The Chevrolet Suburban is the longest continuously running nameplate and automotive history. It’s also one of the longest vehicles on the road, which makes it ideal for a great many tasks. However, if your Suburban will not go into reverse, all of the practicality will be for naught. So let’s have a look under the virtual hood and see what the problem is.
What Transmission Do I Have?
The Problem
According to the General Motors technical service bulletin TSB 00-07-30-022D, which you can read right here, this problem affects the following vehicles:
1993 Chevrolet Suburban
1994 Chevrolet Suburban
1995 Chevrolet Suburban
1996 Chevrolet Suburban
1997 Chevrolet Suburban
1998 Chevrolet Suburban
1999 Chevrolet Suburban
2000 Chevrolet Suburban
2001 Chevrolet Suburban
2002 Chevrolet Suburban
2003 Chevrolet Suburban
2004 Chevrolet Suburban
2005 Chevrolet Suburban
The above vehicles will have been equipped with the 4L60E transmission, which was an electronically controlled evolution of the 700R4 4-speed automatic.
Okay so, owners reported that they couldn’t get their Suburban into reverse, and it wouldn’t shift into second or fourth gear. However, first and third gears would operate normally. It was determined that these 4L60 transmission problems were caused by a design flaw in the reaction sun shell.
This giant metal goblet shaped device holds the rear planetary gear, and was apparently made from substandard metal. This resulted in broken gear teeth where the sun gear attached. This will allow the sun gear to spin in either direction, preventing the engagement of reverse, second or fourth.
All of those broken gear teeth could then be circulated throughout the rest of the transmission, causing untold damage to everything from seals to the valve body.
The Solution
The standard fix for this problem is to install a stronger heat treated reaction sun shell. But a lot of the other damage from those circulating metal shards may not be caught, and can result in more transmission problems over time. This is why you should consider investing in a remanufactured 4L60 transmission, if you want to keep your truck on the road for as long as possible.
How much is it going to cost to fix my transmission?
Unfortunately, the problem described here will require the removal and disassembly/partial disassembly of your transmission. Given the labor time involved to remove the transmission from the vehicle (this is not a simple task), most repair shops will recommend that you go ahead and rebuild the entire transmission while it’s out. Since they already have to tear it down, it sort of makes sense to spend the extra money to do that. After all, you should get a lot more mileage out of your transmission once it’s rebuilt. And since they’ve already got the transmission apart, might as well, right? Well let’s take a closer look and find out.
Why a remanufactured transmission might be a good option
While you might not be able to buy a brand-new transmission for your particular vehicle, a remanufactured transmission is a terrific alternative. They’re completely reengineered from the ground up and put together on a factory assembly line. They often contain a lot of upgrades over their stock form, which means that many of the design flaws that result in premature failure of components, can be eliminated. This can give a reman transmission a much longer service life than it originally had.
Remanufactured transmission companies like Street Smart Transmission put each of their reman transmissions through a rigorous build process that ensures a quality product every time. It begins with nearly 100 trained technicians that specialize in different aspects of the build process.
Once the build is complete and it passes the final quality control inspection, the newly remanufactured transmission is sent to the dyno room, where it’s tested on a special dyno machine using a proprietary software program called C.A.R.S. (Computer Aided Real-world Simulation). This cycles the transmission through a number of real-world driving situations, to ensure that it performs according to the factory specs. It also helps to break in all of the friction components, that way it’s completely tuned and ready to go once it’s installed.
Warranty – One of the benefits of buying a remanufactured transmission vs. a rebuilt transmission is the warranty. Street Smart Transmission for example, covers all of their reman transmissions with a 3 Year/Unlimited Mileage Nationwide Warranty (there is a mileage restriction for commercial vehicles). This covers parts and labor for transmission repairs performed by any licensed repair shop in the country. It’s also completely transferable if you ever decide to sell the vehicle. Compared to a mechanics warranty on a transmission rebuild, a remanufactured transmission warranty offers superior financial protection.
What Transmission Do I Have?
So is a remanufactured transmission worth it?
If you plan to keep your vehicle for as long as possible, then getting a rebuilt transmission is certainly a viable option. However, a remanufactured transmission is actually a much better alternative in the long run. You’re getting as close to a brand-new transmission as possible. Companies like Street Smart Transmission also modify the transmission to correct all of the factory design flaws, which allows you to get a much longer service life from the transmission. So in terms of value for the money, a reman transmission might be the better way to go. To learn more about the remanufactured transmission for your vehicle, click here.
