Lawsuit Alleges GM Transmission Problems Known Since 2014
It is well-known that the American car
manufacturer GM has been taken to court for legal proceedings on several cases
related to problems with its 8-speed automatic transmissions, which has
collected a large number of complaints regarding drivability problems
(including vibrations, jolts, and hard shifts). Recently, new significant
details have been unveiled on the GM transmission scandal.
The media source GM Authority has gained access
to curious data on the abovementioned judicial cases. According to these
materials, the automaker may have been well informed about the problems
connected to its transmission units as far back as September of 2014. The mentioned
papers cite a number of TSB documents and other GM correspondence about
complications related to the problematic gear shifting solutions. By
coincidence, September 2014 was approximately the release date of the 8-speed
automatics.
In addition to the current legal proceedings, a wide range of issues related to the 8-speed units have been recorded due to numerous complaints filed with the NHTSA, thereby illustrating the high prevalence of the issues.
GM 8L45
To be more precise, we are talking about the 8L90 and 8L45 units, which found a wide application in RWD GM models including the Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac brands. The list of affected models includes the following:
The automaker has already issued a wide range
of TSB documents in an effort to find an efficient solution for the GM gearbox
issues. Last month, it was reported that the latest 18-NA-355 TSB found the
long-awaited solution, which lies in usage of a special type of Mobil 1 ATF.
Mobil 1 Synthetic LV
ATF HP fluid
Particularly, the saving TSB fixes “torque converter clutch (TCC) shudder conditions” for the both problematic units. The problems seem to be caused by presence of moisture in the fluid. Actually, it is known that some owners of the cars equipped with defective gearboxes managed to solve issues thanks to the use of the specified ATF. However, if this solution doesn’t help, then it may be needed to replace a torque converter, as a car’s existing converter could have become glazed.
