So this just happened...is it bad?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

tkdgirl

Full Access Member
Joined
May 25, 2019
Posts
102
Reaction score
45
Location
Michigan
Towing on vacation and engine started losing power, RPMs went nuts and engine light came on.

How serious is this? 2011 XL Denali 165k.

3rd code is historic camshaft ( no worries here).
1000020539.jpg
 
OP
OP
tkdgirl

tkdgirl

Full Access Member
Joined
May 25, 2019
Posts
102
Reaction score
45
Location
Michigan
Depends on what's triggering it. Could be TEHCM, Valve Body or internal case. Any trans-related drivability symptoms?
Not until this happened. It started with short revs from2-3-4 RPM then back to normal . I pulled over to check for pCodes and nothing. 30min later it happened again and engine light came on. Pulled over immediately and had it towed.tona friend's place.

When I turned it on after filling up, it was very slow to turn over, them I heard a weird noise like a fan or something. It stopped, the symptoms started after that.
 

NickTransmissions

Sin City
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2023
Posts
1,088
Reaction score
2,613
Location
The transmission bench
Not until this happened. It started with short revs from2-3-4 RPM then back to normal . I pulled over to check for pCodes and nothing. 30min later it happened again and engine light came on. Pulled over immediately and had it towed.tona friend's place.

When I turned it on after filling up, it was very slow to turn over, them I heard a weird noise like a fan or something. It stopped, the symptoms started after that.
P0796 is a solenoid performance code specific to clutch pressure control solenoid 3 (CPC3 stuck 'off') however much of the time your TEHCM isn't to blame (the solenoids are all housed w/in the TEHCM (transmission electronic hydraulic control module) and cannot be replaced individually. That code will set when you have worn CB1/4-5-6 clutch boost and regulator valve and/or bore wear and the hydraulic signal (solenoid fluid flow feedback) is outside of spec so DTC P0796 will set.

At 165k, you're due for a transmisson overhaul so I'd begin preparing for one. In the meantime, put a two-way scan tool on it and take for a test drive so you can see what's happening and tie the symptoms/conditions to a cause(s) via live enigne and transmission data. What you do beyond that will be based on what the test drive reveals, including review/assessment of PID values like shift speeds, TCC slip speed @ higher duty cycles, etc.
 

j91z28d1

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2022
Posts
3,078
Reaction score
3,804
I'm definitely not a transmission guy, but could the tranny make it hard to crank the engine over? if not it has me wondering if you have a battery cable issue. these trucks go nuts with sporadic voltages. could that be enough to set a tranny fault code?


it's pretty common on here for the pos and neg cables to look fine on the outside but be eatup with corrosion inside the housing.
 
OP
OP
tkdgirl

tkdgirl

Full Access Member
Joined
May 25, 2019
Posts
102
Reaction score
45
Location
Michigan
I'm definitely not a transmission guy, but could the tranny make it hard to crank the engine over? if not it has me wondering if you have a battery cable issue. these trucks go nuts with sporadic voltages. could that be enough to set a tranny fault code?


it's pretty common on here for the pos and neg cables to look fine on the outside but be eatup with corrosion inside the housing.
The hard crank has been consistent whenever I tow for a long period of time. For example when I stop to fill up for gas after towing for 2 hours and then turn it on the hard crank happens. At times it almost sounds like it won't even start. I had the starter replaced earlier this year thinking that was it but it's not.
 

j91z28d1

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2022
Posts
3,078
Reaction score
3,804
that's a not a good thing. that slow crank is basically like a dead short to the electrical system thru the starter. it's ******* the new starter too. in over simply terms, when there's a load like that, basically a short thru the none spinning starter, it steals all the electricity from everything else in the truck, the rest of the truck needs power to run during cranking, to run the ecm, fuel pump and injectors. these spikes and stuff in voltage is when these trucks freak out sometimes. the amount of posts that have been solved by replacing cables or tightening terminals is wild



my 2 cents would be load test the battery, directly on the battery posts, not the terminals. if it load tests good, replace both battery cables, make sure the new battery terminals are clean and tight. really tight, like you can't move them with 2 hands trying your hardest.

if it's still hard to turn over you have something mechanical, but it's probably just cables and stuff, unless you have a misery slow coolent loss too. cables are basically a maintenance item in these trucks. other vehicles they might be life time, these for some reason are not.


if you are handy with tools and want to test it. youtube voltage drop test and check while cranking.

you still probably need a tranny, because it seems 130k is a lot for a tranny these days.
 

Geotrash

Dave
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Posts
6,426
Reaction score
15,921
Location
Richmond, VA
that's a not a good thing. that slow crank is basically like a dead short to the electrical system thru the starter. it's ******* the new starter too. in over simply terms, when there's a load like that, basically a short thru the none spinning starter, it steals all the electricity from everything else in the truck, the rest of the truck needs power to run during cranking, to run the ecm, fuel pump and injectors. these spikes and stuff in voltage is when these trucks freak out sometimes. the amount of posts that have been solved by replacing cables or tightening terminals is wild



my 2 cents would be load test the battery, directly on the battery posts, not the terminals. if it load tests good, replace both battery cables, make sure the new battery terminals are clean and tight. really tight, like you can't move them with 2 hands trying your hardest.

if it's still hard to turn over you have something mechanical, but it's probably just cables and stuff, unless you have a misery slow coolent loss too. cables are basically a maintenance item in these trucks. other vehicles they might be life time, these for some reason are not.


if you are handy with tools and want to test it. youtube voltage drop test and check while cranking.

you still probably need a tranny, because it seems 130k is a lot for a tranny these days.
Sage advice based on the description of what’s happening.
 

NickTransmissions

Sin City
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2023
Posts
1,088
Reaction score
2,613
Location
The transmission bench
I'm definitely not a transmission guy, but could the tranny make it hard to crank the engine over?
Nothing inside the transmission would prevent the engine from turning over or make it any harder to do so than normal as the input shaft/456 clutch drum and clutch pack passively rotates around the 456 hub when engine is running, vehicle is in park or neutral. Voltage irregularities can trigger codes but they usually set a whole bunch of codes as opposed to just one or two...
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,307
Posts
1,865,717
Members
96,896
Latest member
grass209
Top