Chevrolet Lumina - Anyone got a S. African G M contact?

[slippery]

I have a Lumina SS which has a persistently re-occuring automatic gearbox failure, where 3rd and 4th gears are lost completely, following a short period where there are slipping clutch type symptoms, before suffering a total loss of drive. The gearbox has now been rebuilt 3 times but about 2 months after every rebuild it happens again. The car has now been off the road for several months while I fight a costly legal battle with the importer I bought it from brand new, who wants nothing to do with fixing it properly. They have informed me that that car was supplied to them for export in Johannesburg with a 3 year 100000km warranty and suggest pursuing it along those lines as they are out of ideas. My main problem is, I don't even know what is causing the fault and getting a gearbox rebuilt half a dozen times a year is not an option. Does anyone know if there's any chance of some goodwill from G.M or Chevrolet on this one, or failing that, at least some solid diagnosis to enable me to fix the problem once and for all? A name and number for someone who can help me with the above would really help restore my sanity! Legal bill £2k and rising, but I have no choice with a car that doesn't work and noone that seems to know for sure how it can be fixed. HELP!!!

[uk hsv]

I have been looking through the Holden dealer reports and I can not find any mention of a major gearbox problem................

Also not getting far with a contact name and number for GM in S/A.....

Have you sent an email via the GM S/A site? <a href="http://www.chevrolet.co.za/chevrolet.jhtml"><a href="http://www.chevrolet.co.za/chevrolet.jhtml">www.chevrolet.co.za/chevrolet.jhtml</a></a>

The JOHANNESBURG dealer is:

Contact
: Chris Asmal
Phone : [phone]
Fax : [phone]
Email : [e-mail]
Address : Cnr Atlas & Allblack Roads
BOKSBURG
1459
Postal Address
: P O Box 1508
DUNSWART
1501

OR


Contact
: K G (KEITH) LESTER
Phone
: [phone]
Fax
: [phone]
Email
: [e-mail]
Address
: 6 ARENA CLOSE
BRUMA
2198
Postal Address
: P O BOX 1649
BRUMA
2026


OR


Contact
: S J (FANIE) LOMBAARD
Phone
: [phone]
Fax
: (011 764 3902
Email
: [e-mail]
Address
: 139 Ontdekkersweg
ROODEPOORT
1724
Postal Address
: P O BOX 6578
WESTGATE
1734



I will keep looking for a good contact..........

>> Edited by uk hsv on Friday 3rd December 17:06

>> Edited by uk hsv on Friday 3rd December 17:08

>> Edited by uk hsv on Friday 3rd December 17:10

[uk hsv]

What year is the car?

Has the car been modified?

Did the importer change the PCM?

can you confirm it is the Hydra-Matic 4L60-E......

[Supersante]

Try Mark at LSV 01933 670980

[slippery]

Thanks for the info guys. The car is a VX SS built in 2001. It was then sold still unregistered to the importers in 2002 (They bought a batch at the same time). I bought the last one they had as a brand new unregistered car in September 2003. It has not been modified. Sorry to sound dim UK HSV, but I don't know for sure which gearbox it is, other than it being a 4 speed auto. Any way I can tell? What is a PCM? Is that to do with engine management? I doubt if they changed anything they didn't have to change to get it through the SVA. I have just e-mailed Chevrolet S.A. via the site you kindly gave me the link for. I got an automatic acknowledgement promising me a response and giving me a point of contact. I submitted it under the 'warranty enquiry' category. Worth a go I suppose!

>> Edited by slippery on Friday 3rd December 23:13

[uk hsv]

my train of thought was based on the gearbox being the first computer controlled hydra-matic auto and it has been known that some cars have line pressure problems when the PCM is edited - which blows up the gearbox!!!!!

This train of though is also supported by the fact the box has been rebuilt many times (they would have found a machanical problem after 3 try's!!!!!!I hope.

without seing the car this is all guess work but it might help!

The only service report I can find is this one about "Harsh Shifts, with a bump at the end of the shift"

www.hsvdriversclub.co.uk/parts/update4l60-e.pdf

[uk hsv]

the file is a pdf file........

you need to load the software (it is free)

www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2596

[slippery]

You teach computer studies too, very impressive! I can just about switch mine on. I hope Chevrolet S.A. are as helpful! Some hope! My VIN number is 6G1XK52F92L763476 if that's any help.

>> Edited by slippery on Saturday 4th December 23:35

[V-Car]

Gday slippery, i guess you already know that the Lumina you bought is imported into South Africa fully built up from GM Holden in Australia, and is exactly the same as the VX Commodore SS.
Mechanically its very similar to the Vauxhall Monaro sold there, so have you spoken to anyone at Vauxhall about it?
Failing all of that, try speaking to Craig at Craigs Automatics in Sydney (61 2 9755 1158), hes a guru on these boxes.
Holden have produced hundreds of thousands of Commodores equipped with these T700/4L60E and there isnt anything he doesnt know about them.
Hes also a sponsor on the LS1 forums in Australia, so have a look at his section in that forum and ask him about your problems there.
www.ls1.com.au/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=42

>> Edited by V-Car on Sunday 5th December 10:29

[sid447]

Slippery,

Sounds like the car model you have is a VX Series 1.
You can confirm by checking where the IAT (Intake Air Sensor) is located. If it's at the front upper part of the airfilter box it'll be VX-1.
If it's in the maf-pipe just inboard of the maf-meter; it's a VX-2.

As for your tranny problems; they are not the most reliable of boxes, or particularly strong enough for this application.
Mine had 2-3rd solenoid sticking problems at around 18,000kms and then refused to engage 4th at 26,200kms which necessitated a complete re-build under warranty.
(I subsequently had a T56 custom-built and fitted at 32,000kms and my unwanted 4L60-E is in a packing crate inside the garage.

But from the problem you are describing that is pretty unusual.
Can you get it diagnosed with Tech-2 at a GM dealership to see what code(s) it is coming up with?

If the box has been re-built under warranty then the problem must be something they are missing (bare minimum work done to rectify on warranty work, better to slip the guy a back-hander and get a total re-build).
One thing you could try is emailing a transmission specialist such as TCI (they have an online tech-helpline)

[urlwww.tciauto.com/transmissions/[/url]

They can also supply the bits necessary for the box to not only work okay for you but survive with a fair bit of durability too, which ALL 4L60-Es need even when in full working order.

[sjc]

Slippery,try Auto Transmisions in Hornchurch, Essex and ask for Andy or Martin. They certainly know their stuff on Autos,(repaired my old company Mondeo) and also Martin owns a HSV! If you can't find a number for them I've got it at work somewhere.............and get a bloody manual next time!

[slippery]

Couldn't agree more sjc and if it was a manual car that was available at the price I paid for it, I would have happily bought it. Apparently, the gearbox has been entirely re-built on each occaision, under a mechanical breakdown insurance policy which has now expired. Very spooky that you say Hornchurch though, because the rebuilds took place just down the road in Dagenham. I must say though, I do like the idea of talking to an Holden owning automatic gearbox specialist.

[sjc]

Slippery, mail me with your number and I'll contact you tomorrow with the Auto Transmissions number.

[slippery]

How do I get to mail you? This is the bit where I look really stupid because the answer is starring me in face!!!

[sjc]

Click on my profile and you'll see it.!

[slippery]

Cheers, it's done. Speak to you tomorrow.