise at 60 mph in 5th gear @ 3000 rpm, some times it will hold 6th @ around 2500 but it doesn’t take much to drop things down to 5th. A hot it isn’t but goes fast empty. It will get around 12 to 13 mpg when towing and 24/25 empty. Never had any trans problems and really like this truck. A GM tech told me it was important to change the oil when the computer says around 50% for best engine health. Super easy to change diff oil, trans oil not, plugs nope. Did I say I think this truck is a keeper? Cheers from Canada …… Ivan.
I wouldn’t trust the GM 8 speed transmission to pull a kids wagon. They are crap. And you never know when they are going to act up and fail. Some have problems early on and some don’t have problems for years and many miles. Some have problems and they get remedied but then the problems return. Run away from the GM transmissions as fast as you can.
I also have a 2018 Colorado 6cyl with the 8spd trans. I developed my first noticed shudder at 9,000miles a month ago. I bought an $8 hand pump at Hbr FRT, then jacked the truck up in the front passenger side to have it lean backward and to driver side, then removed the trans pan plug. I removed exactly 6qts of the approximately 11qts of factory trans fluid. I replaced the 6qts of fluid removed with 16oz of Lubegard Platinum, 2oz of Lubegard Shudder fix, and the remaining 175ozs of the 6 qts of with Mobil 1 LTV Blue label fluid (best pricing is from Rock Auto). I have driven 1,00 miles and have not had one shudder, and I pulled a utility trailer 600 miles of that 1,000 miles since the fluid change. Time will tell but it fixed the issue for now.
I’m glad that it’s working well for you. I think that it’s a shame that you/we should have to pay for a fix for a poorly designed faulty GM transmission. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame anyone for coming up with their own fix to salvage their vehicle, I just think that it’s wrong to have to put out the kind of money that we do for a new vehicle and have to take it upon ourselves to make it operate correctly.
you still good after the flush (8/19/22)? My 2019 Silverado is getting it done today.
Alan B I have the same truck same year and so far the flush has worked for me too I had 61000 miles when problem started .I have 1000 since flush.
I have a 2016 GMC Sierra z71 with 90,000 miles. It won’t go on drive and when it does it only drives for 5 seconds, then I have to turn ignition off and on to make it move 5 seconds more,,, so frustrated with this truck,, is there any transmission recall out there?
I had mine flushed at 20K because the first bulletin came out in 2018. I never had the shudder issue. When it shifted from 1st to 2nd it would surge at times and the flush and new trans fluid took care of it. It still does it once in a while but not as bad. I have 61K on the truck. It is due for the 60k service so we’ll see what happens with a fresh trans fluid.
I had one flush at about 30k. I didn’t know I had a problem. Most of my cars were standard shift. Had one flush and after a 1,000 miles it seems to come back with a vengeance. The flush did work for a while.
Just got my car back. They did a reprogram for harsh shift. The dealership didn’t experience the other issues, but seems to be running better at this time. The flush seemed to last about 1,000 miles as in my previous post. They said the torque converter seems to be working properly. Who’s to know.
9/3/2020, 2017 Camaro.
Dave – Were you charged for the reprogram sir?
I’m writing this as I sit in the waiting room of Courtesy Motors in Chico, CA. Two hours ago I brought my 2016 Cadillac ATS-V in, with 15,000 miles on it, for shifting shudders in the 8 Speed transmission. GM published a TSB calling for a fluid flush with Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP fluid. I was just now informed it will cost me $573 to flush the transmission because the bumper-to-bumper warranty has expired and they say the power train warranty doesn’t apply. Needless to say I’m not a happy camper. Time to leave GM after 39 GM cars over the past 53 years.
NO…it’s 5 years 60k for power-train. (did you purchase early 2015?)
if Transmission issues aren’t power-train then what is?
I’d get the GM of the dealership front and center of me and he would have to explain it to me like I am 5!!!!
You have to fight!
I wrote to the CEO of GM and Cadillac and copied the entire Board of Directors of both GM and Cadillac and copied the dealer. The most I could get out of them was the triple fluid flush. I couldn’t convince them that the torque converter may be glazed and it should be replaced as well. It can be a futile effort so I had to bite the bullet, take the financial hit and trade my GM cars before it got worse while the car & truck was still worth something. I’m very frustrated with GM products and their lack of standing behind their product.
Mine was covered under the power train warranty. I’m also i CA I took mine to premier Chevrolet of Buena Park.
Listen to this. I have a 2017 silverado with the 8 speed and just yesterday tried to get my problem taken care of under the drive train warranty and was told no way on God’s green earth they will do anything for me because all my complaints in the service department have never been documented on paper. So I have 2 chances of getting my problem fixed. Slim and none. Thank you GM and thank you dealer for sticking it to me.
Just had mine done, they told me it was only covered under the basic warranty which I still have.
My 2016 GMC Yukon Denali with 9.2 K miles had the flush new fluid and trans reset to learn. This was covered under the 5 year, 50K miles power train warranty — NO CHARGE.
What was it that you had done?
Sadly after many decades I decided to leave GM. It’s really a shame that they don’t have a viable fix for their faulty transmissions. I Traded the CTS two days ago, the Silverado in April. I’m not sure what I will do if the shudder comes back on my Stingray ☹️
I have my 2016 ATS V in the Riverside, CA dealership for all the same issues. Waiting on word of issues and work to be done. I am armed with more information than prior to drop off. TSB 18-NA-355 but right fluid. They also need to clear the debris.
What did they say? I’m taking mine thief soon or should I find a different dealership?
I bought my 2019 GMC Canyon V/6 8spd. trans brand new with 13 miles. After driving it only 1000 miles it began a harsh shift between 2nd and 3rd gears. Also between 1st and 2nd gears, usually at slow speeds on a light acceleration. I took in into a G.M. dealership and they flushed out the old fluid and put in the new G.M. special bulletin fluid along with a software update to the T.C.M. As soon as I picked it up, it continued to shift and bang in the lower gears, just as it did before. Ready to call my attorney on this one.
….and! Don’t leave us hanging!
Hi Michael,
What happened? Mine is at the dealer now. I have an extended service contract and they’re not covering this shuddering issue.
i just spent 40 minutes on with GMC arguing that this is not a fluid exchange (which isn’t covered) it’s fixing a bigger issue….they won’t cover it.
any advice is helpful.
For what it’s worth: My 2019 is doing ok. It had the valve body replaced and the appropriate Mobil 1 transmission fluid used. It has been several hundred miles so far, and all seems good. Fingers crossed. This was done a few weeks ago, around end of August 2022.
I’ve got a Yukon Denali and they pulled the same “It’s not a warranty issue” on me. They said I needed to flush the fluid anyway, but the “new” fluid is more expensive than the previous, by a couple of hundred dollars. I asked if they’d at least pay for the increased fluid cost, and they said Nope. I won’t be buying GM in the future either.
You’re not alone Mark
Fluid flush was just done (10/15/21) on my 2017 ATS-V under the powertrain warranty. Might be different for 2016, but worth looking into more.
I just bought a 2017 CT6 with 8,100 miles. Took it to Taylor Cadillac in Toledo, OH for the same shifting issues. They did a triple flush and added the new tranny fluid. It shifted perfect on the way home today. Time will tell if this will be a permanent issue. They repaired under the powertrain warranty
Who does know, Dave? Assuming you’re over 20… people know how a vehicle should drive. If we all believed what gm says, we’d all be normal too!
Has anyone replaced the 8speed transmission and the shudder stopped?
I got a new transmission at 43000kms. It fixed all the issues I had but I still feel the clunk shifts and take off from park or reverse. It’s way better tho.
did the shudder stopped at all? and has the problem come back?
I just had the torque converter replaced on my 2017 Colorado Lt, @ 48900 miles, they said that was the problem…. it did stop the shudder for about 2 days but it did not stop hard shifting either going up or down. The shudder came back less than a week after the torque converter was replaced, I will be taking the truck today again and they will keep it to “fix it “. I don’t know what they will do next flush the transmission or just replace it.
We can put a man on the moon over 50 years ago but GM can’t figure out what’s wrong with these transmissions. I certainly hope that the ventilators that GM recently contracted out with the government work better than their transmissions.
I have a 2018 GMA Sierra, started shifting hard around 30000 miles, taken it to dealership 3 times, 2 for adjusting the computer, temporary fix, then to change the fluid for a shudder and hard downshift. 300 miles later, not better. Shudder is gone but the has shift continues. Even bangs after I start it, and don’t even put it in gear. Dealer said I had to drive it for 500 miles first, he couldn’t tell me when I can get a new transmission.
Question: Has anyone ever got a new transmission?
Would like to know what it takes to get GM to replace mine.
DROP THE MIC! This is awesome and so much truth to it. You my man are legendary!
Replaced my transmission on my 2017 silverado & screwed up my transfer case in process. Loud periodic grinding. New transmission has same slamming shifting problems. Taken it there 14 times so far. GM don’t care. Won’t do anything. Total joke. Dealership is telling me that’s how they run. Sick to my stomach after spending $60K.
Can’t wait to trade in for a Tesla Cybertuck. I’m done with GM after over 30 years with em. They suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My 2016 Yukon xl goes in Tuesday for fluid change, what is the cost?
I just got a 2017 gmc canyon denali used at 47621 miles and started to here that shudder noise in the back here and their not so bad tho .think the transmission fluid flush will fix it?
I have a 2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2 experienced the exact same problem, it has been at the dealership seven times! Initially they told me they could not replicate it, then the next time I took it back in there was a service bulletin out and they did the fluid swap with a reprogram, after that it’s been part changes and now currently a replacement transmission. I’ve been fighting with GM for a buyback for four months now it has 46,000. GM will not give me a hard answer they keep dragging out the process, and will not use email, only phone class (which I am recording) I am disgusted that so many people are having the same problem and GM is unable to fix it nor make it right. This will be my last GM EVER!!!!! I would love to hear if anybody else is having the same problem as I am?
I certainly can relate, having been a GM person most of my 50 years of driving and having 3 GM vehicles (Silverado, Cadillac CTS and C7 Stingray) at the same time with transmission problems. It’s really a bunch of BS that they can’t come up with a fix. The Silverado has been traded in for a Ram, the CTS will be next and not traded for a GM product. Keeping my Stingray from shuddering will be GM’s last chance to keep me as a customer.
I am interested on how your new tranny will work for you. I have a friend that works at the GM transmission plant in Toledo, Ohio. In 2017 when I purchased my chevy truck he said good luck with the 8 speed tranny in it. I spoke with him recently and he claims nothing is different in the way the transmission is built. He said it is still a piece of junk and refuses to work on the line where they are assembled. He works on the 6 speed tranny line and thinks the 6 speed is a very good tranny.
I just took my 2016 GM Yukon XL in for the same problem. Dealership said it will $375 for flush. I am also amazed that GM has not been forced to issue a recall
New 2019 zr1 1500 miles fluid swap, 15,000 miles new torque converter, 31,314 miles new torque converter, 31,840 miles and five days later back in shop shudder worse than ever. Sent defective vehicle letter to GM started the lemon law process in my state. Tried contacting customer service while in shop for last Torque converter was put in touch with “senior advisor”. Asked what GM would do extend warranty, replace transmission, new vehicle he could not speculate and would need to contact service and call me later. Called me back and said he hadn’t had chance to contact service I asked again what are they willing to do again he had no response. They do exactly what you said: dragging it out, delay, deflect blame. I honestly do not think they are willing to do anything
If you hire an attorney (usually they do for no cost) you can get it replaced under the lemon law. You must have all documentation and in (I believe) 10 times for same problem. My nephew had a 2008 Saturn Aura 6 speed trans in 10 times (takes perseverance) and GM was not willing to rap[lace the vehicle until his (free of charge) lawyer sent them a letter. They gave him his money back within a week!
Read the other comments. They will replace the transmission eventually but with another 8speed. You will get 36-40k miles out of it before your problems start all over again
Or you get a week and the shudder returns like mine did after a transmission swap. Sadly, I had no shudder or shift complaints for 24,000 miles. Now I question the reliability. A 2021 Ram might be in my future. I have quite a bit of equity at the moment. I think I will take advantage of that if the numbers are right.
I have a 2019 corvette with 1500 miles on it and 2 new transmissions and still having problems.
They may or may not replace it… I went through the bbb and they (GM) denied it.
did they make you buy the new tranny
They changed the fluid and it worked for a couple of days and then they changed the valve body with new fluid and that worked for a few days , I took it back in for a reprogram and that lasted a week or so , I think they are going to swap out tranny’s now , mine down shifts so hard and when I’m on a icy road the rear wheels Lock up and spun you out ,it’s done it 3 time’s so far , I’ve had enough with the 8 speed
The only thing GM and all OEM’s understand is $$$. I’ve worked for the so called Big 3 for over 30yrs. The best way to hit them is in the pocketbook. The best way to hit them there is to start posting your issues on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. Follow GM exec’s on LinkedIn so when you post something there they’ll get slammed from everyone.
It’s not the transmission itself, but the computer. Just like in the 10 speed which Ford has better software. GM sucks regardless. Their customer service sucks. I have a 16 Yukon that’s had two transmissions replaced in a year and a 19 Silverado that’s been at the dealer fifteen times in a year and a half for horrible shifting that they say is normal. Perhaps normal for the modern General Motors Corporation?
I don’t know Tom, if it was just the software I’m not sure that they would do the fluid triple-flush, which does seem to help some people.
There are 2 separate issues: TC shudder and harsh shifting. Fluid TSB is for TC shudder only. Changing fluid will not resolve harsh shifting.
They reset the computer to learn mode when they flush so folks think it has helped with harsh shifts. The computer will go back to bang/clunk relatively quickly. Most posts of successful shift resolution (including myself) have all been via aftermarket tuning: disabling AFM and changing the shift points.
Hit the nail on the head Dana. 2 separate issues. I too have cured the shift problem with a trifecta tune.
