Lifetime drive train warranty....THANK YOU !

[kellem]

Just wanted to say, I'm so thankful that I purchased a lifetime DT warranty when I bought my Truck "2005 Avalanche".

Would you believe I'm on Tranny #5, Yes I've blown 4 transmissions in less then 2 yrs. They keep towing it and fixing it on there dime 🙂 but dangit this is getting hilarious.

No...I'm not a rookie.lol

Tow a 5k Hybrid in 3rd with tow mode, with temp guage and auxiliary cooler. They can keep replacing those Remanufactured Tranny's.

I do tow in the steep mountains of VA/WV and would be crazy to sell a truck with only 60k on it.

Change the oil and tranny at the same time....seems to be working 🙂

[Thsldo]

I have a 177k on my 02 Avalanche, no tranny issues. I had to replace my rear end, but that was at 150k. The drivetrain in these trucks, which is Suburban Based, is bullet proof. Sorry your having so many issues.

[Gale_Hawkins]

Good point.

[JeepGuy]

it depends on where the trannys are coming from also, my friend got a reman from advance auto for his 94 yukon, less than 2 years later (no towing) it was shot.

[CKNSLS]

Those are the same transmissions they put in their trucks your vehicle is based on.

Something is not right.....

[atreis]

I must be doing something wrong too - 75K miles and going strong. I do shift for myself when in the mountains - as much as the computer permits, which in this car really means that I give it suggestions about what gear I think it ought to be in and it usually complies. With some experience I've figured out what it likes and can generally get good performance going up and generally don't have to use the brakes much when going down (except for a couple particularly steep hills on I-68 in western MD). When not in the mountains, I put it in 4th as the manual recommends and let it do its own thing (4th locks out overdrive).

With that bad of a record, if I were the OP I'd consider a different vehicle or look for a problem somewhere else in the drivetrain or cooling system. That's really not acceptable, and I'd be surprised if it's normal ...

[Chuck_S]

My transmission has a special mode called Drive. Surprisingly the gears (all 6 of them) shift for themselves towing or regular diving.

-- Chuck

[phoneguy1212]

I have a '99 gmc with a 4.8 and 373 gears and just returned from Jersey to Indiana towing my 2 ton Hi-Lo. I drove with it in Drive and tow mode. What I observed was that while in tow mode it never got out of third gear going up or down those mountains. I did noticed that when I started to level out on flatter roads on the western side of Ohio that the truck would shift to fourth gear at 62mph. When in the mountains I maintained a speed of 55-60mph. After I found out that fourth gear and better mmpg was at 62mph I set the cruise to 63 and enjoyed the rest of the trip home and saved a whole lot of gas at that speed. I didn't enjoy traveling those mountains one bit, and I know the poor old truck didn't like it either. I think I'll keep my travels with this setup to the central states for now. I do travel to W.Va a couple times a year and that is plenty mountains for me. So again I must ask. Why are we on purpose putting the shift lever in 3 when the truck will stay in 3rd on it's own? Are we trying to go 70mph in the mountains in 3rd,and wonder why the transmission overheats and blows up. Something doesn't make sense here in the logic.

[kellem]

In no way am I bashing Chevy, owned several 5.3 in which all has been bullet proof :).

The tech said that my case is very rare.

As stated, truck has been well maintained with all service intervals. It's just " one of those things " lol

Towing east to west through WV can be taxing on a TV and can't imagine the gear searching towing in OD.

[GWolfe]

I have been towing in third/drive for the seven years I have owned my truck. The transmission runs a little cooler and the MPGs are better. These trucks have a four speed automatic with OD being the MPG gear when not towing.

Me thinks there is something up with the OPs truck.

[Chuck_S]

I must be doing something wrong. My Explorer and Expedition both have in excess of 140,000 miles on their original transmissions. I need to get a Chevy.

Don't confuse a good warranty with a good product...

