Is there anyone with a 95-99 Monte or with a 4T65E transmission that would give me some feedback on this ........

I thought my 99 Monte's 4T65E was shifting into 4th at under 30 MPH. The tranny shop I deal with let me hold and view their scan tool while they drove. Turns out that what I thought was a 4th gear shift was actually the torque converter locking up in third at 28 mph. The tranny shifts into 3rd at 23 MPH then the TC applies at 28 MPH. The service manual does state that the TC will apply at about 30 MPH in third, but should I feel it? Should it apply so strongly that I mistake it for a shift? 4th gear then comes in at about 45 MPH. I've read that the TC on this tranny is designed to "allow slippage" so I would have expected a smooth, almost imperceptible lockup. Thoughts, anyone?

 

It's definitely noticeable on both of my 4T65E cars- you can remove or modify lockup settins with a tuner, so if it really bothers you, find someone with HP Tuners or DHP and they can change it for you.

 

Ok, that's two owners of the same transmission and one transmission shop telling me that my very noticible 3rd gear lockup of the torque converter is normal. (By the way, I loose several hundred rpms when it locks up in 3rd.) On the flip side, my helpful Goodwrench man wants to sell me a $3,500 tranny. So far the vote is 2-1 in favor of my transmission being normal.

 

Update - Last week, I asked the dealer to drive my car. I thought it was shifting into 4th too soon. They drove it and told me I need a new tranny - cost $3,500. The tranny that's in it is a rebuilt unit from another shop - still under warranty. So, I go back the the shop that rebuilt it. I said "The Chevy dealer says this tranny has Internal Damage and they recommend a new unit." So, the shop that rebuilt it drives it (with me in the car) and they say - "what your feeling is your TC locking up - it's normal". Now back I go to the Chevy dealer. I said, "My tranny shop tells me that nothing is wrong with this tranny. Take another look at it and if you think something is not right, tell me SPECIFICALLY why you think it needs a new transmission". So..... I just got a call from the dealer. Guess what? They just called and told me that they drove it again and "Everything seems fine. Everything is normal". I'm going over there soon to pick it up. This should be interesting.

 

Spoke to the serv mgr. He said he had two techs look at it. The TCC lockup is normal. I said " is the speed at which it locks up normal?" He said "yea, I don't know what speed exactly, but that's probably how the car was set to operate" Geez, I thought by going to the dealer, I was going to the "experts". I guess not. He had no explanation for why the prior dx was "recommend new transmission". That was my last visit to this particular dealer. The moral of this story .... get more than one opinion if someone is recommending major work to your car !!