99 Suburban Transmission Acting Up.

Ok, So, First, My radiator was cracked near the top, Everytime I'd drive it, Upon shutting off my car, Coolant would leak out. It would only get to about the top of the core and then stop, since the crack was near the top. Until a few months ago my tranny started slipping from 2-3. Then, One day, I was on my way home and found my tranny to be making a weird noise, Almost like a grinding sound. Next red light, I went to go, It was hesitant and Kinda shuddered (only did it once, even up until now). I pulled over visually inspected everything everything seemd fine and I sat there for about 10 minutes frusterated! =)

Started it up and drove away no problems, no sounds... Once I got home it started making the sound again and reverse wouldn't work. I shut it off, Thought possibly since it was low on coolant and tranny lines run through the radiator that possibly it was getting hot causing this. Nope, Changed out the radiator and it's still happening.

This morning, I went to go to work and it started making the noise imediatly. It will make the nose in all positions. So, I got under there when it was running and notice it was really loud comming from between the torque converter and the engine. I had a friend look (who owns a shop) and he keep telling me just replace everything. I don't have that kinda money now and i'm looking for another alternative, how can i tell if it's the tranny or the torque converter?

1999 suburban, 2wd, 5.7 with 90,000.
The tranny was serviced at 72,000. Not exactly what the guy meant by serviced, I'm assuming flushed it.

I've looked online and could be a number of this... Any way to tell if it's the pump, converter, tranny, lockup solenoind?

Any help would be much appriciated!
Thanks!
-Steven-

I'm going to change my filter tonight and i'll note and take pictures of within the tranny pan.

I'm going to change my filter tonight and i'll note and take pictures of within the tranny pan.
your wasting time and money changing filter you have cooked your transmission. if you replaced radiator and transmission fluid earlier you would probably still have a ride. this is so common owners think they can save money by delaying maintance .......

I can still go out to my car and drive it to work.. about a mile. Once I'm there is when is starts acting up... I shut it off.. Drive it back home.. Same thing.. It works until i get about home, then it starts up again. Also, I wasn't trying to save money be delaying maintanence. The tranny was serviced at 72,000. My radiator only leaked out till about 2 inches from the top.
and nothing appeared to be overheating, therefore I didn't find it a major concern to rush out and replace it.

Another thing, My friend has a 98 Silverado same transmission. His is out also. His doesn't make any noise rather then the gears not catching, he replaced them ( assuming the gears ) in the tranny himself ( he's inexperienced ) and they still slipped a little but actually drives now. This is was leads me to believe it might be more of a torque converter issue. But I have no ideas in this department. In the event of needing a new tranny, Will a new torque coverter be needed also?

most factory replacement trannys come with a new converter....if not, buy one. whatever debris is floating around in the tranny, it is in the converter as well. was this sound only happenign while moving, or even at an idle? does it get worse with engine speed? how does the fluid look now? brownish funk smelling crap, or still decently clean pink sweet smell?

Thanks for the reply! The fluid is dark! When I get home i'll take a picture, Although It smells fine. I put it in a PLastic bottle and I will take next to new fluiud in another bottle side by side.

As for the noise... It was only after I drove it for a few minutes it would start and then wouldn't go away even when I stopped, Until I let the car cool. It did it in all gears, which is why I was thinking the torque converter.

Last night I changed the filter and added a bottle of lucas tranny stuff (not sure exactly at the moment ) put everything back together and guess what, I haven't heard the noise. I drove it around the block last night, seemed fine, picked up my girlfriend ( which I was unable to do so before as it would slip and make noise ) and I even drove to work. There's still a little slippage from 2-3 but i'm also a little low on tranny fluid still. I think it takes 5 i added about 4. I'm heading to the auto part store on my way home! I will keep you all posted! Thanks!

Lucas is great stuff, but it's only a temp fix. mechanic in a bottle never fixes anything, just delays the inevitable. low fluid can cause a slip, especially in 2-3 due to the fact that the 2-3 shift takes the most fluid to do. keep an eye on it, and soon you will have to fix/rebuild/replace tranny. If it gets you going long enough to save some $$$ for a new tranny, then that would be great!

I understand completely! I'm looking to add a new one anyways, As I want to get a medium sized trailer and i don't want to have to worry about it breaking!
Think it's safe to tow how it is now? Kidding! =P

Thanks!

My Son has a 1999 suburban bought it used drove it for a while,the intake leaked fixed it the radiator cogged we flushed it and replaced the radiator. the current problem is the transmission when it warms up it slips. do not know the previous history, and do not know if prior owner did preventive maintnace. with out the engine light on I am unable to pull codes and do not know if I am dealing with the tork converter or solenoid.

My Son has a 1999 suburban bought it used drove it for a while,the intake leaked fixed it the radiator cogged we flushed it and replaced the radiator. the current problem is the transmission when it warms up it slips. do not know the previous history, and do not know if prior owner did preventive maintnace. with out the engine light on I am unable to pull codes and do not know if I am dealing with the tork converter or solenoid.

sounds like you have shift flaring this means your transmission has expired time, for rebuid. make sure radiator trans coolant lines are cleaned when transmission is repaired. codes are of no help here . need pressure of transmission fluid and internal inspection to what must be replaced........

Good morning, I am currently having a similiar problem my Suburban. It sounds as if the fan blade in the torch converter came off. The sound only occurrs when I am going very slow forwardly. I will check my fluid today and take it to the chevy place. I had my fluid flushed at about 60K and I am approaching 115K with this issue. thank you all for your posts. the details are very helpful

Oh boy. I've got a '99 Burb with almost 200K miles on it. The steering box just went a few weeks ago - ouch! Steering fluid all over the nice, clean, indoor corporate garage floor of my office building. Nad no, it wasn't the lines or the pump.

