The 2021 variant of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 manufactured by Chevrolet is a very popular heavy-duty pickup truck in the United States. Chevrolet has gained a lot of popularity over the decades for making great vehicles in several categories – sedans, SUVs, luxury, hybrids, trucks, and off-road compact pickup trucks, etc. This car brand is also a prominent competitor against other popular rivals, such as Dodge, Ford, Toyota, and more, particularly in the pickup truck industry.
However, the 2021 variant of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck seems to be struggling with its transmissions.
2021 Chevy Silverado 1500- Overview
The new model of the Silverado 1500 heavy-duty pickup truck is a favorite among many individuals that are fond of driving 4WD vehicles. This Chevy Silverado 1500 easily handles the power of various 4.8L, 5.3L, 5.7L & 6.0L engines with 4 speed 4L60E & 4L65E. Also, it offers impressive fuel economy.
The next-generation Chevrolet Silverado 6L80 transmission was introduced in the year 2005. This variant featured more advanced electronic controls, and the ability to handle the increased torque produced by modern engines.
The Chevy Silverado 1500 transmission models for their pickup trucks are of the following types:
- Chevy Silverado 1500 4.8L, 5.3L, 5.7L: 4L60E Transmission (Most in models 2011 and earlier)
- Chevy Silverado 1500 6.0L: 4L65E Transmission (6.0L only)
- Chevy Silverado 1500 HD: 4L80E Transmission (heavy-duty/HD models only)
- Chevy Silverado 1500 HD: 6L80 Transmission (Mostly in models 2007 and later)
- Chevy Silverado 1500: 8L90 Transmission (Silverado K2XX)
However, the Silverado pickup models aren’t without their problems though. So, let’s also look at some of the most common Chevy Silverado 1500 transmission problems. Additionally, we shall also look at the cost estimates in repair or replacement, and find solutions about what you can do about such problems occurring in the transmission system of the Silverado heavy-duty models.
A Quick Look at Transmission Problems Occurring in Chevy Silverado 1500
It seems the Silverado 1500 2021 model pickup is taking a hick-up with the transmission, just like its predecessor 2018 model.
Moving on, let us now take a look at some of the quite commonly occurring transmission problems with the Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup model. We’ll also take a look at what you can do to get your Chevy truck back on the road.
1. Does Not Shift Properly
Among many issues which a lot of owners of the Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck have been experiencing is the abnormal shifting with the transmissions. It isn’t supposed to work this way. The shifts usually function properly, and shifting from one gear to the other is meant to be done smoothly. It doesn’t matter if the truck has the standard manual shifts or a more modern automatic transmission system. There shouldn’t be difficulties in shifting the gears as and when required by the person driving the vehicle. This improper shifting occurring in the truck’s transmission system has also brought much disappointment among a few car owners.
The 2021 model of the Silverado 1500 has also been giving problems shifting hard to the second gear after spending a lot of time when revving in the first gear. Not only that, but a lot of owners have also reported that their truck shifts hard from reverse into drive, which often becomes very painstaking, especially in parking lots. The Silverado pickups may also make grinding noises even before the shifting of the gears takes place.
In addition to having difficulties shifting gears properly, a few Silverado owners have found that their truck’s transmission fails to give a smooth ride experience. The vehicle’s manual or automatic transmission system is meant to always function smoothly. That means both the acceleration and deceleration must happen evenly and must also shift gears without causing any bumps or jolts. This is probably why a lot of 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 owners have reported such issues that occurred with their truck’s transmission causing frequent jerking during normal operation.
Furthermore, many owners have also reported that their 2021 Silverados often produced a surge during normal acceleration and then starts to jerk forward during light acceleration. A few such issues have also appeared in other vehicles that were driven less than 112654.08 kilometers (70,000 miles) on the road. Unfortunately, not all of these problems occurring in the Silverados are covered under a warranty. As such, even General Motors, its manufacturer, does not take the issues as being true.
The last noise you would want to hear in your brand-new Silverado 1500 truck is the unexpected sound of clunking. Unfortunately, this also seems to be a common problem with the 2021 model of the Silverado 1500 pickup truck. A lot of owners have reported in the past that their Chevy truck made clunking sounds while driving in lower gears, sometimes, even while shifting to a lower gear from a higher speed. Although we still don’t know if this problem has been addressed to the car’s manufacturing company.
2. Flaw in Shift Solenoids
For the vehicle’s built-in computerized system to be able to flawlessly control the hydraulic shifting mechanism, it discharges electrical charge via a coil of wire wrapped around a plunger device, often called a solenoid.
A total of eight shift solenoids are positioned throughout the valve body, and it’s their job to direct the pressurized ATF/hydraulic fluid to the correct channel to actuate a change in the gears. So, for some unknown reason, if any of these plunger devices or solenoids starts to malfunction, the driver of the truck may experience problems, like slipping between the gears, failing to shift properly, or failing to shift into overdrive.
3. Overheating
The 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck could run into overheating primarily caused due to improper functioning in its transmission system. However, this problem doesn’t just seem to occur in this model. There are several moving parts present inside the Silverado’s transmission system. Thus, it is up to the transmission fluid to keep all the parts inside it cool and functioning.
Overheating is also likely to occur when towing heavy loads, or during constant shifting which can usually occur in stop-and-go traffic. Also, the problem could occur when driving in mountainous terrains which could intensify the car’s heat, and thus, causing the transmissions to start overheating. Now, this overheating could further result in blowing the transmission seals and damaging the clutch, bands, and valve body. So, to prevent the overheating problem from occurring in your Silverado truck, it is suggested that you install an auxiliary transmission cooler. This may help avoid such problems.
Many owners who had even decided to take their Silverado pickup trucks back to the dealers had to get nothing but disappointment. Despite reporting the problems they had experienced, they were only getting conflicting answers or no answer at all. A few dealers have even stated to the owners that it wasn’t normal behavior for their trucks. So, as with the jerking, General Motors still has to issue a recall for such problems occurring in their transmissions.
How to troubleshoot chevy silverado transmission problems?
Most of the time, your car dealer or manufacturer would simply lay back and let you figure out the solution. To find out what is causing these transmission problems in your Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck, you should consult a professional car mechanic. After that, it is a matter of verifying the problem with a visual inspection. Also, you can choose a replacement with the used Chevrolet transmission at a low cost. These used transmissions are available at affordable prices.
If you own a Chevy Silverado truck that is just a few years old, you would barely expect your truck to experience transmission problems. However, it’s rather different here. An unfortunate number of owners have experienced and some are still encountering such issues, while not getting any assistance from the company GM. Instead, the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 owners are now forced to have their transmissions replaced, and from their own pockets. The expense for the replacement could set them back with as much as $3,000 for its cost.
Final Words
To sum up, it can only be said that if you’d like to keep at bay the transmission problems occurring in your 2021 model of the Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck, then you will need to properly maintain your gearbox. Though, indeed, the factory design flaws may also have a significant part to play.
Since the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 truck’s transmission system is installed in an RWD/4WD application, therefore, all you could do is simply unbolt it from the engine, frame, and driveshaft. The installation is just an inverse of that process.
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