Transmission and and engine performance definitely a huge improvement.
Could you expand on that “trifecta” tune. I guess I need to go to a “performance” shop?
Weston Roberts, Google “trifecta performance” or go to www[.]trifectaperformance[.]com. They are a performance shop and they sell tunes online for your specific vehicle. You give them the VIN and they send you a cable and file(s) to load with your laptop.
So disable the afm entirely right? And how is it running now
They said they changed the shift points on mine to where 1st to 3rd are on the 10-speed. Before they did that, it was violently down shifting from 3-2-1. Now it’s both up (1-2 & 2-3) and down (3-2 & 2-1) shifting harshly.
Same here Dave. Have a 2016 High Country, rough 1-2 up shift and rough 1-2 down shift. Had a flush and some other electronic parts replaved. Done well for awhile BUT now is same as before. Took it back and service said it was shifting OK. BS.
Been there. Banging into gear both upshift and downshift (Silverado), as well as bad hesitation from stop (Cadillac). I was told that it was normal. BS is right. It’s a shame because I was a longtime GM man.
I have a 2020 Cadillac CT4 with about 4000kms. The shift from 1st to 2nd is very harsh when the vehicle is cold. It seems to improve as the transmission warms up. Might a change of fluid correct this?
Have had 2 flushes done finally my dealer put in a new torque converter shudder is worse than it was before only about 60 miles on it
bought my brand new 2019 sierra AT4 in lebanon pennsylvania at ebersole gmc. i noticed hard shifting issues almost immediately, started off light and then got harde. truck finally went into the shop and they told me the shudder/hard slamming shifts was normal operating conditions. the truck went in shop day before turkey day. guess what truck is now at the same shop because of a check engine light came on and onstar sent me an email saying there is something wrong with transmission.
Sounds like typical GM dealer non-response. I took my 2017 Canyon to Weingardner Chevrolet in Leonardtown, MD about a year ago for this well known problem. Got their usual response of can’t duplicate the problem and that is the way it shifts. Going back in today as the problem has gotten much, much worse. Dealership has a new owner. I am probably dreaming the impossible dream, but I hope the service has improved.
I have 8L90 the thing shifted like my old powerglide , had 60 k miles should have flushed at 30 k, old fluid looked bad. The truck is a 2017 Silverado cost me $55000, Still got my 1975 C10 turbo 350 shifts fine.
In other words the transmission is reliable if you deal with the clunking. A family member has a 2011 GMC and the 6 speed acts the same and he has over 200,000 miles on it. Maybe the 8 speed will last, time will tell
The 8L90 is junk. GM knows it. Class action lawsuit is that n the works. They say its a design flaw not A “build” flaw so its not their problem. They tiold me NO on a buy back. Had mine in 4 times in one year for same problem
Same here, but 14 times in a year. They don’t care.
Agree!
Sounds about normal.
Had my fluid changed in 2020, made no difference in my GMC 1500, 6.2
They are under orders not to replace the torque converter.
They had me do the fluid chance twice in the same year, and I can confirm they are under orders not to replace anything. This company is pathetic
I had the fluid flush performed on my Cadillac CTS. It didn’t help. They absolutely refused to change out the converter.
I saw a comment on this thread that they heard the the engineers have identified the issues to be valve body/valve body cover design. If that’s truly the case, then it’s likely a torque converter won’t resolve the issue, unless the torque converter is bad. They did replace torque converters at one point, as they also redid the software. It’s likely they’ll discontinue flushes soon as well, if the valve body and/ or valve body cover is proved to be the issue. A lot of the companies have issues like this. There’s a few things everyone can do here. They can keep the vehicle, and wait for a permanent fix, which will happen, because if that comment is true, they’re continuing to research it, and get dealer technician input as well. That is also proven by the number of TSBs they have for updating software, once changing torque converters, and now doing fluid flushes. It’s a bad experience, however it’s looking positive as they continue to look for the cause. They’re right on everything they’ve tried, as that’ll cause what everyone is experiencing. It’s just unfortunately not working for some. Now, you can try the trifecta tuning, which will supposedly, and in theory help dramatically, but won’t completely cure it. The last thing is a different vehicle. I would be pissed, however, as long as the transmission is going strong, and I know they’re working on it, I personally for myself, I would wait it out.
I’m sorry, I think that you are looking at the world through rose colored glasses by thinking it’s “looking positive as they continue to look for the cause.” As the owner of 3 GM 8 speed cars (really 2 now since I dumped my Silverado) I don’t think that it’s looking positive at all. Auto transmissions aren’t supposed to act this way: jumping, banging, hesitating, shaking, the list of symptoms goes on and on. As far as the torque converters, there have been many replaced as they were deemed glazed from the old fluid. No, GM will lose many, many loyal customers over this mess.
If I had the glasses, I certainly didn’t know. So, what do you want them to do, just give up? Drop testing? Provide no fix at all? Everything they’ve done, is attempt to provide a fix. Sometimes it’ll work, sometimes they have to go at it again. Who says a recall won’t happen once they find a permanent fix? It may not seem that way, but apparently by complaints even after service, the permanent fix isn’t here yet. The answer isn’t going to come over night, especially if they have to redesign, get a new part manufactured, etc. They’ll lose customers of course, it happens when you manufacture and sell products. They’ll gain customers as well switching from other manufacturers. The torque converters were glazed, that were replaced. It doesn’t mean every torque converter will be glazed.
You must be a GM Executive by the way you are defending them. Like another poster said it’s been going on for over five years. It was a known problem and they still installed it in the Colorado. Many of us are working class people that paid big $$$$$ for our vehicles and now we feel like we are pissing it away because GM can’t figure out how to make an automatic transmission that they probably have been manufacturing in some fashion since the 1940’s. As far as gaining customers from another manufacturer on the other end of losing them, who the heck would jump over to a GM product after reading about all of the problems. The remedy? Find a transmission that works properly and retrofit it or redesign it to fit the model cars that are failing. I’m not willing to give any corporation a pass for failing their customers so miserably.
I agree with Henry 100%. GM has a warranty to cover defective product. Whatever the reason really is, these are defective units.
Your right about losing loyal customers, I’ll never buy General Motors again , and the have the nerve to call gmc professional grade, Professional garbage
Our 2017 Escalade has the shudder… Super frustrating…
Change fluid, replaced torque converter…did no good. Then they “reprogrammed” tranny…helped some but still a problem. Canyon would be a great mid size if the 8 speed tranny was not such a piece of junk. You would think after all these years of this problem they would have said hey we better fix this. My first and last GM truck.
please see the 440 t 4 i was a tech for the now extinct
Oldsmobile 84-91 sounds like the same nightmare to me
You are absolutely right, I’ve owned 12 new gm vehicle, but this is my last, they had to know they were bad, and to call it. Professional grade it’s a slap in the face
” It’s likely they’ll discontinue flushes soon as well, if the valve body and/ or valve body cover is proved to be the issue. A lot of the companies have issues like this. There’s a few things everyone can do here. They can keep the vehicle, and wait for a permanent fix, which will happen”
Too late for GM to save face. This problem has been going on over FIVE years. By the time they started making the Colorado the 8 speed had already been shown to have issues in the Cadillac, Camaro, and Corvette. Still they put it into the truck anyways. Now all those makes are starting to fall out of warranty with owners starting to pay out of pocket with still no fix. Even if a fix were here tomorrow, GM has failed to provide anything that can be considered a timely fix. Many owners have already offloaded their GM cars/trucks and moved to other brands.
If that is not enough, GM is about to get the class action dismissed. Like the other poster said, allot of loyal customers will walk away from the brand.
I don’t disagree with what you have posted.
However, I have read many, many posts on enthusiast forums where people take their car to a known good transmission shop and they are able to change the mapping and tune out the problems in the 8-speed. I like my Camaro SS a lot and have no plans to get rid of it. The fluid swap seems to have cured my shuddering, which was the only issue I had. If it comes back and GM can’t fix it, I will go to a transmission shop and have them take care of it for a few hundred bucks.
They don’t want solutions. There’s plenty of ways to cure it themselves.
Just traded my Colorado with 70k . The flush helped but who wants to ride in a truck that jerks. Bought a Ram. What an improvement.
I’m hoping that they come up with a real fix. This would be a great vehicle if shudder could be completely eliminated. The flush helped, but still have it a various points. So, it does seem that the programming could be fine tuned to eliminate it. I have approx. 2 years left under warranty & don’t want to have to try a transmission shop.hopefully there will be info somewhere of a complete fix.
I’m getting ready to change out my stock converter to a aftermarket stall converter. I have a 2017 Silverado 3500 with 6 speed. It shuddered many times and I observed high tranny temps while trailering especially but also shudder when not trailing. I added 2 large tranny coolers to the existing so now have 3. Temps are always lower than 180 and shifting improved and no more shudder. I changed out my fluid for AMSOil at 45k. Almost $400 in fluid. There is known torque converter trouble that if left alone it will slowly destroy the tranny with friction pieces from the clutch disks. I’m hoping to change it before this happens, have just over 60k on it now but it is working great. Part of the friction disk problem is the tune but another part is the sticking of a pressure modulator that will only get worse once the disks wear down because first of higher temps than the tranny can correctly operate at that causes solenoid sticking and then frying the clutch disks because full engagement won’t happen because of tune and modulator. I’m going to change fluid again and converter and use HPtuners software to tune tranny. Love the truck, it is unfortunate that the dealerships won’t take on the challenge to fix these trannies properly.
I suppose you can’t entirely blame the dealerships if the factory won’t reimburse them.
I knew that the six speeds had hard 1-2, 2-1 shifts as well as neutral-1 shifts but I wasn’t aware that they had the shuddering too. ☹️
Good luck with the new converter 👍🏻
I’m having transmission issues on 2015 gmc Denali truck .. any recalls
This is so frustrating 🤬🤬
400 miles out of warranty !
I’m a widow and living on a fixed income ..
I’ve bought GMC for 40 years ..
Maybe don’t buy a Denali if you’re a widow living on fixed income? If you can’t afford to maintain it why did you buy it?
I think that is a very unfair comment Sam! Many of us know about the GM transmissions and now know enough to stay away from them. She stated that she has been buying GM products for 40 years. She probably did not expect to have these problems whether she bought a Denali or a stripped down GM product.
I think its a very fair comment. Even the stripped down trucks are $30K+. If you can’t afford a $2-3k repair you have no business buying a new vehicle. These are highly computerized, mechanical devices. Nothing is perfect and continued pressure from the EPA pushes companies to hunt for tenths of an MPG. There will always be faults, I’ve seen it on every vehicle. Expecting perfection is not reasonable.
I took my ’17 Colorado in a couple weeks ago they said bring it back in a month so I don’t know what is going to happen, I just hope it keeps going and the shuddering doesn’t get much worse and leave me stranded.
You are absolutely right, I’ve owned 12 new gm vehicle, but this is my last, they had to know they were bad, and to call it. Professional grade it’s a slap in the face
I have owned GM and Ford in the past. I finally got smart and ONLY buy Toyota products. I have NOT ever had to take a Toyota back for a “recall “. Keep the the service up and current and all you need to do is put gas in.
I picked up my 2019 Canyon (24,083 miles on it) this past Monday. Dealership had it the entire week. It has already had two flushes done. Stuttering returned thus my taken it back. Service manager said she would write it up for a torque converter as the next troubleshooting step.
I received a call to pick up my truck. Was told they drove 120 miles with computer attached and they could not recreate issue. You see, the service manager drives it to and from work as the test. I challenged them stating with the track record of stuttering and jerking effects from the transmission, are we really back to trying to recreate the issue? Also, I asked if it was driven between 60 and 75 mph. I can recreate the issue when slowly transitioning from 60 to 61 and 73 to 74 mph. I even noted that fact when I dropped it off. I was then told GM said no to the torque converter and the computer didn’t register the problem. I then said, I have all intentions of driving it around the block and bringing it right back.
I returned home. Tuesday morning and today, I have recreated the issue in route to work (33 mile drive one way). Issue used to just happen on inclines, but happens just as easily on level ground now. I am at a stand still.
Considering what was posted about GM stopping torque converter installations in regards to this issue, I wonder if the dealership simply drove it to be able to document and record the miles knowing there is no next step to resolve the problem. This is becoming more than a headache.
They know there’s a problem but they won’t acknowledging it, they have your money and they don’t care anymore, GM is getting worse and worse this is my last GM vehicle
Mine has been in the shop for a month now with no eta on the fix.Supposedly according to my service writer,GM is redesigning the valve body and is not authorizing any replacement at this time.Funny side note the Blazer loaner i have seems to have the same shifting issues.On a completely level road if you let off the gas it pulls back as if engine braking noticeably.Once the brakes are applied you can feel it move through the gear and lurch.Lucky me so glad i spent 60k(sticker quotes 67) for a ride that has been in the shop longer than i have driven it.If this does not expedite quickly there will be no more GMs in this family of now 9 vehicles…
We bought our 2018 Canyon All Terrain in Aug 2018. The problem started immediately. Shuddering, hard shifting and hesitating. They did the fluid flush/change several times. Since then we’ve taken it back 7 times. And I’m getting ready to call them again. The last visit took over a week waiting for a part And the problem started again on the drive hone! We’re at 22,000 miles. At this point I’m ready to call a lawyer. Lemon law? Class action suit? I want out of this $40k GMC experiment now.
Check the lemon laws in your state. Pretty hard to get them to buy it back but in your case I’d look into it. There is a class action but its looking like GM’s lawyers are about to get the case dismissed. As a last resort some are going to a third party tune with trifecta. Cost 700 dollars but people are swearing it works. Basically turns off allot of the BS software that might get you another 1 or 2 MPGs but basically gimps the trans in the process.