-- Chuck

[Beer_Belly]

Not sure if they've done this, but at the next Oil Change, have the Trans Cooler Flushed, it may be partially clogged with metal particles. I agree, thank God for the warranty, but as others stated, I'd be afraid to drive the darn thing let alone tow my camper with it......the truck would be a paper weight sitting in my driveway. I also agree that 3rd gear towing may not be the best, but I believe that it is a 4 speed, so you're just dropping one gear.....I've got a friend who always throws it in 4 wheel drive while towing....waiting for that puppy to blow up.

[Gale_Hawkins]

phoneguy1212 wrote:

kellem wrote:
Just wanted to say, I'm so thankful that I purchased a lifetime DT warranty when I bought my Truck "2005 Avalanche".

Would you believe I'm on Tranny #5, Yes I've blown 4 transmissions in less then 2 yrs. They keep towing it and fixing it on there dime 🙂 but dangit this is getting hilarious.

No...I'm not a rookie.lol

Tow a 5k Hybrid in 3rd with tow mode, with temp guage and auxiliary cooler. They can keep replacing those Remanufactured Tranny's.

I do tow in the steep mountains of VA/WV and would be crazy to sell a truck with only 60k on it.

Change the oil and tranny at the same time....seems to be working 🙂

Why are we towing in third gear?? Why not put it in drive and tow on and let the truck figure out what to do. Maybe your way isn't so good. Just saying, seems odd to me to run it in third. But you're the professional here.

Phoneguy these modern trucks leave the thinking up to you unless you are just hauling two kids to the ball park. When loaded and especially when they are loaded from towing you have to understand the gear to use up and down grades.

Today's gas engines in at TV or MH needs to be turning 4000-5000 RPM's to give better transmission and engine life. Below that when loaded in the hills it really stresses the drive train.

Keeping the same RPM's going down grade with gas engines can prevent most all use of the service brakes on the truck and trailer.

After the computer did an auto up shift going down a mountain to 2nd gear because I let the RPM's approach the red zone I did learn to tap the service brakes when needed to prevent that surprise. 😞

We were near the bottom so I just let it go on thinking for itself.

Bad mistake. When it slowed at the bottom thinking for itself it down shifted into 1st gear.

We get better gas mileage at the higher RPM's when climbing in mountain grades because you do not spend as long doing the climbs and due to there being less stress on the engine and transmission.

[kellem]

phoneguy1212 wrote:

kellem wrote:
Just wanted to say, I'm so thankful that I purchased a lifetime DT warranty when I bought my Truck "2005 Avalanche".

Would you believe I'm on Tranny #5, Yes I've blown 4 transmissions in less then 2 yrs. They keep towing it and fixing it on there dime 🙂 but dangit this is getting hilarious.

No...I'm not a rookie.lol

Tow a 5k Hybrid in 3rd with tow mode, with temp guage and auxiliary cooler. They can keep replacing those Remanufactured Tranny's.

I do tow in the steep mountains of VA/WV and would be crazy to sell a truck with only 60k on it.

Change the oil and tranny at the same time....seems to be working 🙂

Why are we towing in third gear?? Why not put it in drive and tow on and let the truck figure out what to do. Maybe your way isn't so good. Just saying, seems odd to me to run it in third. But you're the professional here.

Yes...FREE professional advice, stay out of drive 🙂

[phoneguy1212]

kellem wrote:
Just wanted to say, I'm so thankful that I purchased a lifetime DT warranty when I bought my Truck "2005 Avalanche".

Would you believe I'm on Tranny #5, Yes I've blown 4 transmissions in less then 2 yrs. They keep towing it and fixing it on there dime 🙂 but dangit this is getting hilarious.

No...I'm not a rookie.lol

Tow a 5k Hybrid in 3rd with tow mode, with temp guage and auxiliary cooler. They can keep replacing those Remanufactured Tranny's.

I do tow in the steep mountains of VA/WV and would be crazy to sell a truck with only 60k on it.

Change the oil and tranny at the same time....seems to be working 🙂

Why are we towing in third gear?? Why not put it in drive and tow on and let the truck figure out what to do. Maybe your way isn't so good. Just saying, seems odd to me to run it in third. But you're the professional here.