1997 Chevrolet Suburban

"CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON AFTER SHORT HIGHWAY DRIVE (ABOUT 30 MINUTES). THEN TRANSMISSIONS SHIFTS HARD FROM 1ST TO SECOND GEAR, ASSOCIATED WITH A HARD CLUNK WHEN FINALLY IT SHIFTS. DEALER HAS REPLACED A "SPRING" WITH A HEAVIER DUTY ONE, BUT FIX IS TEMPORARY. CODE 1870 SHOWS UP AS DIAGNOSIS AT DEALER. L60E TRANSMISSIONS ARE THE CULPRIT.

SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. AT RANDOM, A 500 TO 1500 RPM INCREASE IN ENGINE SPEAD FOR UP TO SEVERAL SECONDS ACCOMPANIED BY THICK BLACK SMOKE AND THE SMELL OF RAW DIESEL FUEL. HAS OCCURRED IN DRIVE, NEUTRAL, REVERSE, AND PARK. HAS OCCURRED WITH CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF. HAS OCCURRED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL FUSE REMOVED. HAS OCCURRED IN PARK WITH NO OPERATOR IN VEHICLE. THE TRUCK WILL ACCELERATE QUICKLY (DANGEROUSLY) WHEN IN DRIVE OR REVERSE.

HEATER AND AC CONTROLS WENT OUT TWICE. FACTORY REPLACED THEM @ $125, THEN 9 MONTHS LATER IT WENT OUT AGAIN. FACTORY SAID IT WAS UNDER 12 MONTHS, BUT I HAD DRIVEN OVER 12,000 MILES SO IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. WINDSHEILD WIPER MODULE GOES BAD. WIPERS WILL SUDDENLY STOP OR WONT TURN ON. ON 3RD MODULE NOW. BRAKES, CONSTANT GRINDING AND WEAK STOPS. HAVE REPLACED ROTORS 4 TIMES. SAME RESULTS. STEERING LOSES TENSION WHEN STEERING TO THE LEFT. PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING BUT HAS MADE ME ALMOST LOSE CONTROL SEVERAL TIMES.

THE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH RELAY IN THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PRESSURE, WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO PUSH THE DIP STICK UP OUT OF THE DIPSTICK TUBE. THEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ESCAPED. TRAVELING DOWN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HIT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND IGNITED INTO A FLAME THAT BURNED ALONG THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE (INCLUDING THE STEEL PLATE UNDER THE GAS TANK) AND EXTENDED TWO FEET BEYOND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE FORCED TO EVACUATE OURSELVES AND OUR FOUR CHILDREN FROM THE VEHICLE ALONG SIDE THE HIGHWAY. FOUR OTHER VEHICLES WERE FORCED OFF THE ROAD AS WHITE SMOKE HINDERED THEIR FIELD OF VISION. THE MIL INDICATOR (I.E., CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) HAD A CODE OF P1870 (TRANSMISSION SLIPPING). THIS CODE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HUNDREDS OF TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH RELAY FAILURES IN GM/CHEVY FULL-SIZE PICK-UPS, SUBURBANS, AND TAHOES (DISCOVERED BY SEARCHING FOR "P1870" ON THE INTERNET AND QUERIES AT THE NHTSA WEBSITE). TECHNICIANS HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE TCC RELAY IS UNDERSIZED AND TENDS TO OVERHEAT CAUSING MAJOR TRANSMISSION DAMAGE (IN MY CASE, A FULL TRANSMISSION RE-BUILD WAS REQUIRED - $2000 PLUS TOWING AND RENTAL CAR). TECHNICIANS SAY THAT THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET TCC RELAY MADE BY SONNAX THAT, WHEN INSTALLED, PREVENTS THIS PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE (JUST LOOK AT THE BLACK CHARRING ON THE BOTTOM OF MY GAS TANK SHIELD) THAT CAUSED GREAT PERIL TO MY WIFE, FOUR CHILDREN, AND MYSELF. GM NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL FAILURE.*AK

MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS IN DASH INCLUDING SHORTING IN FUSE PANEL, HEADLIGHTS, HEATING CONTROLS, WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROLS, SOUND SYSTEM, AND INTERIOR LIGHTING CONTROLS, LEADING TO ERRATIC OR FAILED OPERATION OF SUCH CONTROLS WITH VISIBLE SIGNS OF WIRING DAMAGE AND COMPLETE MELTDOWN (I.E. HEATING CONTROLS/SOUND SYSTEM). *AK