[rockonrandy]

Well how to start... Took my new '09 to the dealer for my scotchgard and paint protection package. Picked it up tonight and drove down the street and when I would let up on the pedal it would freewheel. I thought maybe it was cold and would shift differently when it warmed up. Nope, any speed under 45 it just drops to an idle and freewheels in drive. I have a long hill about 10 miles from town so it was warmed up and it acts just like you've put the trans in neutral. Down the hill after I slow it to 45 and it freewheels down the hill idling and gaining speed. Didn't do this before, it would slow and shift to a lower gear as it slowed like it does in tow mode only at lower rpms. Called the dealer they say, no they didnt do anything yet there was a piece of tape on the floor that matched another piece on the black box near the plug in by the parking brake. hummm.... Sorry for being longwinded, just the facts maam. Any ideas ?? Thanks, Randy

 

[sparepartsracing]

bring it back to the dealer its obvious its there fault they should take care of it, if not then take it to the next level, gm is a bunch of p*cks if you ask me i dont even bothers with warantee work i just do it myself so its done right the first time

 

[Len Todd]

Its new. Take it into the shop. It will be covered under warranty. Also, they have the instruments to properly scan. Just about all problems have an associated code. The codes tell them what to look at and test. When they do fix it, ask for the codes. Then you can double check what they are tellin' you and doing.

I know it can be upsetting. But all electronics are subject to "infant mortality." Be glad you found it close to home. If could have happened 45 miles north of Destruction Bay (A.K.A. Middle of nowhere Yukon, Canada.)

 

[054x4dmax]

yup warranty

but

r u sure the 1st time u went down the hill u werent in tow mode? it back shifts then

 

[rockonrandy]

Freewheelin

Before when i would go down the hills it would hold the rpm up with whatever speed I was going, it didnt shift down unless I would brake it then it would dowshift at lower speeds and rpms. Now I can, at speeds below 45 rev the motor up and down without engaging unless I rev to the rpm of the gear. At 45 I can put it in neutral and back into drive and the rpm doesn't come off idle. whats puzzling is it didn't do it till it went to the dealer !!

 

[daddysLBZ]

fill out your signature,what year truck ?Like asked before were you in tow/haul mode?And maybe you were in tow/haul mode and the other time you were not?I know mine did some shifting I def wasn't used to on a few hills before[5%grades and steeper]....But I cannot recall ever experiencing anything like that.....what do you think the dealer did?
oh,it's not really cool to go to neutral then back into drive on a hill either..

 

[054x4dmax]

i think he said it feels like it goes in drive n neutral , hes not really shifting it

 

[rockonrandy]

Let see ... First of all I've hauled freight from Washington to Alaska via the Yukon, Yeah its nowhereland sometimes. No, I wasn't in tow mode the other times alltho I tried it today and it worked perfectly shifting down at higher rpms and such. The best way I can describe it, is its like a car trans that you forget to hook up the vacumn modulator and when you let up on the throttle it just idles and when you throttle up it engages again. above 45 it maintains rpm relative to speed but as you slow down and hit 45 it suddenly drops to an idle like you had pushed in the clutch on a manual tranny.

 

[daddysLBZ]

I hear you on that..no man I know I drive mine all over the country also,so having it in tip top shape is IMPORTANT to me......hmmm,that is weird,is it getting hot[overheat/exceeding 230*?],is it only on a hill or incline?how often?nowhereland,I digit,try the swamps at 2am.lol

 

[ob_1jr]

Hmmm sounds like your TC is unlocking...in normal mode it will do that (on flat ground)... i know mine does that, but if i am on a hill and tap the brakes (in normal mode) it will downshift and hold the gear with the TC locked. I know i have the 5 speed and you have the 6, but it should still work similar.

How many miles on your tranny fluid? When is the last time the spin-on filter was changed? How about your fuel filter?

 

[rockonrandy]

If i'm on the level slowing down for an intersection it does the same thing, right at 45 it drops to an idle right up to the stop sign. It only runs 130* Only 1000 miles

 

[ob_1jr]

That is normal on flat ground...mine unlocks about the same speed

 

[ICULKN]

Is your Tow /Haul on ?? and was it prior to you bringing into dealer for your detail job. It is the button on your gear shift lever, press 1 time and the little trailer will show up on gauge cluster, The Tow/Haul will lock up the torque converter and the trans will downshift and, also will hold the gears a little longer during up shifts. This will stop the freewheeling. And Read the Owner Manuel

 

[daddysLBZ]

I just think he needs to get used to it........

