Does the winter/cold weather delay shift points?

[SpThomass]

Hey guys, I got an 06 Denali Xl 6.0 and I’m pretty sure a 4L60e, I’ve read that it might be a 65 though I’m doubt it.

my question is, and I don’t wanna sound dumb, but it’s my first winter outside of California so this is all new to me. Does the winter/ cold or whatever delay shift points?

I know my trans is in good condition, I keep it well maintained and it’s never given me an issue other than the time it lost almost 7 quarts driving down the palisades lol.

Since the snowstorm Thursday, I’ve noticed it revs high to shift. And also that the shifts points are delayed. Normally first to second is at 15mph at 2000rpm, for the past few days it’s at 20-25mph at 3000rpm. And after a red light it takes forever to get out first and it revs to almost 3500-4000rpm.

I’ve read about letting it warm up before driving, but I have a performance cooler on it, since I lived in California to deal with the heat, and It takes forever to heat up. Even driving an hour and a half at 80 every morning it never passes 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sorry for the wall of text, but I wanted to cover all the bases! Thanks guys!

 

[adventurenali92]

You can tell which trans you have by the M code listed in your RPO codes. You have a denali so you should have a 4L65E trans, which would be RPO code M32.

regarding shift points, they should be the same weather it’s cold or hot. Yes it’s a good idea to let the truck run for a few minutes before you get in and drive. We all do that up here in big bear where I live during the winter months. I usually let it run for 10 minutes or so before I get in and drive. But if it’s revving higher than usual you may need to check your fluid level. It could be low. Also, When was the last time you had it drained and fresh fluid put in the trans? Old burnt fluid could be causing it to rev higher.

 

[SpThomass]

You can tell which trans you have by the M code listed in your RPO codes. You have a denali so you should have a 4L65E trans, which would be RPO code M32.

regarding shift points, they should be the same weather it’s cold or hot. Yes it’s a good idea to let the truck run for a few minutes before you get in and drive. We all do that up here in big bear where I live during the winter months. I usually let it run for 10 minutes or so before I get in and drive. But if it’s revving higher than usual you may need to check your fluid level. It could be low. Also, When was the last time you had it drained and fresh fluid put in the trans? Old burnt fluid could be causing it to rev higher.

thanks man! ill look at my RPO codes, I didn’t know the specific one for the trans!

The last time I had the fluid completely serviced was when all the fluid was lost on the palisades a couple months ago. Maybe like 3 or 4 months, but I’ll definitely check again tomorrow!

thanks for the help man!

 

[Rocket Man]

Denali’s came with the 65 which is the same as the 60 except for a few slightly beefier parts. How many miles on the trans? These tend to go out starting at 150-200k and although some people get 300k or more out of them it’s rare. Are you sure you didn’t damage it when you lost all the fluid?

 

[Jimmyy]

I know mine will not shift in to OD until the engine is warmed up.

 

[SpThomass]

Denali’s came with the 65 which is the same as the 60 except for a few slightly beefier parts. How many miles on the trans? These tend to go out starting at 150-200k and although some people get 300k or more out of them it’s rare. Are you sure you didn’t damage it when you lost all the fluid?

its about to hit 225k! Before the winter storm it was fine, so I think it is the cold but I have no idea. I had it checked by a local GMC dealership and they said it was good for its age and that since I stopped driving immediately after I noticed something was wrong (the fluid loss) there wasn’t any damage.

Even though the shifts are higher and delayed, the shifts feel fine. Like they are pretty smooth and aren’t harsh at all.

 

[exp500]

Have it scanned for codes. May not be transmission at all. just the computer adjusting things so you can drive.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

Both of mine shift at a few hundred rpm's higher but only when really cold and not warmed up good before driving.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

I know mine will not shift in to OD until the engine is warmed up.

I won't even put the trans into OD until it has warmed up a bit.

 

[FrankU]

It takes a little more RPM to shift when very cold , my experience. I never warm up but drive slow at first when its cold out.

When's the last time you changed the trans fluid ? Did you change the trans fluid after the overheat (puking) ?

How many miles on it ?