Ok, hello guys, it's 3:00 AM, and I just made it home safely. So tonight, I went out with some friends to a diner. On the way there which is a highway, I felt the truck a lot different in throttle response. I noticed that my foot was almost all the way down, and the truck wasn't moving as fast as it should have. On my way back home from the diner, the dreaded SES light comes on. At first, I thought it was going to be what I had when I first installed my K&N Air Intake, which was a high mixture of air. But, thanks to my new $250 Aeroforce Gauge, I was able to get a number code for the SES light. So I checked the gauge while driving, and it was "P1886". My friend looked it up on his T-mobile Sidekick and saw that it had something to do with some Transmission Solenoid.
I am not too sure, but I believe I have heard somewhere that this Solenoid was a recall on these trucks. The truck does not shift past first, and when you get to a stop, it barely wants to move. It is extremely sluggish, worse than a snail. I ran a couple of red lights on my way home, because I was unsure if I was going to be stranded. If a cop would've stopped me, I would've had a good reason, and proof too. lolBut please, I would appreciate it if you guys could let me know in more detail on what this is, prices, and even if it is actually some recall that GM may cover.
Thanks,
Rob

 

Sorry, I can't find any TSB's or campaigns for your year truck concerning the DTC P1886. The code appears to concern the electrical signal to the tranny that affects the 3-2 Shift Solenoid Valve Assembly. Correct diagnosis seems to require a Tech 1 scan tool.

 

Ok, thanks. Do you think that I would have to replace the whole transmission or just that solenoid?

 

I left my truck at the mechanic since early this morning. When I was at his shop, he checked the transmission oillevel and saw the same black dirt/sediment that I had seen for a while on the dipstick. I had always thought that sediment was coming from the oil dipstick tube. I never thought it was coming from the transmission. So now, he is flushing out my transmission, along with putting in new oil, and a new transmission filter. Do you guys think this will solve the problem?

 

Replacing transmission fluid to fix a problem never works.

If your fluid is dark in color, get ready for a rebuild.
To prolong the rebuild a touch longer, add a quart of Lucas tranny fix.
The only thing to make tranny fluid dark in color is tranny clutch packs, and if they are worn out, changing the fluid will not make them grow back. Plus tranny fluid is full of detergents, the new fluid will clean out all the debris that is making your seals and gaskets work. That will lead to a failed tranny quicker then if you had just left it alone. Your only hope is Lucas tranny Fix, and that is a temp thing at best.

Replacing the filter wont do anything either. The only thing the tranny filters out is tranny parts, and if its plugged, its full of clucth pack material. Changing the filter wont replace the material.

IF you haven't already done the flush, dont do it. Add a quart of the Lucas stuff and save your money towwards the rebuild.

What does the fluid smell like?


PS- strickly based on your description of dark fluid,the fluid change, and assuming the discoloration isnt from teh dipstick tube, I give it 3 months. Hope I am wrong.

 

Well, I was already having the transmission flushed out during the last time I posted, so I couldn't do anything. Just like you said, it didn't do anything. So what I decided to do was tell my mechanic to have it rebuilt. So he will be taking off the transmission tomorrow and sending it out to be rebuilt, and then he will pop it in. Now, one thing that has me concerned, is that I recently heard from someone that a new transmission will cause the engine to blow or die quicker(shorten the life) because it causes the engine to work harder. Is this true? Thanks for all the help.


My mechanic told me that the filter was very clogged with debris that appeared to be from the clutch, as you mentioned.

 

No, a rebuilt tranny will not blow up an engine.

My truck had 102,000 miles on the ticker before I rebuilt my tranny. It now has 158,000 miles on her and still runs strong. The rebuild will give you back lost performance, it will feel like you have a new engine. If anything the tranny and engine will work less, more efficiently after the rebuild. It will feel like a new truck again.

I recommend you get a drain plug in teh tranny pan, then once per year drian the pan and top off with4-5 quarts of new fluid. That is all the routine maintenance you need, provided your not over heating the tranny fluid. If you tow regularly or do a bunch of mountians, or stop and go traffic, get a tranny cooler. Synthetic tranny fluid is also a very good investment. It wont be cheap, however it will make your tranny life longer. Plus it should improve your mpg.

Couple of suggestions for the rebuild. Beast Sun Shell, kevlar clutch packs, transgo shift kit, trangso pinless accumulators, Vette servo, and tell your mechanci that you want the tranny to shift firm, you want to feel it shift. Soft shifts mean hte clutch packs are slipping, slipping means heat, heat means seals and gaskets harden and dont seal very well, which means tranny death. Its all nice and stuff to have glass of water not move while going through the gears, however that is the cuaase of tranny failure. Get a real tranny and feel the gears shift.