You are absolutely right, I’ve owned 12 new gm vehicle, but this is my last, they had to know they were bad, and to call it. Professional grade it’s a slap in the face
It’s a dam shame, GM engineers don’t know what they’re doing anymore how could they put out crap like this
I had my fluid flushed then replaced and then torque converter replaced . Now every once in a while I feel like I was rear ended. in fact the first time I got out of my car to check the rear. I jerked me back and forth. I cannot duplicate this at dealer. Neither can dealer. But it will do it once or twice a week. I also get a kick sometimes from a stop going to make a turn.
I used my cell phone to record my last shudder. You can see my hand and the steering wheel shaking. I sent this to service department in case they could not replicate it. Sometimes it would vibrate so bad my daughter could feel it through the floorboard. I had to go to a dealership in another city 25 miles away to get transmission flushed, because the dealership in my town wouldn’t do it. This is my 2nd flush with less than 15,000 miles. I work in the auto industry. I believe it is cheaper to change the transmission fluid than to fix the problem. They will have to go through r&d, engineering, possible retooling. I am not trying to defend them, it is always about the money, from the company point of view if they drag this out long enough, their hope is people will quit complaining about it.
GM is really dropping the ball on this. It’s really crappy that one dealer will provide a flush or several without batting an eye. Some will even change out the torque converter and some have even replaced the transmissions. While others won’t even perform a fluid flush. Yes, it is about the money with GM but they have lost many loyal customers and most likely will continue to lose more. Even if they are figuring that electric vehicles will be here in a few years and that will take care of any transmission problems, people will remember how they were treated and how much money it cost them to trade in their vehicle before they had ever anticipated it when purchased new. How many of these used, shuttering, hard-shifting vehicles are going to be floating around out there and some used car buyers are going to be going through the same thing that many of us are going through only there wont be a warranty for them?
Dealers from all manufacturers are mostly independent businesses, and corporations from the manufacturer. It’s like going to two different McDonald’s and getting different results in experience, quality, and customer service. Now, there’s probably something that they do have control over, but it probably takes several complaints about a dealership. My dealer sells BUICK,GMC, and Subaru. Then of course they sell used from all makes, including certified Preowned from BUICK, Chevrolet, and GMC. Even if they were an independent used car lot with no manufacturer affiliation, they’re a great dealer in all departments from top to bottom, whether it’s sales, service, detailing, or auto body/ paint work.
I understand but it’s a factory warranty not the dealer so the policy should be the same since they are getting reimbursed through GM/Chevy/Buick etc.
The policy is more than likely the same across the board. The problem more than likely falls on the individual dealer either not getting policy revisions, or just simply not following the policy. There’s been several comments on here to where someone learned of something, checked with the dealer, and the dealer said they haven’t heard anything about it. How did some dealers get the information from GM, and some didn’t? Or did those other dealers get all the information, and are deciding to charge people while they’re within warranty anyway? It seems GM is putting the information out there on their end, otherwise all dealers nation wide would be charging for it. It’s sort of like air filers, a vehicle is under warranty, however you still have to buy a new air filter, unless GM or other manufacturers state to Bill it on warranty.
So disable the afm entirely right? And how is it running now is the tuning worth getting from trifecta?
Warranty work follow a different labor hour and probably little to nothing for parts. On a larger dealership they might absorb some of that loss or they may have a higher standard for customer care. This is why there are a wide range of experiences from owners.
I wondered if their decision to go electric has something to do with their complete inability to in house a transmission. Their 8, 9 and even the 10 speed have issues. So they figure with electric, its a direct drive system. Electric cars are pretty simple and even a sub par oem like GM can probably make one. What they should have done is outsourced their transmission needs to ZF or Daimler Benz. Seems only the Germans know how to make a multi gear trans.
Possibly. It seems like electric is what is cool these days, and most manufacturers are going electric to some some extent. It seems like all the manufacturers saw what Elon Musk and Tesla did, and they want a piece of the pie as well.
You do realize that GM has been struggling with the 8 speed since the beginning. Going back to 2015 it has issues in Cadillac’s, Corvettes, Colorado’s, and camaros. There have be numerous TSB’s for 5 years. I’ve read most of this thread and come to the conclusion that the flush is not total fix for the issue. But rather a band aid to mask what I am thinking is a HW design defect. For this reason I encourage people to not buy anything with the 8 speed and to flush and dump anything they currently have. Now the hard shifting issue is a separate problem that seems to be improved with the third party tune (trifecta). That costs 400 dollars. For the most part GM is slowly moving newer generation cars/trucks to the 10 speed. At this point, I don’t think GM can fix this turkey trans and I think they have given up. They are fighting the class action suite and seem to be winning. Looks like they will dismiss the case. And they will just do the minimum warranty stuff until the warranties expire. Not a good outlook but they just trying to reduce the bleed on their end.
Same with my 2015 Silverado High country…fluid changed due to shuddering…now less than a year later gears are slamming in downshift. Appointment on Monday
Me too. They did the “triple flush” in March, and the shudder and shifting issues were back within a thousand miles. Bringing my Cadillac CT6 back to the dealer so that they can inspect the torque converter and valve body. I think this is a replacement issue. Love the car but can’t understand how this company built this transmission. I don’t want to leave Cadillac, but this might be the last straw.
I own a 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 4WD. I had the torque converter swapped at 20K+ miles and the problem was the same. I had the transmission flushed with Mobile 1 and the issue went away only to return after about 2-3k miles. It’s worse than ever. I went to the Smokey Mountains on vacation at driving the vehicle up and down hills was a nightmare.
Same here. I went in for a slight shutter and jerking when accelerating. They flushed the fluid and sent me on my way. A couple road trips later the shutter is waaay worse than it was before and to top it off when I get above 60 mph the entire truck shakes like a washing machine on spin cycle.
me to same issue, changed fluid, the eventually torque converter now two years later same issue
I had the mobil 1 Blue put in the end of August on my 2017 Silverado. Seemed good for 2-3 weeks and then it was back to square one. I don’t believe that anything works to solve this shifting problem. I am in the process of getting rid of the truck. I am a firm believer that what goes around comes around. GM will get their due one of these days.
I have a 17 GMC Sierra…had flush done just before warranty ran out…seemed better but only for a short time…I installed a AFM delete at 75000 miles…just turned 100,000 miles…it still shifts the same but got rid of the shuttering…
My 2018 Canyon got the flush over 2 years ago and the problem has vanished ever since. Covered under warranty. I have 57K miles so far.
You are one of the select few who claim it has fixed the problem. I personally have had 2 of the flushes recommended by the manufacturer which did nothing. They have replaced battery,wiring harnesses, ecm, fuel pump and also the torque converter. The truck still shakes and shudders down the road and trips a few codes regularly. The management and technicians have been told and taught to fudge the paper work (to the manufacturer) to make it seem like its always a new problem rather than the same issues. The truck was in over 20 times for the same issue yet they labeled the work orders for different reasons every time. They sure know how to save their butts. GM is scandalous
I have 2015 Silverado High Country 6.2 and 8 speed. I had low gear shift clunking and in higher gears felt like riding on washboard, GMC dealership did recommended flush and trans reprogram 2 years ago at 47k miles. Fixed issue.
I now have 66k and transmission still shifts and drives smoothly. It was around $600 and took the entire day to flush transmission fluid multiple times.
The flush did not work, the dealer changed the valve body as well, still no change to the shutter or hard shifting . It’s a horrific experience
What makes matters worse is GM is doubling down on the use of this POS transmission. The silverado and sierra that have the 2.7T mostly use it. And those are newer released models. And they will quit producing their older 6 speed which was the most reliable one they made. About the only way I would buy a GM truck is if it still had the 6 speed and I’d turn off the AFM ASAP. (cylinder deactivation) Which is just a really bad idea. AFM is even worse on the 3.6 V6. GM makes allot of crap now. Even their 10 speed has some crappy mapping on it. At least Ford did a much better job on the software. And they don’t employ any of that AFM crap.
HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT WITH MY 2019 SILVERRADO LTZ BOUGHT IT USED AND BLAME THE LOWLIFE DEALER BOB HOOK THEY SHOULD HAVE CHANGED THE FLUID BEFORE THEY SOLD IT. NOW THEY WANT ME TO GIVE IT TO THEM TO SET FOR TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEY CAN CHECK IT OUT AND THEN DON’T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO IT.LIVE IN LOUISVILLE KY STILL HAVE GM WARRANTY ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF GM TILL NOW LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE BUILDING JUNK AND DONT CARE.TRUCK ALSO MAKES A NOISE AFTER DRIVING 30 MILES THAT THEY SAID WILL NOT HERT ANYTHING JUST THE DRIVER THAT DON’T WANT A NEW TRUCK GOING DOWN THE ROAD SOUNDING LIKE JUNK.GM GET SOMEONE THAT CAN BE A DECENT C.E.O.
William so sorry to hear of your experience also. As to the reason i do not feel it would be just for me to trade my truck in as so many have due to these problems. It only passes the stress and hassels to another. It is something politicians should be advocating for us but wont because of funding/donations which in return allow them to continue the corporate corruption. William I would be trying to reach out to the manufacturer also your local politicians
2017 Yukon xl Denali w/8-speed. I had described vibration/shutter which CAN present itself as a tire vibration issue.
Received car back from local dealer w/ complete Synthetic oil change.
Night/day instantaneous results
My initial transmission flush was also night and day difference……..for awhile. Unfortunately, it seems to be a temporary fix. I understand GM wanting to invest as little money as possible but they are going to lose some customers over this if they can’t repair the transmissions satisfactorily.
The TSB for the issue further states that if the complete fluid exchange to the Mobile One product does not permanently fix the issue then the next step would be to replace the torque converter. So it needs to go back to the dealership since the initial TSB solution didn’t resolve the issue.
If you don’t like the vibration of the drive-train; trade it back in for an ELECTRONIC VEHICLE!
Sure, could you recommend a specific model that can haul my 24′ camper 350 miles to the Adirondacks?
You have to be stupid
Purchasing an electronic vehicle is not an answer. Having a $70k 2016 Yukon Denali drive like a 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity does not necessarily mean we would prefer an electric car. Just something that shifts normally. And as this and many other threads clearly illustrate, we would also prefer not to be jerked around and offered lip service about low cost “fixes”
and fluids that time after time, obviously haven’t worked.
We’re all beginning to realize that after 3-4 years of this garbage, there will probably not be a permanent fix. What’s worse is that it’s not just the hard shifts. For a 4 year old $70k SUV with only 45k miles, the headrest has come undone (dealership fixed), the entire radio/Apple play just shorted out ($1,100), and a panel on the front door that leads from the window up to the top of the door just fell off etc. Let’s face it, GM no longer builds any of their cars/SUVs with quality in mind. My wife has a 2006 Infiniti M35X with 120k miles on it that has never had ANYTHING fall off of it.
Never had any issues with my 2005 tundra. I do love the 6.2 power and the looks of my sierra Denali but everything I hear about on hear Just pisses me off more and more. My trans had the shutter. Fluid was flushed hard shifts have not changed is the least. For like you say a 70000 dollar vehicle to act this way is a joke. Have heard of issues with this engine cracking push rods as well really can’t hang out much longer waiting for things to blow up
Tundra is literally the number one rated truck for reliability. GM is nowhere near the top of that list. FYI, GM tried to copy the ZF 8 speed in their in house design. Needless to say, they failed miserably. They should have just licensed ZF to supply their transmissions like Dodge did. IMO, ZF is the only reliable multi gear transmission on the market. That’s including the 10 speed crap shared by GM/Ford. Especially GM as their mapping is even worse then Ford’s. I would not buy anything from GM.
I’ll have to take your word for the tundra rating but I’m not going to send my money to Japan. Yes, I know that they are made here but the profits go back to Japan. GM has screwed many of us over with their lack of dealing with the 8spd problems but my new Ram is just fine and the transmission shifts great. Nice and smooth.
GM has been moving manufacturing to Mexico allot in recent years. Much more then the Ford/Dodge. The crew cab and regular cab versions of the Silverado and Sierra 1500 are assembled at GM’s Silao, Mexico plant in case you did not know. Personally, I like to buy where its built in the US because that directly benefits US workers and not just the few on top and wall street etc.. Wall street is not connected to the economy anymore and hasn’t been for along time. Right now allot of unemployment but the dow is hitting records. I bought a Nissan Frontier PRO 4X and love it to death. Probably the most US made truck in the states. They have a motor plant, transmission plant and assembly in Canton Miss. As far as your Ram yeah its going to shift well. It has the outsourced/imported ZF 8 speed which is Belgium engineered and probably the only multi gear trans worth a damn in the world. I got the same in my BMW X3 which is also build in South Carolina. And that plant is one of the biggest exporters of cars in the united states for BMW. That helps with our balance of trade ALLOT. Its a global economy. Don’t assume GM is doing the right thing. They are not. They are killing off US jobs more then most. They suck.
i did both, less than two years later the same issues are coming back and i tis in the shop again, out of warranty, frustrating.
New 2018 Colorado V6 and right away I noticed the shuddering when going uphill on cruise control. Went to a GM dealer and the problem completely disappeared. They most probably adjusted the shifting as the shuddering was caused by not shifting down going uphill and therefore the engine was running on too low RPM. However the transmission was still downshifting too hard to my opinion (compared to a Nissan truck I had before). I went to another GM dealer to correct that and whatever they did it’s better but not completely satisfying (slight tremors during normal drive). I will mention that on my next oil change. I love the truck anyway! I am confident GM will fix the issue.
2017 Cadillac CTS 3.6. Hands down the best handling and riding car I’ve ever owned. I’ve had BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Audi, Acura. None of them can touch the CTS for a solid, planted, quiet and comfortable ride. The 8 speed tranny, 8L45/8L90 is garbage. Cadillac did the tranny fluid change around year one. Did NOT fix the problem. GM issued a new TSB in August 2019. New flush and fill of tranny. Did NOT fix the problem. They have now had my car for two weeks and are finally replacing the torque converter. I told them to do this at the end of year one. They would not do so as they have a “process” to go through. Tran my shifts hard, shudders, is dangerous shifting from first to second at low speed because it surges forward. Mischief about the car I find amazing and love. The tranny has ruined the Cadillac experience for me. Look online for GM 8 speed transmission problems and you will find literally thousands of people writ g about this issue. I wish you luck with your problem but you will likely need to insist they change out the torque converter.
