Why does my 4L60-E not move in any gear? What are the issues with the 4L60-E transmission? How can I fix my 4L60-E transmission? What are the symptoms and solutions of 4L60-E transmission not moving in any gear?
If you are looking for an answer to any or all of the above questions, you have reached the right place. There could be many reasons why your 4L60-E transmission won’t move in any gear. You will find all the symptoms and solutions to the issues so that you can fix them without any hassles.
| Issues | Solutions |
|---|---|
| Pump Failure | If the level of transmission fluid remains the same before and after starting the engine, you should replace the pump |
| Incorrect installation of Torque Converter | If there is a grinding sound coming, inspect the setting of the torque converter and get it installed correctly. |
| Faulty Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) | If there is a shifting issue from 1st to 2nd gear, inspect the TPS with the help of a multimeter and replace the TPS if it is faulty |
| Total loss of Transmission Fluid | If you sense a burning smell or a noisy neutral, then check the level of transmission fluid, fix if any leakage is there, and refill the fluid to the required level |
| Excess Transmission Fluid | If you are facing issues such as hard shifting and gear slippage, then check the level of transmission fluid. If it is in excess amount, remove the fluid till it reached the desired level. |
I hope the quick overview in the table was able to give you the kind information you were looking for and now let us discuss these issues in detail.
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Pump failure:
When the pump stops working, the flow of transmission fluid also stops which results in friction and ultimately wear and tear of transmission components. The replacement of the pump is costly and we would like you to first check if the pump is working fine or not so that we can omit the possibility of this issue.
Solution: Check the level of fluid before and after turning on the engine of the vehicle. If the level is the same, then it’s bad news, and you will have to replace the faulty pump with a new one.
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Incorrect installation of Torque converter:
For the transmission to work, it is important that the torque converter is placed properly with respect to the flywheel. This might happen when you install the transmission and the mechanic did it incorrectly.
Solution: Have an inspection done by a recognized and experienced mechanic. Reinstalling the torque converter is the only solution in this case.
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Faulty Throttle Position Sensor (TPS):
When you are facing issues in changing gears, especially from 1st to 2nd, you are most probably dealing with a faulty Throttle Position Sensor. Though it can be checked easily with a multimeter.
Solution: Firstly, ground the terminals and identify the power, ground, and signal wires. Connect the negative multimeter probe to the ground or black wire, and the positive multimeter probe to the power or red wire. Close the throttle body and read the voltage. It should be 0.2 to 1.5. It should increase to about 5 volts after opening the throttle body. If it does not reach 5 volts, you need to replace the TPS.
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Total loss of transmission fluid:
If the vehicle behaves as if it is in parking mode even after changing gear, your vehicle could have lost the transmission fluid. Check the leakage, fix it, and refill the transmission fluid to fix this issue.
Solution: The best way to determine if there is a leakage or not is to fill the transmission fluid and look for any leaks. Mark the point and seal/fix the leak. Refill the transmission fluid and you are good to go.
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Excess transmission fluid:
The transmission fluid should be filled in an appropriate quantity to avoid any hassles. Checking the level of transmission fluid before drawing any conclusion will be a great option. Excess transmission fluid can be detrimental to the transmission as it could lead to hard shifting or gear slipping. Eventually, it could also lead the entire unit to blow up.
Solution: You can take out the excess transmission fluid yourself. Be careful while doing so as the transmission fluid can be damaging to your health. If you are not sure, we recommend you to go to a mechanic for this job.
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Some important FAQs
1) What would cause a 4L60-E transmission not to shift?
There may be a lot of reasons which could lead a 4L60-E transmission not to shift. The most prominent ones are less/excess quantity of transmission fluid, a faulty pump, and a wrongly set torque converter. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.
2) Why does the 4l60e transmission won’t move in any gear when hot?
When the engine and transmission become hot, it is important that the transmission fluid is filled in the appropriate quantity so that it remains cool and allows the transmission to work efficiently.
- If you face issues when the transmission is hot, there might be either a leak or the transmission fluid is burnt.
- When the gears work with a low level of transmission fluid or burnt fluid, there might be wear and tear in the gear system which might result in gear slippage and hence cause the gear not to shift.
- In some cars, an issue called dragging clutch occurs when the transmission gets hot. In this, the clutch disk is not able to separate from the flywheel due to which changing the gears does not work. You may have to get the transmission cable adjusted by a mechanic.
3) Why does the 4L60-E 4×4 transmission won’t move in any gear?
The first step would be to check the level of transmission fluid. If that is filled to the correct level, check the shifter cable and the 4×4 transmission shifter. If the issue still persists, you should get the torque converter unit inspected by a mechanic.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the GM-made 4L60-E is a reliable and robust transmission unit. However, you have to take utmost care of the transmission unit so that it does not trouble you. We have discussed almost all the possible reasons and solutions as to why the 4L60-E transmission won’t move in gear. Therefore, if you ever face any similar issues, you should replicate the above-mentioned solutions to get rid of the problems.