 

[Len Todd]

Part of owning a truck is having confidence in it. I would take it into the dealer and explain what you are feeling/seeing. They will check it out.

Even if you previously had a gasser, there is a bit of a learning curve. But, that should only be regarding the auto-downshift in Tow-Haul mode and use of the Manual Shift. Seeing the Rev Limiter cut in at 3200 throws you the first couple times too. But other than that, my '09 DMax feels like it is operating just like my gassers. I have never felt like it was free-wheeling. Even at 45 or below you can still feel the engine drag, especially when it was new.

On a side note: When you get a new vehicle and think there is anything wrong, get it in to the dealer and record the problem. Who knows, you may end up lemoning the truck and you want any lemon qualifying incident recorded as soon as possible. In Mich we only pay 10 cents per mile to the first lemon qualifying incident.

I lemoned my 96 Chev gasser. Luckily, I recorded the passenger door not opening at 640 miles. After the truck fuel injectors went bad twice, had a fire in the dash and several other significant problems, I lemoned it on the passenger door not opening. Three times, I took it in for the door and still ended up fixing it myself by taking out the door rod, re-bending it and tempering the bend. In Mich, when you loose confidence in the vehicle, the vehicle qualifies as a lemon. Three failures on any same sub-system, is adequate reason, according to the Mich law, to loose confidence the vehicle.

It took them a full year to get through court. On the last day GM settled, which is GM's strategy. They hope you quit paying on the loan or wreck the vehicle, before they have to settle. Somehow, I still made over $500 on the deal, even though I drove it 79K miles, got all my payments & interest back and had a lawyer involved. Lots of headaches with the truck though. But, when you have to have repairs made and you are in the lemon process, always press for a loaner. Once they know you are lemoning, you will get one.

But, we are nowhere near lemoning here. My point is once you loose confidence in it, the truck is a lemon, in Mich. Even the simplest of things that goes wrong could come into play. So register even the little things with the dealer ASAP. Failure to so may cost you in the long run.

 

[N2BRK]

any chance they hooked it up to a tech2 and updated software cal and the tranny relearn? Now it's learned and fine? Just a thought.

 

[gr8shot]

Ok, what you're describing here is 100% normal. The torque converter normally will lock at 50mph or right about there under light throttle. It also unlocks just below 50mph. When the converter is unlocked, of course the engine will idle. Thats the whole point of a torque converter. Above 50 or so, it's still locked so the engine's speed matches the gear and rpms for that speed.

Again, what you described is 100% normal. If anything, I'd think something was wrong before if the TC wasn't unlocking when you slowed down.

I'm sure more LMM owners will chime in and put your fears at ease, but that is what the truck is supposed to do, exactly what it's supposed to do. If you want the TC to stay engauged longer, put it in tow/haul as you slow down, and it will downshift and keep the TC locked and use the engine to slow you down. But from what you described, there is not a thing wrong with your truck

-Jesse

 

[Len Todd]

There is quite a difference between "freewheeling" and the TC changing states. But, maybe the TC chaging state is what he is feeling/observing. Terms are relative here. But, I actually have one of the '09s. I have never felt like it was freewheeling, ... ever. But, no matter what... I would never put my dime on this observation based on internet forum comments, if I felt it was freewheeling. I would take it in to dealer and ask questions about my observations, before I settled on what I was questioning not being a problem. Like I said, it is a confidence issue. And if there is a real issue, then he is in the right place to get it resolved. It is also an opportunity to help build a good relationship with the dealer, too.

 

[rockonrandy]

Followup on freewheeling

Ok!! Did an oil change last night and found the plug partly disconnected on the tail of the tranny. Reconnected. Went for a test ride later and the tranny acts differently. Yes it still unlocks at 45 but now it has some drag on it as it slows down, not freewheeling, also it engages in the proper gear as I accelerate. Allritey then I'm a happier camper now !! So now my question is, Is that a fuel cooler on the return line to the tank??

 

[RTanner]

yup, its a fuel cooler! And good for you on the plug find, be sure to tell the dealer for when it happens to someone else. Weird that it didnt throw a code?