Meant to say “ many things about the car I find amazing and love”. Additionally, I also have the shuddering between 30-45 mph with cruise control on and going up hill.
I don’t blame you i am to
we bought a 2018 Colorado with 23 miles. had it in for the same thing. first they flushed, it came back, then they swapped the TC, then it came back, then swapped fluids again, now it just got back out of the shop and they said this fix is like Santa…just gotta believe it will work? this is the service writer telling me this. now my brother is having the same issue. now the service writer is a cool guy, and i’m sure he was just trying to put me in a better mood with a joke, but i really don’t think they are joking.
Based on what I am seeing here and on an enthusiast forum, it seems to be all about which fluid you have in there and how long you had the shuddering before you brought it in.
Bear in mind that the TSB has had several revisions. So, if they executed an earlier version of the TSB, it would have been done with the old fluid (that absorbed water), so the fix would have been temporary and the problem would have returned. At that time, the next step was to replace the TC. This would make the shuddering go away for a while, but then it would come back, because of the old fluid. Sounds like this is what happened to you.
The latest revision of the TSB (August 2019 revision 18-NA-355) calls for an entirely new fluid that does NOT absorb water. They will replace your old fluid with this new fluid.
It appears that driving with the shuddering can damage the TC, if you allow it to go on long enough. I can’t quantify that, but the point is that if you brought it in pretty much right away, your TC should still be ok. If that is the case, then there is a really good chance that this latest fluid swap will end the shuddering issue for you. It has worked for me with my Camaro, and the folks who report success seem to have taken it in pretty quickly after the shuddering started.
Totally agree with you!!!
I first noticed shudder about 15K miles, took it in immediately, and it was flushed with the old fluid (2017). It took about 15K miles to return at which time latest TSB was out (2019) and it was flushed with new fluid. So far (about 5K miles) no shudder. I don’t drive much so it will be another year (or 2) before I can say it is 100% resolved.
Anthony, now that they replaced the torque converter, and 10 months later .. has the replacement fixed the problem? Mine was just replaced. It’s better right now but wondering what to expect longer term.
I didn’t have the TQ replaced
Yes Tundra is the top rated truck for reliability but myself wouldn’t go running to buy one because I cant get past how they look. Many many trucks don’t have this issue including my 17 HC. I feel bad for the people that do and to make matters worse GM isn’t resolving it going on 6 years. I’m not feeling optimistic that they will.
Thats what you think
They’ve already lost me as soon as my lease is up going back to F-150. Best truck on the market
Amen , have called chevy land filled a complaint on May 5th they claim cant get up with dealer absolutely useless. I am totally disappointed in Chevy was told by dealer Chevy said not to work on my truck not even fluid spend 50k and no help
Are you still happy with the fix?
Fluid change a literal joke on 2016 Vette. I appreciate the effort with the fluid change. But you buy a car of this caliber and red blooded American history and can’t stand to drive it because of the vibration and rhythmic shutter making it so uncomfortable GM should be at attention and on point with a permanent fix. Or they Could buy every dam one of them back. GM get us a permanent fix /repair so that we can enjoy driving the American legend or bring a check and open a museum
Very well put. I don’t have many miles yet on the trans fluid change on my 2016 Stingray but I’m certainly hoping that the fluid swap lasts forever.
So here is a follow-up to my 17 Yukon XL Denali:
Fluid had been changed last year, worked for about 15k. Hard shift /hesitation came back from 1st-2nd at approx 60k. After dealer said “they couldn’t duplicate” I complained to owner and GM. Directed to bring it back in; they had it for 2 + weeks. I was told “GM Engineer modified software”.
Long story short, no correction was made…
I’ve sold the vehicle, done with GM
My 2017 Denali started doing this at 60.000.
Dealer di the fluid change and it kind of fixed the shudder but not the hard shifts. Now at 73,000 shudder is back worse than ever.
Had my 2017gmc Sierra flushed at dealer…1000 miles later there is no change…hard shifting and shuttering….what now?
I’m dealing with the same, dealership then changed the value body and still same hard shift and shuttering! Then dealership Keller’s Chevrolet Hanford California said they all do that and that GM won’t authorize any more repairs!
I purchased a new 2019 chev Colorado LT 3.6 liter.
I’ve always been a Ford guy. After looking at the Ford Ranger I chose the Colorado because I liked it more.
It’s done the shuttering thing a couple of times. Before reading this i wasn’t aware of the 8 speed’s problem. I hope i dont have this as a chronic problem as it sounds like GM don’t seem to care about return customers.
Maybe there’s a Ford Ranger or F150 in my future.
My dealership in Nicholasville, KY (Sutherland Chevrolet) said the same thing…”that’s just how they shift”…..confidence in GM is failing….
I’ve already had the torque converter replaced and 3,000 miles later its doing all the same things it was doing before…terrible. It’s too bad, I love the truck otherwise, but this is making me consider other options…
I’m in the exact same position with my 2017 Silverado 5.3 L 8speed. Even as I suggested TC replacement based on these forums, it was never a consideration. GM is now blaming in vibration on my Borla exhaust. I know the difference between drivetrain shudder and exhaust droning. Besides, that has nothing to do with the hard clunk shifting between 1st and 2nd gear. So disappointed! The 2020 loaner I drove with 5.3 and 8 speed had no issues.
I have a 2017 75000 miles, hard shift between first and second not really down shifting hard. Steering wheel shakes when in cruse control over 35 mph as well as accelerating slowly from 50 mph+ . I’ve done everything besides touch the transmission. 3500 into eliminating possible problems. Maybe i should have leased it. Still got 25k to go… come on Chevy, I don’t want a temporary fix.
they tired to tell me mine was old fuel from covid and my tires. but did the flush under warranty so im hoping this helps since I only have 20k on my truck. time will tell
I am having the same issue. Banging when shifting and sometimes it feels like the brakes are dragging when I let off on the accelerator. Very slow response shifting from forward to reverse and reverse to forward.
RL
Taking my 2016 Corvette in for service 9/28, due to shuddering which initially started at 13,300 miles. Shuddering was infrequently, but the past few months, has gotten worst (happening every time I drive it), so I basically stopped driving the car for the past 2 months for concern about damaging parts/etc., until I could get it in for service.
…..The question I had is….are all of the guys having this problem still driving their cars??
Also, after reading other comments, the dealer should be using the Mobil 1 replacement fluid with the “blue label.”
I have a 2015 Z06 that suffered from the shudder. Had the fluid changed and it totally fixed the issue. They must use the mobile 1 fluid. Some dealers did the flush with fluid other than mobile one and the issue will return. Seems people who had the flush later on when the mobile one was being used, don’t have the problem return. I also drove the car the whole time, so driving it didn’t seem to effect the fix at all.
I have a 2016 Corvette Z51, shuttering, rhythmic vibration at highway speeds, rpm surges, had triple flush of transmission fluid at 8k miles. Now at 20k and it’s even worse. Car is not pleasant to drive. Scheduling an appointment in Hoover AL at Hendrick Chevy. Hopefully take the next step to replace the torque converter and flush again.
When the TSB had the triple flush, I believe that was done with the old fluid. The more recent TSB version has but a single flush, but it is done with the new fluid. So, you should be able to ask your dealer to do the current iteration of the TSB to get the new fluid in there, and that may well help you. It has been good so far in my Camaro SS.
GM said only if it’s inoperable will they consider repairs, if it’s running don’t bring it in. My warranty is useless, we’ve been scammed.
That’s a load of BS take it to dealer that will fix it many will.
Another dealer or contact your state attorney general’s office.
If it is still under warranty, GM are required to fix the problem. I have seen many vehicles that have come through the dealership with shifting concerns and whole transmissions being replaced. Is this from GM or a puppet at a dealership?
A Puppet most definitely not from GM
Mine got replaced (transmission & torque converter) along with the change to the Mobil1 Blue all under warranty)
Once they get your money you’re done
2015 Z06 A8 Convertible – i’ve had the shudder vibration issue for countless thousands of miles….i refuse to not drive it, i am able to stay away from the “shudder zone” as i feel comfortable with (75 to 95mph) – it goes in thursday july 9th 2020, for a fluid flush….ive already had 1 TC installed at 30,000 miles — i now have 80,000+, if the flush of fluid doesn’t help i’ll order a TC install next (now out of warranty)
i have a 16 vett bought last spring, really noticed the shuttering when on a long trip and was on smoother roads, it always happened when it went into 4cy mode, then if i pull it into manual that cancels the eco mode and the shuddering stopped, it was consistent with that . finished the 3000 mile trip mostly in manual . this month i brought it into the dealer , tech rode with me, and said it needed a triple flush and the new fluid , so far so good, . I also had a soggy first shift of the day 1st to 2nd gear (withing 2-3 minutes of starting the car) he said that was normal ,the trans was filling 3 clutch packs , I’ll pay attent to see if 3 -4 minutes of idling helps , otherwise not a worry for me.the car is awesome , better then my 2002 Z06
my 16 vette had the shudder, didn’t feel it locally because of the crappy roads, but saw the tach waver 100 rpm. really noticed it when on a road trip, putting it in M shuts off afm and that stopped the shudder, so I used a Range to deactivate afm for a while, then had the updated flush in the summer of 19, so far so good
My 2019 Colorado is at the dealer for the 5th time now. I took it in Saturday and now it is Tuesday afternoon and I still haven’t heard anything. The fluid change was only a temporary fix and if I can’t get my 8 speed transmission repaired, I guess I’ll contact the Indiana Attorney General to try and get my money back. Sooooo frustrating as I really love my truck.
Good luck getting out of the Colorado with any value. NADA ( blue book) has degraded trucks with the 8 speed so bad . My two year old Colorado not even worth half . It’s part of the class action suit, the loss of value
After three visits , qualifies as a lemon law case.
Does not work, I took mine to the BBB for the lemon law, the bottom line, did it break down? “No”, then the transmission is performing as designed, “denied”. GM will not do anything, I just paid $450 to change the fluid. Best advice, everyone needs to be on social media warning all of the GM 8spd product, dont let up. I know I have cost them sales.
GM said only if it’s inoperable will they consider repairs, if it’s running don’t bring it in. My warranty is useless, we’ve been scammed.
What did you pay to get the transmission fluid swapped out?
Had my GMC Yukon in for service at 59K, tried for 50 but was busy. Told Darrell Waltrip GMC to do a complete service, everything. Spent over 4K on service/repairs but yeah I got new tires too. Nothing was mentioned about the shifting issue and you know they were aware of this when I was in for service. Admittedly I didn’t notice or have a problem that was really noticeable until sometime before 79K miles. Now they tell me I’ll need to pay because its over 60K miles and I didn’t complain when I had it in for service. Darrell Waltrip GMC, well stay clear of this dealership IMO. Franklin Tennessee…
I had mine flushed and I didn’t help, then the dealership replaced the valve body, still didn’t help! They mentioned the torque converter but said GM wouldn’t authorize changing, then said all 2017/2018 shift like that so they were done!
Amsoil ATF got rid of mine last year and hasn’t returned. The dealer done this fluid swap of my choice under warranty. Mobil maybe the answer, but for longterm I’m doubtful. It doesn’t hold a candle to Amsoil and many tech told me this.
I am being told the fluid flush will only be performed after taking a test drive and sending the results to GM for approval. I am still under the 5 year 70k warranty, is there anything that I can provide that will convince the service center to perform this or is their statement accurate? I am have also heard something about a TCM re-flash for hard shifts, would that be considered under warranty as well? One dealership stated the only item that could be performed would be the ABS software update according to my VIN. Would love something to be able to provide to them and say “here is what I need, please fix this!”.
Thank you
I am being told the fluid flush will only be performed after taking a test drive and sending the results to GM for approval. I am still under the 5 year 70k warranty, is there anything that I can provide that will convince the service center to perform this or is their statement accurate? I am have also heard something about a TCM re-flash for hard shifts, would that be considered under warranty as well? One dealership stated the only item that could be performed would be the ABS software update according to my VIN. Would love something to be able to provide to them and say “here is what I need, please fix this!”. 2015 Escalade with 6.2 8speed.
Thank you
I am being told the fluid flush will only be performed after taking a test drive and sending the results to GM for approval. I am still under the 5 year 70k warranty, is there anything that I can provide that will convince the service center to perform this or is their statement accurate? I am have also heard something about a TCM re-flash for hard shifts, would that be considered under warranty as well? One dealership stated the only item that could be performed would be the ABS software update according to my VIN. Would love something to be able to provide to them and say “here is what I need, please fix this!”. 2015 Escalade with 6.2 8speed.
Dealer told me they won’t change fluid for the hard shifting but would if there is a shudder only.
Same here, I paid the $450 to change it out, did not work for the hard shifting. I dumped the truck and walked away, just keep posting on all the social media, let the world know GM does not give a damm
does anyone have more information on the tune. my issue just started at 20k and I’m stuck in a lease. so im trying to figure out my best path to make it last until I can get rid of it. I dont want to get the fluid changed if it will make it worse shortly after… atleast with covid I dont commute to work so I drive alot less
I was been having the same issues with transmission shudder/vibration on my 2016 Silverado 1500 w/8-speed since I purchased it used one year ago. Had a dealer service writer recommend a tranny fluid flush and reprogram for a cost of $300. I decided to try a product called “Instant Shudder Fix” by Lubegard. It comes in a 2oz squeeze tube and the recommendation is to use 2oz /10 quarts of trans fluid but you can use 4oz without any negative effects so I purchased 2 tubes (4oz) and added them to my trans fluid. (Not the easiest job as the 8-speed does not have a filler pipe/dipstick tube). Took the truck for a 20 mile round-trip and the results were immediate! It never shuddered or vibrated once – it shifts smooth as glass now and acts like a completely different truck. It’s been a week now since I added the Shudder Fix and it is a joy to drive now – I still can’t believe $15 of additive completely cured the problems. I have been upset for the whole last year since I bought the truck and it’s hard to believe that a fluid issue could cause all the shudder/vibration issues but I’m just thrilled that they’re gone.
