No 3rd, no OD :(

A few days ago 3rd and OD decided to take off and have not returned to work. Trans works fine in 1st, 2nd, and reverse, but when it up shifts to 3rd it's like it goes into neutral. It's not even slipping, you gas it and the RPMS go up and the MPH goes down. Guessing I'm looking at a tranny replacement, any one have any ideas?

Very common for the 4l60e's, a rebuild should set you back around $1000. When mine went out I spent the extra money and bought a 3000 stall from Yank, what a difference it made. Another option is a 6 speed swap, but that is pretty involved and expensive.

The two Stickys at the top of the Drivetrain and Towing section explain what might be going on.

transmission words of wisdom

Common 4l60e problems

From the words of wisdom. (Internet Diagnosis)
Rule #5.  If your car drives like 1-2-N and does it repeatedly, this is the 3-4 clutchpack gone out.  Yes, it happened to you too.  Sorry.

-D

So can the 3 4 clutch pack be repaired in the car or does the trans have to come out?

Trans has to come out. You'll want to shop around for a good transmission shop. Not Ammco. Friend of mine got the transmission in his Impala SS rebuild for $1500, this included removal and re-installation of the trans into the car. So basically dropped off his car in the morning, and picked it up that night with trans rebuilt. Guy also installed all the update parts. So shop around, there should be a shop in your area that specializes in 4L60/700R4 transmissions.

Sorry I'm late to the party... I lost forum access at work (somebody set the filters to Nazi mode and that was it).

If you travel at all, get a Jasper or GM reman. They are good units and the warranty is excellent.

I second the "Not Aamco." Burnt twice by them...

When having the transmission rebuilt, try to find a rebuilder that has considerable experience with the 4L60E. I ended up driving over 100 miles each way to find the “right” guy. I did install it myself, though. Another common failure point in these transmissions is the “sun shell”. Sonnax makes a superior replacement. It’s a little more expensive than the “run of the mill” replacements, but compared to the overall job cost, I feel that it’s worth the few extra dollars.

Be very careful with rebuilt torque converters. I had a rebuilt transmission in my '86 Buick fail after a year (on a one year warranty) because of a poorly rebuilt converter. Just because it’s a big name brand doesn’t mean that it’s a good one. I personally believe that “Precision” is one of the better brands. Again, they are a few dollars more than some of the popular names, but, as I recall, cheaper than one from GM.

Also great time to upgrade the stall convertor!

Mine did this on the interstate this morning... fun times with five lanes of traffic...
Long drive in to work at 55mph in the slow lane and still backing up traffic...