Transmission is the mechanism through which power is transmitted from the engine to the axle in a motor vehicle in order to make your Chevy move.
This process of transmission is very complicated and mysterious to many people, but for the better. This part of your vehicle doesn’t require much interaction.
The only time you would probably want to see what happening with it is when it’s not actually working. When it’s not working that automatically affects your halt.
2 types of transmission:
1. Automatic
2. Manual
The basic difference between these two transmissions is that the Automatic transmission is the most used and common one. It’s easier to use comparatively. This transmission lets the vehicle change to various gears on its own rather than the driver who’s actually making the reconciliation. Whereas in the Manual transmission it’s the other way round. The transmission depends on the driver. And how he or she uses the clutch to accelerate.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a huge, easy-duty, half-ton pickup truck with powerful 2500 and 3500 models that build up the lineup for towing needs. It has an automatic transmission that varies on the engine. The most common transmission found in a Silverado 1500 model are the 6, 8 and the 10 speed automatic transmission.
Transmission wont shift into gear!
If your transmission wont shift into gear, there would be many reasons behind it. Before you get into those reasons you need to first identify the problem that’s causing disturbance.
The common problems for both manual and automatic transmissions have been listed below along with their solutions.
Problem 1: DEGRADED TRANSMISSION FLUID
The transmission fluid plays a very essential role in correct functioning of your transmission, automatic or manual. To avoid excessive friction the fluids are used.
However after some time the fluid can become polluted. Automatically if there is contaminated fluid in your transmission for a long period of time, it can cause problems in shifting the gear, it makes it much harder to shift. Just like eating expired food causes stomach ache, expired fluid in the transmission can cause damage to your transmission.
Solution:
To avoid that make sure you keep checking your transmission fluid frequently and it gets changed as soon as possible after you sense something wrong.
Problem 2: FAULTY CLUTCH
People that drive modern cars with manual transmission already have a clutch master cylinder and a clutch slave cylinder.
These are ultra-modern hydraulic systems that are in charge of the operating clutch assembly. If that hydraulic fluid stays in for too long and doesn’t get replaced it could cause major issues.
The fluid is very essential for the clutch in order for it to work properly. It is just as important as the brake system in your cars, that keeps us protected.
Solution:
To keep yourself and your transmission safe, make sure you get your maintenance checked and get the hydraulic fluid changed often.
Problem 3: WORN CLUTCH
Clutch is that part in a vehicle that acts like a linkage mechanism between the transmission and the engine. It quickly disconnects or separates the engine from the transmission system.
When it is disconnected the wheels of the vehicle whenever the clutch pedal is pressed automatically allows the driver to change the gear evenly without any problem. You need to know that even though the clutch is an enduring part it can however still get worn out over time, which will lead to not being able to change the gears.
Solution:
To avoid this problem you can get the clutch replaced which is common, however you can always use some extra caution that costs nothing. First of all start off by putting your vehicle on neutral whenever you stop at the signal or anywhere for more than a second. Secondly, try being gentle with it.
Problem 4:SOUNDS WHEN ON NEUTRAL GEAR
It’s important for you to know that hearing sounds when your vehicle is on neutral gear isn’t normal and when that is happening it means that there’s no power for it to transfer between engine and wheels.
Solution:
You need to make sure that if you hear any sounds when your vehicle is put in neutral gear, that means you need a fluid top-up.
Problem 5: TORQUE CONVERTER GONE BAD
We have already talked about what problems the clutch cylinder engaging and unengaging with the transmission from the engine in manual transmission vehicles can cause. Just like that comes the Torque converter.
The force that causes an object to rotate about an axis is the Torque. And the torque converter is what transfers the torque from the engine of the vehicle to rotating load. There are 5 components torque converter is compressed of,
- impeller
- turbine
- clutch
- fluid
- stator
The torque converter connects the power source in an automatic transmission car. If the torque converter includes the list of components that are listed above, there is a high chance one of these things could get faulty. That will then lead to not being able to shift your transmission gears easily.
Solution:
To get rid of this problem and keep away from it you need to make sure the components that are compressed into your torque converter are maintained and replaced over time. And making the fluid in it, is clean and not outdated.
PROBLEM 6: DAMAGED SHIFT INTERLOCK SOLENOID
The two things that we trust the most while driving are:
- Brake and
- The Parking gear.
The brake because we know if we are about to crash the car or bump into something, we can quickly press the brake and stop from crashing. And the parking gear because we know if we want to park our vehicle on a hilly road or when we have to get off, the car will stay in its place. Without us worrying about it sliding down.
Just like that your automatic transmission vehicles have a built in feature. It is known as the “shift lock feature”. This is built in so your vehicle does not shift out of the parking when parked, not even accidentally.
One thing all drivers are aware of is that you can’t move your vehicle into neutral gear or reverse etc, unless you have your foot on the brake. But if the Solenoid isn’t fixed, it won’t be able to recognize whether you have your foot on the brakes or not. Which means it won’t be able to stay park and could shift out of it at any time.
Solution:
You need to make sure you avoid getting into this situation and for that you would have to get the interlock solenoid repaired as soon as it starts giving you a problem. This procedure is fast and not that expensive.
A few other solutions:
In the winters, make sure you warm up your truck before accelerating. It does take some time for the transmission to reach a settled temperature and speed. Therefore, while you wait, maintain the engine in first gear and prevent the speed from rising.
Before moving the car, put the transmission shifter in each mode and keep it there for 5 to 10 seconds. As long as this procedure is followed, the oil will be able to enter the gearbox system’s hydraulic channels.
Make it a point to clean your entire transmission system once a year. This allows you to replace the used transmission fluid with a new bottle because the old fluid is removed. It was revealed that dirty or old transmission fluid contributed to shifting issues when troubleshooting a truck that won’t shift.
Conclusion
Note that just by getting the simple maintenance will help you prevent your Chevy from not shifting gears. Just by keeping in mind that all these warnings in this list could cause worse damage.
So take these warnings seriously and make your chevy durable and problem free. And of course if there are other problems, you can always correct the installation to prevent those.