Don’t what to burst your bubble, but give it some time. I had my valve body and fluid changed. 112 miles it came back.
How did you access the trans fluid?
So how did you add the fluid
I’d still like to know also. My problem came back, but now it’s worse.
Update please?
Anybody heard from Gary Bechel regarding long term fix?
Like everyone else, I would like to know how you added the “Instant Shudder Fix” fluid.
I agree, I would also like know best way to add LubeGuard. I’ve scoured YouTube and only found a few videos, but nothing real helpful. Sounds like you have to remove a heat shield and then you can access a 2 part plug towards the top of the tranny (doesn’t sound like a super easy job, so I would love a step by step video). My first issue with the shudder happened around 4,000 miles ago (21K on 2018 Denali). It has not returned yet, but I’m towing a camper out west for 3 weeks this summer and the last thing I want to deal with is tranny issues in the middle of nowhere. I was thinking of throwing in a bottle or 2 of the LubeGuard Platinum. I called LubeGuard directly and they recommended 1 bottle of Platinum if not currently having issues, 2 bottles if noticing shudder.
Interesting, Lubguard told me 2 bottles regardless if having issue or not 🙄🤔
Here is what I did.
2018 Silverado High Country 1500 6.2L which has had the occasional hard 1-2 2-1 shift issue, as soon as I felt the shudder for the first time at 14,000 miles and immediately took it into the dealer and they did TSB 18-NA-355 triple Flush
I then installed a Dipstick for a Camaro that I bought from eBay seller blueracer1976
This required removing the heat shield on the passenger side, 3 bolts using ¼” drive 10mm, Pain in the ass with my big hands. The bellhousing bolt is tight and requires a ½” drive 15MM deep socket. The dipstick fit perfectly and appeared to show proper oil level at the bottom hash mark with engine running and the transmission temp at 160 Deg F. Once installed I was able to reinstall the heat shield. Transmission to Engine Bolt 35 lb ft
Then I Drained the oil and dropped the pan the clearance between the exhaust and the pan is tight and I used a jack to lift up on the transfer case to give myself a little extra room. I removed he pan bolts using ¼” drive 10mm, the drain plug is also 10mm, there is still a lot of oil in the pan and I made a mess in the driveway. There was some ferrous metal dust on the magnets but nothing concerning.
Pan Gasket PN 24260071
Oil filter PN 24274402
About 5 ½ quarts of Mobil 1 blue label PN 124715 19417577
One tube of lube guard shudder fix I got at advance auto parts
Oil Pan to Transmission Case Bolt 97 lb in Plug Assembly, Automatic Transmission Oil Pan (C/K) 22.1-29.5 lb ft
Plug Assembly, Automatic Transmission Oil Pan (Y) 20.7-23.6 lb ft
I also ordered the Trifecta tune Advantage program, being an 2018 or newer I had to wait for the cable to download the security code from the engine module and send it to Trifecta. I installed the Trifecta tune with AFM delete in all modes. I noticed sport mode increased throttle response and modified shift points. ECO mode shifting was better. I just took a 1200 mile trip without any issues. Added 2 10oz Lubegard Platinum Universal ATF Protectant. Installed Shift Technology Products Sure-Cool System PN STL010
AC Delco Oil filterPf63E
UPR 5030-168-1-CSS 14-19 GM GMC Chevrolet Silverado DV Catch Can PlugNPlay-Black
Haven’t done it yet, but I’m installing a B&M dipstick. The only way to get fluid in is the 2-piece plug. Figured if I’m removing the heat shield to get to the plug I might as well add the dipstick tube for easy access later. Google “B&M 22173”
I have a 2018 Cadillac CTS AWD. I don’t get the shuddering that many complain about but get a hesitation upon a part-throttle at low speeds after a stop or slowing down to a near stop. It’s very unnerving as well as potentially dangerous in some instances. The dealer did a fluid flush and replace but it didn’t help. I inquired about replacing the torque converter and the dealer told me that they have never replaced one before. I’m very frustrated because my car certainly doesn’t drive like a Cadillac should.
Done a Amsoil ATF flush, relearn and AFM delete on my 2017 High Country 6.2L, this was done over a year ago no issues since. I blamed AFM on my issues and fluid but relearn with this all good
Maybe the relearn had newer software? This article has an extremely interesting take on the issue. I don’t think they were aware that GM engineers went away with factory fluid though. I can believe that it might actually be the software on most. Some other things probably help as well. It seems really confusing, and I think GM is scratching their heads as much as everyone else is. https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/what-is-causing-that-a-look-at-the-gm-8l90s-most-common-concerns/
Interesting read, had a relearn in December and truck was a whole different animal after that. No more clunking and lurching like it was rear ended. Fluid swap was the previous year with Amsoil ATF. Also deleted AFM. So far so good on my 17 High Country 6.2L. You maybe correct about software update on relearn.
I’m curious on a few things…Did the dealer flush it with Amsoil or did you do it on your own? Who did the relearn? How did you AFM? Thanks in advance
Dealer paid for Amsoil flush and did relearn was warranty. As far as AFM i deleted that with Trifecta tune or you can do it with Range Technology
Thanks…still under warranty here so I’ll go this route. Appreciate it
What is AFM?
Active Fuel Management – the program that reduces your engine from 8 cylinders to 4
Does this keep the truck at 4 cylinders at all time or can you switch back and forth? Also, does this take care of the hard shifts? Ultimately, that is what I am looking to get fixed. I don’t have any engine shudder at high speeds but just hard shifts between 1, 2, and 3.
Thanks guys
I’m wondering for all that have the hard shift and shudder on the 8 speed.
Do you generally run the truck in 4 wheel all wheel drive. I have a 2015 silverado 42k miles and always run in 2 wheel drive and only use 4 wheel high in very wet or ice conditions.
I’ve only have the hard shift about 12 times and never the shudder…
I have had to the flush done just not massive issues….
I only drive the truck in 2 wheel drive unless in winter.
2016 GMC Sierra with the 8 speed. It’s clunked between 1 & 2 since I got it. Really hard sometimes and almost consistently. I’ve learned to “feather the throttle” just before which usually prevents the really hard clunk. Recently it’s begun feeling like I have a square wheel when I first start out in the truck. Once it warms up it turns into a vibration. It’s driving me insane. All new tires, three times had it perfectly aligned. Had the entire suspension/wheels/tires/brakes everything gone over and over by the shop trying to figure out this “square wheel” issue and vibration, now I realize it’s the SAME ISSUE that is causing the clunk after reading this thread. It’s the damn transmission.
I bought a 2002 Chevy suburban new in 2002 . I never had any issues with the transmission.I had 285k mile when I sold it. I then bought a Silverado new in 2010 and drove it for 275 k miles with no transmission problems . I purchased a Chevy Silverado 2018 LTZ and now my my transmission is bad after 120k . I am so disappointed with Chevy and GM. I work with the public everyday and I will tell my patients DO NOT BUY A CHEY TRUCK!
Still having problems what my transmission changed it 3 times under 100000 miles Chevy deny claim as a defective transmission so I’m stuck what a bad Transmission Shuddering through all gears it’s just horrible Chevy claims I did not keep up what service which I did All day recommend it at the time
What about the 6spd colorado? Mine does it. Ahd fluid done at tranny shop and shudder and downshift going down hills is worse. The shop said my downship is actually dangerous its drops like 3 or 4 gears instantly.
My Silverado 1500 had the fluid changed at 29,000 miles in Nov. 2018. The tranny shudder has returned at 56,000 and is in the shop having the fluid changed to the newest version as of 9/28/20
Don’t you think they should change the title to “What didn’t work for the TSB for the 8 speed transmission”?
I have a 2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2 experienced the exact same problem, it has been at the dealership seven times! Initially they told me they could not replicate it, then the next time I took it back in there was a service bulletin out and they did the fluid swap with a reprogram, after that it’s been part changes and now currently a replacement transmission. I’ve been fighting with GM for a buyback for four months now it has 46,000. GM will not give me a hard answer they keep dragging out the process, and will not use email, only phone class (which I am recording) I am disgusted that so many people are having the same problem and GM is unable to fix it nor make it right. This will be my last GM EVER!!!!! I would love to hear if anybody else is having the same problem as I am? The fluid definitely DID NOT fix the issue!
Will my GMC dealership pay for this flush? I just got mine in before the warranty ran out. They are wanting to charge me $449 for the flush today.
They just did mine on Friday. They covered it under the basic warranty. They said the power train warranty doesn’t cover this.
Can you confirm this info about the warranty? I did the fluid flush/swap at 20K last month on my 18 Sierra 5.3L, after reading through this page and hearing a lot of people had the issue come back even after the fluid swap I asked the dealer when I was in for service if it was covered under the drivetrain 5 year/60K warranty and was told yes. If that is not the case, and it’s only covered under the 3 year/36K bumper to bumper, then I’ll need to start looking for an extended warranty sooner than later.
Got my 2016 Sierra 1500 serviced for these transmission issues 2 days ago. The harsh shifting from gears 1-2 started around 40k miles and the shuddering began around 45k miles (most prevalent at low speeds with some incline). Dealer did the flush, new fluid, and replaced internal transmission harness. It seems to have corrected the shuddering problem, but I have still felt some harsh/abrupt shifts from 1-2 or 2-1 on multiple occasions. Fingers crossed that a few more days of driving will iron out all the kinks.
the dealership in Bismarck ND, said the TSBs are wrong, I had to pay for the flush, they tried to charge me $13.00 a quart but found the blue label at Oriellys for $9.50, Not good people.
in the Netherlands garages put 1lt/qt of motor oil for € 35,- on the bill, so I got mad, told them what I think of that and now they don;t want me as a customer anymore; well I invested in my own lift and tools and do maintenance myself and if it gets more difficult I go to a neighbor who is a car mechanic his whole life and pay € 25,- an hour instead of € 95,-
I have 2017 canyon slt but the problem still there the thing is that not all the time does the hard shift and the second gear and the dealership is not working on it because they don’t find the problem or are waiting for the warranty to expire..
I had the the fluid swap out a few months ago and my 2017 Camaro 8 sp is still have intermit shifting problems. My dealership can’t find “anything” wrong
I had fluid swap out a few months ago and my 2017 Camaro 8 sp is still have intermit shifting problems. My dealership can’t find “anything” wrong
Check out the info on lubeguard. I did the tsb at dealer and no real improvement. Then I found info on lubeguard & added the recommended amount. It is 99% better. I really enjoy driving it now.
This is a follow up to an earlier comment I wrote about the shuddering problem in my Cadillac ATS-V 8 speed. Since I also have a 2016 Corvette Z06 and a 2015 Yukon Denali with the same 8 speed transmission I have followed this forum closely. I had the fluid swap in the Cadillac and Corvette and the shudder persisted. I learned a lot from other owners on this forum and one reader suggested a device named “Range”. I can now report to all of you about my recent experiences. All successful.
My Corvette and the ATS-V have a Sport Mode, and I noticed the shuddering does not occur when the Sport Mode is engaged. One of the changes the computer makes when the car is in Sport Mode is to deactivate the AFM (Automatic Fuel Management) feature which allows the engine to switch between V8 or V4 power. It dawned on me the torque converter gets confused when I apply light throttle while in one of the higher gears. It switches rapidly between V8 and V4 (and back and forth) and the transmission/engine shudders each time. Sport Mode removes that function so there’s no shudder.
Back to the Range device. It simply plugs into the OBDII port and disables the V8/V4 switching. I have now used it on all three of my GM 8 speed cars and the shuddering has stopped while the device is plugged in! A $200 device has eliminated my entire problem.
GM, and many other manufacturers, have implemented shutting down engine cylinders under light throttle, in an effort to appease the EPA and DOT regarding fuel economy and emissions. I doubt that GM will allow their technicians to fool with the AFM programming for fear of penalties imposed on them by EPA/DOT.
I found the Range on eBay and it’s pretty simple. It doesn’t alter any factory programming and can be removed and reinstalled in a couple seconds. All it does is stop the switching between V8 and V4 modes. I simply plug it into the data port of the car I’m driving at the moment. I hope this helps some of you.
Have a 17 GMC Sierra …..just before warranty ran out had flush done…didnt do anything to help it….now have 75000 miles on it and have been driving with in manual and leaving it in 7th gear…..one week ago I installed a Range unit…now I just put it drive. The TQ doesn’t seem to be searching for a gear as much with the Range….I live in Montana and we have 80 mph limits.no more deactivation of the cylinders and hearing the God awful drone on the exhaust. I have a cat back exhaust and you really notice it….so far I’m very happy with it.
I have taken my vehicle into my dealer on multiple occasions for other work and enquired. However because I couldn’t have the vehicle exhibit the problems I have had, which are intermitten, they told me there is no fix for the issue. This has been a problem with my Sierra since about 5000 km and the truck now has 29000km. I am not happy with this and will more then likely never buy another new GM vehicle. My truck slips in first gear under moderate to hard acceleration causing a violent serge when first gear engages.
That”s the same run around they gave me. I filed a Lemon Law Claim and won. Gather your record of service visits or test drives and call the Lemon Law hot line if your State has one. Don’t give up and don’t let then get a way with it. They knew the 8 speed was trash and they knew they did not have a “fix” since 2005.
