08 Ltd 6R60 won't downshift in (2) or (3). Only in (D)

[pjw73nh]

2008 Ltd 4.6 L 6R60 Transmission.

OK, So I've had the car for about 35 kmiles now. 98k on the clock. I bought it in 2011 with 62k.

The car has been a pretty good car. Yeah, I did the coil and spark plug dance. I had the manifolds re studded. Small stuff.

I tow a 5100 lb trailer about 1000 miles each summer. I never tow with overdrive on. I have a Scangauge II on it so I can watch and am very cognizant of the Trans temp and the water temp.

The only time I have had the car in to the dealer was to check to see if TSB 08-3-8 had been performed on it (Delayed trans tip in). They told me it had. $150 please.

Here is what the car is doing and HAS been doing since I got it. It's just that I hardly EVER use the car in any transmission selector position but D(rive).

If I have the selector in 3 or 2, the car does not downshift. The car starts off (fluid coupled) in that gear from a stop. I can duplicate the issue on command.

If I am at a stop and put the selector in 3, and give it some gas, the car starts in 3rd (or whatever gear the 3 stands for) and stays there. It doesn't upshift or downshift no matter how far I press the gas pedal. I can watch the tach and it never drops down (upshifting). It just continually goes up and plateaus off when I reach cruising speed.

It does the same thing in (2). It also doesn't matter if I am cruising along in (D) and then drop it to (3). It downshifts to 3 (expected), but if I then come to a stop with it in (3) it will not downshift. It starts in 3rd as detailed above.

So what I am saying is that it doesn't matter if I am moving and then manually move the selector to 3 or 2 and then stop, or if am stopped and put the selector in 2 or 3. Whatever position the selector is in, is the gear that I start in and stay in.

It also doesn't matter if OD is on or off. Same issue.

As I mentioned above, the cur runs fine and has been running fine in (D) for 4 years and 35 k miles. It has had this issue all along.

I'll add this for diagnostic purposes if it helps. One other very minor issue is that when the car sits for a few days without being used, when I put it in gear the first time, it takes 1-2 seconds for the trans fluid to build up and start moving the car. It's very minor and only happens after it has been sitting for a few days. After that initial 1-2 seconds, it's fine.

I hope I have explained this clearly.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have this issue?

Thanks.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

automatic transmissions to my experience only shift in D.... even the 5r55 I have now in my 2007 will stay in the gear selected... 1 is 1st... 2 is 2nd and 3 is 3rd.... so if you are driving in snow and you keep slipping you can shift to 2 or 3 and it will take off slower... I have never owned a transmission that when you select 2 it will freely shift between 1 and 2... 2 means 2 but it will not make the downshift until the rpms drop low enough.... sounds like you have a perfectly working trans

the gear selector is not a gear limiter its a gear selector... what you see is what you get

the overdrive is the only speed you can avoid while in automatic.... because if you tow and it keeps jumping in and out you fry the clutch pack.... ive never towed anything and turned off OD unless there are tons of hills

 

[bender]

yes this is working as intended, the truck will hold whatever gear you have selected. (3, 2, 1). Where my input will differ from the other response is that I have noticed that most other auto trans will shift (say you start out with the selector in 2, the car will start in 1, and then shift to 2 and hold 2. the explorer doesn't do this and like I said is working as intended. if you wanted, you could manually shift, starting in 1, then 2, then 3. I like that the explorer lets you override and start out in 1,2,3.

 

[pjw73nh]

Hi Folks. Thank you very much for the info. I just looked at the owners manual (RTFM) and found the section that in fact details this. I should've looked here before posting. Both of you are correct. Starting any any gear except (D), starts and stays in that gear.

Bender, yes, I agree every other auto trans I've used acts as you described. Examples: If selector is in (2), from a stop it will start in (1) and shift to (2) and stay there. If selector is in (3), from a stop it will start in (1) and shift to (2) then (3) and stay there.

This is what was confusing me.

Thanks for the input.

-Paul.../NH

 

[MotorCityFats13]

My 4r70 behind my 5.4 worked this same way as did all the c3 c6's ive had but that was so many years ago so i could be wrong i cant remember how my th400 im me 79 jeep cj7 acted since i was 16-20 and i never started in anything other than 1st or drive... Ill check out how my girlfriends 04 trailblazer shifts