2013 Traverse Slipping/Trans question?

676 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Shelcom, 6 d ago

dotmatrix

Own a 2013 LT - bought brand new. 115k miles and still in pristine condition. We love this vehicle and it's been an absolute workhorse on ice and snow. Never had a single problem aside from a minor fuel pump issue about six months after buying and one recall on a seatbelt clip and that's it. We have maintained very meticulously.

Recently we have noticed a shudder/vibration (assuming transmission?) when car travels between 25-30 and 45-50. This behavior is more noticeable on inclines. Family member is a former mechanic and has run it through his diagnostic device while on a ten mile drive and got no codes.

Is this the failure point others are seeing for the transmission in this year/model? If so, this is absolutely ridiculous since this is an otherwise a completely solid and reliable vehicle.

Thanks for any feedback/experiences on this issue.

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RandyMan

· #2 · 4 mo ago (Edited)

Disregard this post, I totally missed that he has a 2013, I thought it said 2019.

Yes, that sounds like the dreaded transmission shudder.

Before going into full "dread" mode, I would do the double dump and fill of the transmission fluid. Note, I did not say flush. Read this post:

2020 9 speed transmission service

Here's how to service the new 9 speed transmission. The wifey's Traverse just hit 2k miles, so lets take a look and see how it's doing. If you can change your own oil, you can do this!! The dealer charges a ton of money to do it, and putting it off could cost you a transmission... so lets get...

www.traverseforum.com

Then I would do the double dump and fill using the Mobil 1 Blue Label fluid:

Amazon.com: Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP Case 6 x 1 Quart : Automotive

Buy Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP Case 6 x 1 Quart: Motor Oils - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

You should need 12 quarts to do it twice.

-RandyMan

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greentraverse

· #3 · 4 mo ago

RandyMan said:
Yes, that sounds like the dreaded transmission shudder.

Before going into full "dread" mode, I would do the double dump and fill of the transmission fluid. Note, I did not say flush. Read this post:

2020 9 speed transmission service

Here's how to service the new 9 speed transmission. The wifey's Traverse just hit 2k miles, so lets take a look and see how it's doing. If you can change your own oil, you can do this!! The dealer charges a ton of money to do it, and putting it off could cost you a transmission... so lets get...

www.traverseforum.com

Then I would do the double dump and fill using the Mobil 1 Blue Label fluid:

Amazon.com: Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP Case 6 x 1 Quart : Automotive

Buy Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP Case 6 x 1 Quart: Motor Oils - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

You should need 12 quarts to do it twice.

-RandyMan

The OP has a 1st Gen; you're links are for the 2nd Gen. Not sure his problem is the same???? Different transmission and different fluid.

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dotmatrix

Discussion Starter · #4 · 4 mo ago

greentraverse said:
The OP has a 1st Gen; you're links are for the 2nd Gen. Not sure his problem is the same???? Different transmission and different fluid.

Thanks, I was wondering about this too - mine is a 2013. Sounds like the exact same problem others are having though.

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greentraverse

· #5 · 4 mo ago

dotmatrix said:
Thanks, I was wondering about this too - mine is a 2013. Sounds like the exact same problem others are having though.

Try some searches for "torque converter" and see if you get any with similar symptoms as yours for 1st Gen's. I seem to recall some issues like this being resolved by a new torque converter.

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RandyMan

· #6 · 4 mo ago

greentraverse said:
The OP has a 1st Gen; you're links are for the 2nd Gen. Not sure his problem is the same???? Different transmission and different fluid.

Yep, I totally misread that as a 2019 LT. Please disregard.

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dotmatrix

Discussion Starter · #7 · 4 mo ago (Edited)

Thanks for the clarification guys.

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L2W

· #8 · 10 d ago (Edited)

dotmatrix said:
Own a 2013 LT - bought brand new. 115k miles and still in pristine condition. We love this vehicle and it's been an absolute workhorse on ice and snow. Never had a single problem aside from a minor fuel pump issue about six months after buying and one recall on a seatbelt clip and that's it. We have maintained very meticulously.

Recently we have noticed a shudder/vibration (assuming transmission?) when car travels between 25-30 and 45-50. This behavior is more noticeable on inclines. Family member is a former mechanic and has run it through his diagnostic device while on a ten mile drive and got no codes.

Is this the failure point others are seeing for the transmission in this year/model? If so, this is absolutely ridiculous since this is an otherwise a completely solid and reliable vehicle.

Thanks for any feedback/experiences on this issue.

Did you ever find the cause/solution? What you're describing is happening to me too, exactly as you described with the speed and happening at higher speeds especially going uphill. Mine started a few months after the issue I reported below resolved itself. It seems the two may be related, although it's very possible there's two different underlying causes.

Everything I'm reading suggests it could be transmission, torque converter, or misfiring. I'm at 97K miles so I'm due for spark plug and coil replacement. Oddly if I let go of the gas pedal, the stuttering stops most of the time. I can then press the gas pedal again a second later and sometimes it'll go higher in speed without anymore stuttering. Sometimes I have to repeat a few times.

At highway speeds like 55 mph uphill, I notice if I press the gas pedal and get the RPM up, and speed over 60 mph, the stuttering stops. I tested in L mode and it's happening even when I'm NOT changing gears, for example from 3 to 4 etc.

Thanks!

2013- Traverse, Engine dies when braking

I have a 2013 traversewith 128k miles. In the last 3 months I have had an issue where it occasionally(4×) has died while braking to stop at my mailbox or to put in park. It is very random and it also has a long pause between 2nd and 3rd gears at about 20mph, this happens every time I drive it...

www.traverseforum.com

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Shelcom

· #9 · 6 d ago

I am also having this exact same problem with my 2016 Traverse. "The mystery shudder". I don't think it's the transmission itself because the shifting itself is smooth and normal. It's just from 'excellerating' at very low speeds around 25 mph or excellerating onto the highway. If I let go of the gas pedal and repress the pedal it all works fine again.

I had a similar problem with two previous vehicle that after replacing the transmission on the first one and still having the same problem ended up being the electronic advance module. On the second car I was told it needed a new computer module for $2k and still had the same problem. It turned out to be the plugs and a bad coil.

This seems similar. But I already had the plugs changed 5k miles ago. It's as if the engine and torque converter are out of sync with each other. I'm afraid to take it to the dealer to experiment at my expense. Like tell me it's the transmission when it's a coil or a timing chain when it's a torque converter.

Since there's no check engine light or code I'm in limbo. So I'll just wait till something else happens next. Hopefully a code or something more obvious. I'll keep an eye on this thread in case someone finds the answer and a solution.

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