Pam , I’m glad you won your lawsuit. How long did it take ? I filed a lawsuit back in December. I know every case is different but I’m
Just curious how long before you won your lawsuit
If the vehicle owner lives in Canada. There is no lemon law that exist as of yet only a couple provinces have a law that states if a dealer is to sell a previous lemon law vehicle they have to disclose the information to the purchaser. In Canada if you are sold a lemon you are given little to no aid I myself have given up all hope of assistance from GM. Between me and my partner we have driven only Gm/Chevy for the past 20 years and with 7 vehicles I have never experienced so many problems in a “new” vehicle. Gm cant or wont fix the problem even after I sent over 10 videos of the vehicle doing its hiccups horrible management and service and now dealing with this on going headache I would be loonie to entrust my future business to this poor run company. I stress to all customers BEWARE you wont get what you paid for
Will people commenting on this site please realize it is intended as a means to allow you to “vent” your frustrations and horrible experiences in a focused area where everyone is either doing the same or where people who are exceptionally rare will tell you there is hope because I did “xyz” and it fixed it. This will supposedly keep you from any other more effective action; i.e. Journalists, Congress, Senators, talk shows, Media reports, etc. If a top leader of the U.S.A. can be responsible, (but not accountable) for killing hundreds of thousands of people, why do you think there will be any Justice from G.M?
I tried that and truck was ok for 1 week! Sometimes I feel I riding a bucking horse
I corrected my issue by selling the pos 2019 colorado and buying a f150. Problem went away immediately..
Got my 2018 Colorado done a month ago. I hope I caught it in time, I brought it in when it became obvious there was a problem. It has been running fine since. I tow a small RV which we are taking out this weekend so this might be a good test. I don’t get why the dealership did not proactively reach out to me. I bought prepaid service and have been bringing it in for basic maintenance, you would have think they would have mentioned it.
Stay tuned, we’ll see if the flush works.
I have a 2020 Colorado and at 14k miles it’s got the “shudders.” I thought this was fixed in 2019 with the new Mobil 1 oil? It’s in the shop now… If the new “thicker” oil doesn’t help, I won’t buy another chevy.
Same boat. I had a 2017 with the junky transmission but it’s a perfect size truck for me. I traded for the 2020 because Chevrolet assured me the issue has been resolved…. At 14k the first shudder and 3 more in a month after that 😒 I sold it and moved on to Nissan. Done with Chevrolet!!!!
Just got my Colorado back from the dealer. So far so good. No shudder or rumbling. After the warranty runs out, I’ll get a Diablo tune or a Range device. But with a V6 3.6L motor I don’t think it turns off the 2 cylinders with the lifters. I think it’s done in the rocker arms on this motor. Might be easier to replace the rockers and tune out the AFM. Not sure the rockers have problems like the AFM lifters sticking or failing in a V8 LT1 motor.
I have a 2021 Colorado and it has the same problems so it is not just 2015-2019 GM vehicles, they are replacing the torque converter and valve body this weeks, who knows if this will fix it.
I have a 2020 Colorado and at 14k miles it’s got the “shudders.” I thought this was fixed in 2019 with the new Mobil 1 oil? It’s in the shop now… If the new “thicker” oil doesn’t help, I won’t buy another chevy.
My build date is 11/19
I have 2017 GMC ….installed AFM delete 10 thousand miles ago. Ended shuttering from the start…have 87 thousand on it now.
WE ARE CADILLAC SERVICE. YOU MUST DO THE LIQUID CHANGE BY CIRCULATION. HARD GEAR SHOOTINGS IS A DIFFERENT MATTER. HARD GEAR SHOOTING IS A SOLENOID PROBLEM.
If gm fixed the issue in 2019 why are we having problems with our 2020LT1
My 2015 Silverado High Country had service around 48k Sep 2021..yr later have close to 61k..smooth shifting no issues…was expensive at GMC dealer but worth it
Is GM responsible for the cost of repairs? or do we have to eat the cost??
I’ve taken my 2019 Silverado to the dealer multiple times and they’ve done the TSB and I still have the same issue. One day when the trans falls apart I’ll ship the truck to GM. The only thing GM will listen to is negative publicity which hurts their bottom line. Obviously either no testing or the wrong testing was done by GM. Trans issues used to be a Ford problem, not a GM problem. I’ll never buy another GM product. Going back to Japanese. I’ve had 2 Acuras and never had to take them to dealer for repair. Tires, brakes, gas and oil changes. That’s it.
Hey i have this shudder going in the road aorund 45mph and MIL flashes and Traction Control light too, I have P0300, could this shudder be the cause?……Also checked for lifters and they seem fine, changed spark plugs and wires, tried swaping coil, and disabling injector and didn´t seem for that to be the problem.
Put a AFD in it…
What a shame, spend a LOT of your hard earned money on a vehicle to have problems.No thanks, I have a 2002 Tundra with 217,000 and runs great. Older cars are better.
New blue label Mobil 1 fluid does not fix the problem still hard shift on 1st and 2nd, first shift now seems worse. Drain and flushed on 6/15/2023.
Had the Mobil Black label swapped 3 years ago and the Senor or harness as well never fixed.
More GM lies. Flush and fill with new fluid. No change. I’m out $6500 for rebuild for something that’s not my fault.
Wow. Isn’t it amazing how what seems to be such a small thing can (hopefully) make such a huge difference? For all of you out there with this 8 speed and issues, may this fix it for good!
That’s the problem when you switch transmission fluids at the same time you come out with a totally new transmission. When a problem like a TCC shudder shows up, 99% of engineers are going to look at the torque converter, not the fluid. Glad it’s working for everyone. Most people I know with the new fluid have said that the transmission is like new.
Glad it’s working for everyone??????????? You’ve missed several comments. It isn’t working. It’s a temporary smoke and mirrors “fix”.
But it’s not working. You a GM employee or what?
Transmission oil change does nothing
The torque converter needs to be replaced .
I had the torque converter replaced a year ago and it just started doing the same thing.
Just had the latest trans flud changed and for now working better than when new.
2017 with 45k miles. Had transmission fluid change with blue label mobil 1 19417577 per TSB. No placebo effect – initially for a couple hundred miles it was much better. Resolved, I thought. Slipping/shuddering, bizarro upshifting eventually came back. But, seems to only during accelleration and upshifting during torque converter operation. So, that is the next step for them to look at. Service rep even admitted they had to replace “one” after the flush did not fully cure the issue. Said it was “glazed”. I’m guessing the psuedo-clutch plates behind stator/impeller.
See my previous comments my 2017 ZR two only has 46,000 miles and has been in the shop seven times oil change absolutely worked for maybe 300 miles it’s currently in the shop for two weeks getting a new transmission put in. This eight speed transmission is a POS This eight speed transmission is a POS..Trying to go through Aegean buyback it’s been a total nightmare for months they only call me back on Fridays at 4:30 or 5 o’clock and they always say they’re working the issue delay delay delay dealership says their hands are tied because it’s still under warranty I will never buy a GM product again I’m seriously pissed
You mean 2015
At this point who gives a s***
I truly hope this is the ticket !
And I would hope GM stands behind ” all ” the 8 speeds out there with ” this ” trouble weather under warranty or not !
So that the GM customer feels as if GM took care of the ” known faulty part ” that GM sold the GM customer !
General Motors needs to spend money to make money, paraphrasing Bob Lutz. GM is going to damage itself in the long term if they make all of the owners pay for this fluid exchange.
Stopped in the dealer yesterday and asked about getting it done on my 18 Sierra with 19k on the dash. Told me it’s covered under powertrain warranty and all he has to to do is write on the service sheet that I complained about shuddering and with that word it gets punched right through. Mine gets done next week.
That’s Great Joseph! The only reason they agreed so fast is due to all of the complaints. Make sure that your dealer knows what they are doing. My beautiful Corvette has been torn apart three times and the dealer will not admit that the problem is over their heads. They will not pay a nearby dealer with more experience to fix the problem. GM should be held accountable. I remember the good old days when one phone call to customer service would take care of the problem. Now when you call GM’s 800 number you get someone in the philippines. I am so glad the government decided to bail them out. NOT! Don’t count on the “oil” fixing the problem, but I truly hope it works for you.
GM Repaid the loan- you & GM are on your own-
What does repaying the loan have to do with the fact that they are putting out “crap” and then don’t have technicians smart enough to fix the problem?
My 18′ SLT does not shudder but clunks and bangs between gears like u joints are bad. Dealer says the TSB and fluid are not covered, GM customer service states that unless it breaks down on the road” Its performing as designed. Dealer wants $390 plus $10 quart for the Mobil, service says it wont fix my issues that both service and sales acknowledge, what now?
Ok, dealer said the clunking and jerking was normal, I paid $450 for the Mobil fluid change today, will post up here again after a few days. Love a warrantee that is only valid if you break down on the road, otherwise its designed this way!
I took 17 Silverado High Country in for service and mentioned slight transmission shutter and hard shift. As always, my Ft. Myers Fl. Chevy dealer (Victory Lane) performed excellent service, new transmission fluid, and several thousand miles later transmission shifts likes butter. I bought my first new Silverado in 82 from same dealer, and the very few problems I’ve ever had were taken care of right away and done right. I think the dealer may be a big factor here, I’ve had unbelievable service for almost 40 years, every time, and great trucks from Chevy.
get them to check the transmission fluid, mine had metal shavings. It’s now apart in the shop (under warranty) waiting for new parts to arrive
2015 Siverado. Has always banged liked bad ujoints. Learned to live with that. Shudder started in 2017. Torque converter changed and all was good. Shudder returned August 2019. This time, only fluid change. Seems to be okay for now. But for how long? Time will tell!! Ou
GM did not repay the loan, the loan was secured by GM stock. The federal government eventually sold the stock when it became evident that is was a loosing proposition to hold it any longer, resulting in huge losses.
This not true. The Government sold their GM stock because Barack Obama was running for reelection and didn’t want it to be a campaign isdue.
This not true. The Government sold their GM stock because Barack Obama was running for reelection and didn’t want it to be a campaign issue.
Shaun H, your statement is incorrect. GM did repay what it owed the treasury. The gov did loose money in the transaction but not because GM didn’t pay back what they owed. Please fact check your story.
The fluid wash and torque converter are temporary band aids. After a new torque converter the shudder and hard shift returned after about 2000 miles. 2016 GMC Sierra with 28000 miles currently.
Gm doesn’t know how to many a good transmission, year’s ago they made Metric 200 transmission They put in a couple hundred thousand car’s, in 97-98 The transmission in blazer, astro And pickups last about 60,000 miles, I have a 2018 GMC Canyon and it’s slips and shutters the deal and tells me that’s normal, Never again will I buy general motors
Today was it for me. It shuddered on me so bad going from 60 to 61, it lost acceleration. Dealership said there was nothing else to do. It has been 1 year 7 months with absolutely no fully functional AC and constant transmission problems. I wish you all well with your frustrations. I got rid of my 2019 Canyon tonight. I studied Dodge, Ford, and Toyota. I concluded that after-warranty repairs for a Toyota will be expensive due to import taxes, thinking the parts are not made here (I could be wrong). Dodge appears to way overly priced. So, I brought home a Ford F 150 STX. I am sure it is not perfect, but hopefully with all of the extra maintenance packages I added on, the roads ahead will be less stressful. I have so much more room now, just as much and more than the Sierra Elevation loaner I was in last week.
Couldn’t agree more spent extra hard earned money on a brand new 2017 CR two because I believed that it was a GM truck where they didn’t cut corners and spared no expense boy was I wrong in the truck is an absolute piece of crap In short 46,000 miles six trips in the dealership service be for the same transmission problem still not fixed GM customer service refusing to help dealership says their hands are tied because it’s still under warranty I will never buy GM again. I should of bought a Toyota Tundra.
Had my 2017 Sierra trans flushed…still shudders…took back to dealer and technician test drive and told there was nothing wrong with it…refuse to change converter….
I also have an ’18 Sierra 6.2L 8-speed w/ 22k. It’s in the shop for a week with metal shavings found in the transmission fluid (a little too late after i brought it in twice with the shifting issues). Warranty is covering it but now instead of just the cost of a fluid change they have a new drivetrain to own up to.
Just had trans fluid flushed today.
2018 had the shuddering issue and they replaced the torque converter.
Seems to be okay now but time will tell.
James, You said they replaced your torque converter in March? Did that fix the problem so far?
Gm does not stand behind there product’s And they wonder why people buy foreign cars
The writer of the article needs to be made aware that it’s “Mobil 1”, not “Mobile 1.”
That’s all.
Well aware. Alas, typos happen. Thanks for the catch.
Does Shawn honestly think that the author can get all the technical details behind this TSB correct, list of all the applicable vehicles and then some, and not know that its Mobil? Obviously it was a typo… get over yourself Shawn.
Speaking of which, I think GMA is the only ones reporting on this. Maybe Shawn should focus on that and be thankful.
That. Is. All.
I have followed this closely for the last couple years since I own one of these transmissions.
It was clear at the beginning GM really did not know what the problem was. As time went on they tried fluids, new converters and even transmission replacement. In the end they discovered it was moisture being absorbed into the fluid was the issue.
GM then tried the Black now the Blue label and it has appeared to solved the issue. On the forums and dealer tech sites it has been all positive results even with higher miles. Occasionally a converter may be glazed and also need replaced also under warranty.
GM this time admired the moisture issue. They also have felt confident enough to make this the factory default fluid. It is not cheap either.
They have supplied the dealers with a specific machine to flush with.
The latest is GM has directed the dealers to flush any and all 8 speeds on dealer lots.
This is covered on the 60k 5 year warranty so everyone should be covered by time and if it is higher miles they are due for service anyways.
I can report my own experience as I felt like I really had no shudder compared to what most reported. But the flush made my transmission smoother and appears to have improved the 1-2 shift that was harsh when cold. It down shift faster and smoother up and down and not acts as should be expected.
Building vehicles today is one very difficult game anymore some of the most simple issues can be down right difficult to find and then to resolve.
The moisture in the fluids has been an issue with many companies. This has led to the greater number of specific fluids today vs the two we used to have. This has also led to shudder in other brands too. In one case it was even a leaking tranny cooler in the Audi that put moisture into the fluid.