Anyway, during this winter I found that when I put it into 4WD it made horrible noises - rubbing, squeaking, grinding, you name it. Now,even in 2WD it's making this sort of grinding noise whenever I take my foot off the gas and begin to coast. It has nothing to do with braking. It doesn't happen when I accelerate. Some "experts" have mentioned it might be something in the transfer case. I'm really worried about the tranny. I've been waiting to get it looked at until I get my tax refund. I now have that. I'd like to walk into the shop and act as if I at least have some sort of knowledge. I don't like being ripped off. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Do not get a GM reman,had to fix one lately knowing it is out of warranty.Gm puts in chincy sunshells in their remans.This one had the splines stripped.Jasper is better and I trust Jasper more becuase my father is a Jasper dealer which he highly recemends.I hate the newer cases,the bell housing is held in by 8 T50 torx headed bolts which have to be heated up with a torch to get them out due to locktite on the threads.The 1997 and up line fittings suck too and GM screwed up big time.The lines are held in with a wire clip which are a pain to get out and get in.GM needs to folllow this rule: If there is nothing wrong with it,don't fix it!The flare nut fittings were better and easier.Another thing to check is the cooler if it is plugged.If it is plugged,bypass the cooler on the radatior or a new radatior.

Hey everyone,

Thought I'd let you know whasup with my '99 Burb. Took it to Aamco Transmission last Thursday. They did a thorough diagnostic on it. Engine compression is superb. Transmission is great. Transfer case not so fine. The bearings were shot inside and gears and seals were a mess due to metal shavings. Long story short is the Michelin LT tires I had on the car wore down unevenly. I wanted to get new tires last fall, but back then I just didn't have the bucks to go out and get them. Several people told me I had enough tread on the Michelin LT's to make it through the winter so I left them as is. Problem is, it snows in the winter and you need to use 4WD. It seems the Michelins had worn down so unevenly that the front tires were about an inch smaller than the rears. Yup, you got it. I blew the transfer case because the fronts had to spin faster than the backs. With getting the transfer case rebuilt, a new gear chain, also an oil filter gasket and oil change, it cost me $2,100. Then of course I had to go out and buy new tires or I would have blown the transfer case AGAIN. The same day I got the car back, I bought BF Goodrich Commercial T/A's according to a recommendation I had from this forum's member, J-Ri. I drove it last night and this morning in the rain. So far, I am really impressed. They're super quiet, cushy and talk about traction! This morning I came around one of Connecticut's notorious country road curves to find stand still traffic. I had to brake HARD. With the Michelin's (even when new), the ABS would have kicked in and I would have been crapping my pants. The BFG's stuck like glue. There was also none of that stupid spinning out when accelerating from a stop. My Burb has almost 200K miles on it and it's riding like a brand new Caddy. If only I had spent the bucks back in November like I wanted to, I'd be about $2,000 richer. Check your tires, man. And ROTATE, ROTATE, ROTATE!!!

Hey everyone,

Thought I'd let you know whasup with my '99 Burb. Took it to Aamco Transmission last Thursday. They did a thorough diagnostic on it. Engine compression is superb. Transmission is great. Transfer case not so fine. The bearings were shot inside and gears and seals were a mess due to metal shavings. Long story short is the Michelin LT tires I had on the car wore down unevenly. I wanted to get new tires last fall, but back then I just didn't have the bucks to go out and get them. Several people told me I had enough tread on the Michelin LT's to make it through the winter so I left them as is. Problem is, it snows in the winter and you need to use 4WD. It seems the Michelins had worn down so unevenly that the front tires were about an inch smaller than the rears. Yup, you got it. I blew the transfer case because the fronts had to spin faster than the backs. With getting the transfer case rebuilt, a new gear chain, also an oil filter gasket and oil change, it cost me $2,100. Then of course I had to go out and buy new tires or I would have blown the transfer case AGAIN. The same day I got the car back, I bought BF Goodrich Commercial T/A's according to a recommendation I had from this forum's member, J-Ri. I drove it last night and this morning in the rain. So far, I am really impressed. They're super quiet, cushy and talk about traction! This morning I came around one of Connecticut's notorious country road curves to find stand still traffic. I had to brake HARD. With the Michelin's (even when new), the ABS would have kicked in and I would have been crapping my pants. The BFG's stuck like glue. There was also none of that stupid spinning out when accelerating from a stop. My Burb has almost 200K miles on it and it's riding like a brand new Caddy. If only I had spent the bucks back in November like I wanted to, I'd be about $2,000 richer. Check your tires, man. And ROTATE, ROTATE, ROTATE!!!

you should have started a new posting on your issue and what was then found, as this is good info for those who think they can operate a 4wd vehicle , with different sized tires or mixing worn with new tires. rotate tires every 13,000mi and use the X rotation pattern as the tires on the passenger side wear more than drivers side....this is also the oem recommended proceedure. and replace transfer case fluid every 30,000mi or when its getting a gray color to it.....

So, Just an update... I got a new tranny installed.. It finally "snapped" while driving and I only had reverse.. I got suckered into a tranny shop with the idea of spending little money... Once I was in there.. He basically said it would be 2300.. I laughed and him and told him no.. We negotiated and I got it down to 1600 cash =) 1 year warranty.... However.. My second to Third shift slips while shifting... I brought it back and he said it had somethign to do with the passing gear or something... i don't think it should slip at all.. Anyways.. all it good for now! Thanks!