Well I knew they had not given up and had been working on this. The question was when and how it would be resolved.
Contrary to what some think companies continue to work on issues. Generally they do not discuss them in public till it is resolved as often they are still searching for the answer.
Should have just used AMSOIL and the issue would have been solved.
Dam right I dumped it a year ago with Amsoil ATF on my 17 High Country 6.2L and vibration gone immediately but now its banking/clunking like it was rear ended. Done the AFM delete with Range seems to be better. If not relearn will be next
scott3,
I was ok and agree with everything you said until you got to this point.
” In one case it was even a leaking tranny cooler in the Audi that put moisture into the fluid. ”
And it might be true also.
And don’t forget this ” exact ” thing happened to some of the XT4s !!
Just didn’t want you to throw one manufacturer under the bus, and not mention the ” same ” thing happened with a ” new ” GM Cadillac product !!
It also happened with many Nissan and Honda transmission in recent years.
I’m just stating that, in my opinion, as the GM is the best and spends more time on the drivetrain because that is where it counts and can not on the interior, people, that GM is no longer any better than any competition in this regard !
scott3,
And this :
” This is covered on the 60k 5 year warranty so everyone should be covered by time and if it is higher miles they are due for service anyways.”
Is this a stated service point of a GM transmission ?
60K miles ?
Just asking if 60,000 miles is the owners manual stated transmission service point ?
Because if not, in my opinion, if a customer has a GM ” known faulty 8 speed ” at 61,000 miles, and GM knows of this issue, and GM does not recommend transmission service at 60,000 miles,
GM should do this for ” all ” customers with this issue, up to the first recommended service.
Just because it took GM two years to figure this out, why should this allow then to push all of the older ones ” with the troubles ” out of the warranty period.
This very ” trick ” GM does well.
All of the customer satisfaction letters do just this, push a GM ” known faulty issue ” out of the warranty period on to the next owner to deal with.
Most people I know don’t service an automatic transmission until 100,000 miles.
“Most people I know don’t service an automatic transmission until 100,000 miles.”
That’s their own fault then. The GM trucks have a severe duty maintenance schedule in the owners manual which recommends tranmisssion fluid and filter service at approximately 50k miles.
Thanks, JackLightning :
Just wanted to know what the GM recommended transmission interval was.
One more thing than JackLightning,
Please explain GMs example of ” severe duty ”
Just wondering if driving to work at the office, and buying groceries is ” severe duty “
Severe duty is whatever you want it to mean. They probably have their own phrasing and terminology, but they’re basically saying that the normal service interval is for people that don’t care about maintaining their vehicle, while the severe service interval is for those that want to maintain and keep a vehicle running like new. It’s a rare thing for most vehicle owners to do such preventative maintenance.
Hmmmm. Maybe we should all start changing oil every evening, then again in the morning in response to possible accumulated moisture overnight. Temperature swings between day and night could be harsh on these delicate machines. SMH
For sure really! Its ridiculous that this is the solution and the fact it took 6 years that’s not acceptable. Also it’s not a 100% guarantee only a bandaid fix. Many tech’s I spoke say that a new software update is needed as well not a relearn.
The term: “relearn” is a teenage speculation! An update is not only the problem: it’s their mis-judgements about the designed development of the transmission’s that cause the problems: on the drawing-board!
2018 Colorado lt. I have the same issue. Issaquah Wa Chevy said they would not fix the issue. Please advise 🙏 oh 35000 on my rig
I took my 2018 Colorado to dealer because of these same issues.They said that they could’nt duplicate the symptoms and sent me away.No flush and new fluid
I’d be going to another dealer. They’re full of BS
I’d be buying a foreign vehicle next time. I made the mistake of buying GM for the first time in over 30 years and have the same shudder problem and dealer run around.
You don’t have to go foreign. I traded my Silverado for a RAM and I love it. Great transmission too.
Where is this information? My GMC dealer who 100% acknowledged my hard shifts in previous visits, is stating they absolutely were not told to flush 8 speeds unless they meet a very specific criteria (severe lag engaging from neutral to drive).
“The new service procedure addresses shake and/or shudder conditions during light throttle acceleration between 25 and 80 MPH (40 and 128 KM/H) at a steady speed when the transmission is not shifting gears. ”
https://gm-techlink.com/?p=11127
Nothing about the fluid flush relating to “delayed engagement”, which is what you have.
Didn’t GM and Ford develop this transmission together? Do Ford vehicles using the eight speed have the same problem? If they did how did they fix it and if not why is that?
Negative. GM and Ford developed the new 10 speed transmissions which are supposed to be stellar!
The 10R80 in the Fords have been far from stellar. There are a TON of 2018-19 F-150’s and Mustangs with the 10-speed that have had nearly as many issues as the GM 8-speed had in the first few years.
Not that stellar- class action suit filed against Ford’s 10 speed.
Wonder if this would fix the 6speed in the colorado, as sounds like like similar problem. I’ve had to the dealer multiple times and flushed trans at 60K . May try this….
Murray,
scott3, knows how to fix your 6 speed also !
I fixed mine with an aftermarket tune !
GM did nothing for me on this ” known faulty ” issue.
Good luck !
Since the 1970’s, i have always replaced the trans oil in the pan, by removing the pan and wiping it clean with white paper towels, at about 4,000 miles. Then i did it again at about 8,000 miles. There is an instant difference in the feel of the transmission shift after changing just the 4 quarts in the pan. At that time, my rear drive GM cars had 16 quarts total, in all the lines, pan and in the trans. When the Mobil One was first offered for the trans, i went to a auto mechanic that had the machine to suck all the fluid out of the trans and lines, then added the few gallons of the great Mobile One. Where i lived, it often got down to minus 30 F overnight in the winter and about 105 F above in the summer, so having the best possible fluid worked fantastic. BIG TIP….when you go for an oil change, give the oil change guy a white paper towel to wipe along the trans cooling lines, as a very slow leak will show up on the paper towel. A very slow leak will burn out your trans in a commercial use situation very quickly, so ask for the paper towel treatment and look at it close.
I coincidentally brought my Sierra in for this problem 2 weeks ago after dealing with this annoyance for 2.5 years. I really just wanted to get it documented in case anything bad happened in the future, they couldn’t hold me accountable. I fully expected complete denial of any issue at the dealership. They are known for acting like they haven’t heard of well documented issues as if nobody ever complained about it before. I even said “everybody knows about this problem, just want to get it documented.” To my surprise, they said to come back the following week because they had to order new fluid. I thought they were full of crap, I wasn’t aware of a “fix”, but I went through with it anyway. I’ve been driving it for a week now and I will say it’s definitely improved. I feel like the transmission “struggles” slightly between first and second. Struggle is not the perfect word, but it seems like the fluid is heavier and you can tell. It seemingly fixed the harsh shuddering I was experiencing but I wonder if it comes with a trade-off poorer in gas mileage? I guess I got lucky with the timing though.
The first 1-2 shift of the day will have a slight bump sensation. It’s an issue that’s inherent in the design of the 8-speed.
I had the fluid change done in my 2017 GMC Canyon in May of this year (2019) and my MPG’s are up slightly. The “Chuggle” as they called it is gone, but the 1-2 shift seems to be hard at times lately. I’ll keep an eye on it.
Can you confirm a factory build date with the new fluid?
But I read on the internet that flushing fluid is bad and you should never do it as it will kill the transmission
Jon,
Don’t believe anything your read on the internet and only half of what you see. Those that state never change transmission fluid are the same idiots also say change your oil every 3000 miles. Read your manufactory’s owners manual for the correct schedule for fluid changes. For a while some manufactures were stating the transmission fluid would last the life of the vehicle but that was for marketing purposes only to brag that only little maintenance was required. Now with more work the transmissions must do with more gears and higher HP engines that easily go 150,000-200,000 miles, changing the fluid will probably always be required at least once in the life of the vehicle.
Jon – see the post by Scott3 just two posts down. BTW, I’ve never heard of any vehicle not needing a fluid change, be it oil, anti-freeze, transmission, or differential.
Is there any word on who is to pay the bill for the “fix”. Will this be up to the vehicle owner to pay?
I would think it falls under warranty since all vehicles affected are less than 5 years old. Mine was covered but it’s only 2.5 years old.
But a vehicle can still be out of warranty by being over the mileage limit, but be less than 5 years old.
FYI on that – 2015, owned new for 3 years, well over 65k miles – covered fluid change
Why would all vehicles fall under warranty ?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the warranty is 5 years ” or ” 60,000 miles.
So you could own a 2 year old GM 8 speed with 60,001 miles and GM would not pay.
As happens every single day !
A person just wrote, that they bought a new Cadillac every year and drove it 100,000 miles.
They would own a GM vehicle out of this warranty with an 8 speed at less than 8 months.
And if they drove that many miles a year, chances are that the vehicle would be in a road gear most of the time, so it still could have this issue.
And in that exact case, they would own a 8 month Cadillac CT6, the highest price GM sedan, with a ” known faulty 8 speed transmission ” and GM would do nothing at 8 months because it is out of warranty !
And just think of this, you GM is always perfect people.
Now this person, with a one year old Cadillac, buys a new one every year, ok.
They now trade in that one year old Cadillac on a new Cadillac, ok.
You go and buy that one year old Cadillac, with a ” known faulty GM 8 speed “, ok.
You have troubles with your one year old Cadillac you just bought because you drive it in town and it shifts ” crappy “, ok.
GM/ Cadillac will do nothing for you !
And that is exactly why Cadillac has had one of the lowest customer satisfaction ratings in recent years !
If GM knows this transmission is ” faulty “, it doesn’t matter to me if its the fluid or the CUE screen.
GM ” knows ” there is a problem, fix the problem !
In my opinion.
My dealer made me pay for mine, my 2017 is a little over 2 years old but 78,xxx miles so out of warranty. I however have been in to the dealer 3 times complaining of the hard shifts, clunking, etc. while it was under warranty and every time they said if was normal and it didn’t throw any codes so it was fine. Paid the $400 to have it done, but I am planning to picket my dealership until i get a new tranny. There is no way there was not severe damage done during that almost 80k miles.
Sounds like the same thing my dealer told me..I have 17GMC and they wanted over $500 for trans service…went down the street to Chev dealer and they did it for $240. Didn’t help though…58000 miles
The recomended change is
A GM Owner’s Manual will guide you to what is needed and when. Although the selected sample applies to most GM vehicles,
please refer to your specifi c vehicle Owner’s Manual for any exceptions.
• Under normal conditions, change the fl uid and fi lter at 100,000 miles (166,000 km)
• Change automatic transaxle fl uid and fi lter at 50,000 miles if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of the conditions below:
o When doing frequent trailer towing
o Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service
o In heavy city traffi c where the outside temperature regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher
o In hilly or mountainous terrain
With that said if you have more than 60K miles by now you are high milage under these conditions and odds are you were towing or saw heavy duty use where it should be changed earlier.
Most people towing, HD use and have had high temps change around 50K miles that is if they service their vehicles often. The reality is most people never change their fluids in their vehicles. They drive em till they die.
I happened to have a 2016 Camaro owner’s manual handy. According to the chart on pg 333, the automatic transmission fluid and filter should be replaced every 45,000 miles.
Sorry, neglected to mention that this is the “Severe” service schedule. The normal one does not mention the automatic transmission fluid. Sorry for the omission.
GM’s normal service interval recommendations are ridiculous and too long for many of their vehicles. Their older 6-speed transmissions ran so hot under regular conditions that the transmission fluid is cooked well before 100k miles. Plus you’re circulation all the breaking materials throughout the transmission that entire time. Same with their recommendation for differentials and transfer cases. All in an effort to make their vehicles seem low-cost and easy to maintain. They claim the brake fluid is good for like 10 years — sure if you want the brake fluid to rot the brake system from the inside out.
Folks lets put this into context here.
Most of these transmissions are under warranty. You just need to present the vehicle to the dealer and they will replace the fluid and it will resolve the issues in nearl all models.
Do not be distracted by alarmest like LongtimeGMmoaner who really have little clue and just do nothing but troll and complain about eveything.
The TSB info is there. Copy it take it to the dealer and have the service done. I have done the service and it took a transmission I really thought was working well and improved it much. If you have the shudder it should make a world of difference as reported by many owners that have already had it done.
The fix also helps it shift smoother and down shifts easier and sooner.
So please if you have an issue just use the 18-NA 355 TSB to your advantage and resolve your issues.
scott3,
Folks lets put this into context here.
Most of these transmissions are under warranty. You just need to present the vehicle to the dealer and they will replace the fluid and it will resolve the issues in nearly all models, and if you are one of the many that can no longer get this covered under GM ” non ” warranty, or it does not fix your ” known faulty ” issue,
scott3, says tuff luck.
Do not be distracted by scott3, who really has little clue and just does nothing but troll and complain about everything except how great GM is.
The TSB info is there. Copy it take it to the dealer and have the service done. Unless the dealer will do nothing. In that case, scott3 says take it to another dealer, after all, scott3 says all you have is time and money for GM to use and waist.
I have done the service and it took a transmission I really thought was working well and improved it much. If you have the shudder it should make a world of difference as reported by many owners that have already had it done.
By the way me, scott3, had my whole transmission replaced by GM, before GM could even find the fluid troubles, but I, scott3, still call all of you who did not get the same treatment from GM just a bunch of complainers.
The fix also helps it shift smoother and down shifts easier and sooner.
So please if you have an issue just use the 18-NA 355 TSB to your advantage and resolve your issues.
The tsb of 18-NA-355 only temporarily fixed my Sierra. After 2500 miles it is now shuddering worse than before the fluid swap. I assume a new torque convertor will be the next step. Planning to drop the truck off later this week.
Same here. This is the third time the fluid has been flushed on my transmission and I’ve pretty much had it with this truck. 60k for a truck and it drives like a piece of garbage. I called the dealer back today and insisted they replace either the torque converter or the entire transmission. It’s obvious now that there’s something else wrong besides the fluid. Honestly, I just want to truck to drive somewhat smooth so I can trade it in. I’m soured now. Thanks GMC.
Did the fluid swap…trans is worse than before…Dealer refuses to do the torque converter saying its shifting normal…..
Has anyone tried Instant shutter fix hearing this solves the issue?
They did the Service Bulletin fix on my 2019 Silverado and it didn’t work.
Had my 2015 C7 in on August 6, asked for a transmission flush as the symptoms were exactly as described, although the car does run. Is still under the warranty although about to expire in November. They would not repair. I told them the issue is intermittent, they could not duplicate. They said ‘warranty repair cannot be done on something that is not broken or having issues at this time’. HELP!! GM Customer Service, appealed to you before, trying again. Just because the car is drive-able does not mean there’s nothing wrong, and you have a fix but deny warranty work.
Sounds like you need to talk to a different dealer that’s willing to help you out.
Not true. The new TSB (on line everywhere) dated August 2019 clearly states that as long as the car is within the born on date and YOU the customer state that ur having to symptoms, they need to flush!
Talk to gm today about our 2019 Colorado they changed the fluid but last week was the fourth time in the shop with them not finding a code or anything wrong because it didn’t do it on the test drive. Only has 5000 miles on it and I’m really tired of the run around. I don’t know why with so me complaining they don’t do a total recall on the transmission and torque converter and be done with it. I’ll never buy another one
Yes, I’ve had this issue on my 2018 Corvette. A transmission flush in April has so far completely resolved the shudder issue. I never had the harsh shifting.
This is all ok for owners in USA bur Cadillac only warrantry 3 years or 36000 in UK.Dealer changed fluid on my 2016CTSV three timies which has got rid of the shudder but harsh 1-2 shifts are still there on light or medium throttle,they could not get Mobil 1 fluid as GM europe do not stock it,I tried getting it via the importers but they do not stock it either so I am waiting to see what happens now.
My comments would revolve on the subterfuge local Chevrolet have told me on my 2019 Camaro convertible. To the man, they told me my transmission was within factory specs. Apparently, not only congressman lie.
Wait, a dealer was dishonest? Say it ain’t so! This destroys my faith in humanity. 😉
‘Fixed’ my 2015 Sierra DUHnali L86, 8L90, 1500 ghostly drivability issues myself…
Back on May 20, 2017 I made a GMC Dealer purchase of a Certified Used 2015 Sierra 1500 Denali 6.2L, 8-speed which had recently returned from a GM lease.
It had had ALL its `shots’, ALL the flashings and ALL the software updates were, well, up-to-date.
Drove right well (expressway) for the 50+ miles home from the dealership that Saturday afternoon. The next week?
Suburbia drivability `stuff’ began happening that you shouldn’t’ really talk about in mixed company. Still I went ahead and purchased and ported up a Diablo JUST-SAY-NO-TO-AFM as I continued my study of power programmers and performance monitors for the truck.
What types of drivability entertainment did I/we experience?
Things like falling flat on its face when accelerating from a stop; getting STUCK in a low gear following a start and go; thumps, clunks, ‘confused’ shifts.
Occasionally the drivability `entertainment’ would throw up the INSPECT ENGINE ICON.
Same codes each time. $7E8, $7EA. Transmission Control System and Lost Communication with ECM/PCM A. I would communicate these (via e-mails) to the Dealer.
At their urging I did return to the Dealership with it –once. After their inspection the recommendation was to turn it over to them for a senior tech to use as his daily driver with a real-time monitor ported up to it.
Nah, but thanks for the offer.
It’d be some serious trial, error (and some luck!) on my part that this vehicle began performing the way GM intended it to. Bottom line?
Let the bee-itches FULLY boot-up prior to STARTING and DRIVING.
For this 2015 the `pre-flight’ consists of: (1) Ignition switch to on position; (2) allow ALL instrument panel icons to check down and cycle OFF; (3) with ONLY the INSPECT ENGINE icon displayed, crank the beast; (4) following the start AGAIN allow ALL dash icons AND instruments (speedo and tach) to check down and cycle to their proper displays.
With the tach indicating engine rpms there should be NO icons illuminated in the dash unless you ain’t buckled up yet. Do it.
Enjoy your drive!
These vehicles are four wheels with multiple computers. Like smart phones, tablets, PC’s, ANY `computer’ based devices -they ALL need to TOTALLY boot-up to play well together.
I blame many of our vehicle anomalies on the GOVNORMINT. Yeah, quit trying to get 40-mpg’s out of a 5,900+ pound pick-up truck.
Get the Govnormint OUT of vehicle manufacturing and let the manufacturers have free reign again.
Next up? Figuring out how to default the truck’s MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL to off to QUICKLY check if I’ve got yet ANOTHER Bridgestone Dueler tire with steel belts beginning to come apart…
OK thanks for sharing…. but please alert me if you ever comment again on this forum as I may need to give my dog another walk.
If you are unwilling to have a “Senior Tech to use as his daily driver with a real-time monitor ported up to it.” With your response of “Nah, but thanks for the offer.” – that’s your own damn fault if it continues to happen. I have taken my ’18 Sierra 8-speed with the Max Tow in twice with the shifting issues. If you’re an adult about it, you ask them what the options are to correct the issue and you actually want to prevent any further harm to the vehicle YOU paid for (i’m assuming you paid for it) let them troubleshoot and correct it.
1st time i brought it in, they reset the transmission. Brought it back a 2nd time (2 weeks later), this time I insisted that i was in the vehicle. Unfortunately the truck was shy that day and there was no hard shifts (there was subtle 1-2 & 2-1 shifts). The tech told me to watch it and bring it back when it starts acting up. I brought up all the concerns with what i’ve been having and the research i’ve done with these forums and videos, I asked them if they could check the transmission fluid. They give me a rental for the day and a few hrs later they called saying they had found metal shavings.
It’s unfortunate for GM because now they are having to replace the torque converter (potentially the transmission) @ 22k. This could have been avoided with having a recall sooner to replace the fluid but i understand that this fluid swap to Mobil 1 Blue did not get posted until late Spring 2019. Also, if you consider the GM strike there wouldn’t have been much headway with little to no employees.
Without giving the Dealership/GM an opportunity to correct the issue you will be one of those people who continues to complain without giving a chance to correct the problem. Best of luck to you.
Update – Got the truck back after 3 weeks at the dealership. They replaced the Torque Converter & Transmission. All new parts and they have the put the Dexron HP B Mobil 1 for fluid.
Did that take care of the problem?
Clint, Your post form Nov 19, 2019. Did the torque converter resolve the problem long term?
Thanks for sharing but I had a little problem following your advise, conclusions, and recommendations but I feel safe in saying OBama had nothing to do with the issues.
Just got my 2019 Canyon back last night(09-30-20) after 3 weeks in the shop and new torque converter and trans fluid. 1 day and so far so good but I will update as time goes by. Hoping this problem is resolved!
I had this done this year on my 2016 Corvette which shuddered and shook with each shift the new fluid seems to have solved the issues. Had another issue with a tranny sensor that caused a check engine light. They fixed that too. One more problem it’s offically a lemon
Give it some miles Jake..It will come back, sorry.
Is this considered a recall ,or olny covered by warranty, 17 high country. 6.2..38k..miles. shaking
Could be little bit of both. Yes it covered under warranty and there was a recall a number of years ago for a flush. Maybe not the answer your looking for. My fix worked so far knock on wood
Depends on what dealer you take it to….I have 17 Denali and dealer refused to do anything….there is a class action lawsuit against GM.for the 8spd…
Jake did it ever return? Having mine flushed today.
Mine didn’t after the flush with Amsoil ATF and a relearn. Also had AFM delete and it’s been a over a year
Jake, did this come back? They’re currently wanting to flush mine now and saying they have a new fluid based on March 2020 but the TSB he gave me is still the August 2019 TSB…trying to figure out if I’m putting good money after bad.
Jeremiah, another new fluid? Not the one specified in the TSB you refer to? (blue label Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP Part # 19417577)
That’s what he’s saying. He said they have a new fluid as of March that they’ve switched to and it’s fixed the issue
Huh. It would be really cool if you could find out what it is, part number or something.
Hopefully, he didn’t mean that they only got the blue label Mobil 1 in as of March at that shop…
Just got my 2017 Camaro SS flushed with part #19417577 and corrected my shudder problem immediately. Need to drive for few hundred more miles as per TSB but so far so good.
2018 Sierra with 11,642 miles. Started noticing whole truck shuttering intermittently only way to dealer for an oil change today. I asked about the symptoms and service agent knew exactly what to check for. 8 speed trans. Said I needed to flush and refill with new type fluid, which would resolve the problem. Also recommended to do a trans service at 60-70k miles. Going back Monday for the “fix”. Disappointed I haven’t been notified or told about the problem when I had previous warranty oil changes.
I had my fluid flushed then replaced and then torque converter replaced . Now every once in a while I feel like I was rear ended. in fact the first time I got out of my car to check the rear. I jerked me back and forth. I cannot duplicate this at dealer. Neither can dealer. But it will do it once or twice a week. I also get a kick sometimes from a stop going to make a turn.
Does not sound like the shuttering issue. You might consider buying that trifecta tune to remap the transmission and to turn off some of that hideous software. For jerky shifting many say it helps allot on GM’s transmission. Cost 400 dollars however. But its about your only hope. GM pretty much just tells their customers that is normal behavior. They don’t care.
Yea that was my problem also! Not being able to duplicate hard shifting or rear end down shift!!! POS 8 speed.
2018 Silverado High Country 1500 6.2L which has had the occasional hard 1-2 2-1 shift issue, as soon as I felt the shudder for the first time at 14,000 miles and immediately took it into the dealer and they did TSB 18-NA-355 triple Flush
I then installed a Dipstick for a Camaro that I bought from eBay seller blueracer1976
This required removing the heat shield on the passenger side, 3 bolts using ¼” drive 10mm, Pain in the ass with my big hands. The bellhousing bolt is tight and requires a ½” drive 15MM deep socket. The dipstick fit perfectly and appeared to show proper oil level at the bottom hash mark with engine running and the transmission temp at 160 Deg F. Once installed I was able to reinstall the heat shield. Transmission to Engine Bolt 35 lb ft
Then I Drained the oil and dropped the pan the clearance between the exhaust and the pan is tight and I used a jack to lift up on the transfer case to give myself a little extra room. I removed he pan bolts using ¼” drive 10mm, the drain plug is also 10mm, there is still a lot of oil in the pan and I made a mess in the driveway. There was some ferrous metal dust on the magnets but nothing concerning.
Pan Gasket PN 24260071
Oil filter PN 24274402
About 5 ½ quarts of Mobil 1 blue label PN 124715 19417577
One tube of lube guard shudder fix I got at advance auto parts
Oil Pan to Transmission Case Bolt 97 lb in Plug Assembly, Automatic Transmission Oil Pan (C/K) 22.1-29.5 lb ft
Plug Assembly, Automatic Transmission Oil Pan (Y) 20.7-23.6 lb ft
I also ordered the Trifecta tune Advantage program, being an 2018 or newer I had to wait for the cable to download the security code from the engine module and send it to Trifecta. I installed the Trifecta tune with AFM delete in all modes. I noticed sport mode increased throttle response and modified shift points. ECO mode shifting was better. I just took a 1200 mile trip without any issues. Next step is adding LUBEGARD PLATINUM UNIVERSAL ATF PROTECTANT. AC Delco Oil filterPf63E
Ryan
You should always call into the manufacturer or the GM customer care center. Make a complaint explaining your ongoing issues. Dealerships are in the game of selling also dealerships carry no responsibilities for the vehicles they sell but fair warning even at the manufacturer level they dont stand behind their products as so lots of call complaints to the manufacturer and even get your local politicians involved. Wish you luck
I have a 2017 Camaro that had the flush due to the shudderer a few months back. It helped the shudder but this wee it’s having an intermittent shifting problem. Of course I cant duplicate the problem for the dealership so they say there ISN’T one..the car only has 19500 miles on it.
I guess the transmission is going to have to fail completely before Chevy does anything
Had trans flushed and new fluid installed on my $70k corvette, the shudder is gone but the extremely harsh 2nd gear shift has not gotten any better. Dealer claims there is nothing they can do because it is “normal. “ What a sorry excuse!!
It is a sorry excuse. There have been a few comments listed in which it was suggested that people should take their vehicle to a good transmission shop and they could remedy both the rough shifting and the shudder permanently. That may be so however if an independent transmission shop could remedy this crappy 8 speed transmission GM should be able to figure it out. After paying $70K + or – for a vehicle, people shouldn’t have to pay someone else to repair a recurring problem. GM is pathetic.
Sorry to hear.. my Silverado High Country with corvette 6.2 8sp …shifting was restored to smooth as silk even the 1-2 clunk is gone…maybe shop you used did not use enough fluid to flush or the recommended Mobil 1..GMC dealership that flushed my trans …took all day to refresh system with a cost over $500 and 5k miles later still smooth and quiet.
5k is not enough to have false hope. Based on other comments it will be back. I’m putting my money where it will never see a GM car again and getting rid of 2019 CTS 3.6 with slipping gears from 1st to 2nd. 45k miles. G.M. will lose the Class Action suit, but will be way too late.
My 2019 CTS behaved the same way with the 1-2 shift. It was worse from a stop with a bad hesitation. It was actually dangerous but neither GM nor Cadillac thought so. So I had to dump it at a huge loss but my new “non-GM” car gave me peace of mind. It’s a shame that GM doesn’t care.
How did they do it? I’ve taken my 2019 Silverado to the dealer many times with no success even with all the recommended GM Services fixes. I don’t think this is a dealer issue rather a GM Powertrain issue. Mary Barra needs to step up to the plate and demand this gets fixed or start firing people for incompetence!!