2016 ATS-V Transmission Rough shift and Slipping

[ItzaBerly]

My 2016 automatic ATS-V sedan has been shifting rough since i purchased it with 1800 miles on it . It is worse at low gears esp around 30mph mark. I took it in for a check and because the battery had been recently disconnected, I was asked to drive it and allow for the adaptive learning. several hundred miles later i felt no improvement, indeed thought it may be worse and returned to service. They could find nothing wrong/no codes and again suggested to keep driving. while driving in sport mode yesterday, I tried to hard accelerate after reaching around the 25 mph mark, it acted as if the xmission slipped. I got no power, engine revved RPM's zoomed to at least 6000. i decelerated to 15 mph and tried again to accelerate. the same thing happened. no additional power but engine revved up. after coming to a stop and shifting to park and back into drive i had no problems at any speed.
Thanks for sharing any knowledge. My girl is sick and she needs some help.
Berly

 

[Hib Halverson]

I want to make sure I clearly understand the problem.

When someone tells me an automatic is shifting "rough" that means to me part-thtottle shifts are very abrupt or "jerky" and/or uncomfortable, however...your problem sounds like the trans is either slipping or even freewheeling between gears on upshifts.

I know there have been problems in the field with 8L90 torque converters failing.

This dealer who tells you to keep driving...did they road test the car in an attempt to duplicate the problem you are having? If they did not, try going back to the dealer and either taking their service advisor for a ride or let him drive and you go as a passenger to identify when the car "acts up".

As for "adaptive learning" there is a way to "force" the trans controller to "relearn" but the procedure is quite complex and requires driving the car in a very specific manner.

I can post the procedure if you want but I think I'd first take the car back into the dealer and have them road test it to experience the "slipping" characteristic you've observed before I'd do anthing else.

 

[ItzaBerly]

The service report says that it was road tested (i did not go along). It also says, no codes found, fluids and condition found ok, and no bulletins. The slipping event has only occurred once, but it was exceedingly apparent and could not be considered normal. The hard jerky shifts are often and easy to duplicate. I'll take your advice and go for a ride with. Thanks for your response, I'll update if I get clear answers or clearer questions.

 

[ItzaBerly]

Update

I have had two more incidences of transmission getting stuck and not shifting into the next gear, its happening at about 35 to 40 miles per hour. it has occurred twice now in the exact same scenario of, entering a hard right turn at 25 to 30 mph and heavy acceleration out of the turn. the car shifts up once then just stops pulling and revs rpm's. I let the car speed go back down to 30 to 35mph and then it drove home fine.

 

[Hib Halverson]

I'd go back to the dealer and complain, again.

That the problem is consistent in right turns with hard accel at the exit leaves me with a sneaking suspecsion that maybe the trans fluid level is low. It's very difficult to check the fluid in the 8L90. The procedure is in the Service Manual and requires a lift or the car perfectly level on jack stands. You have to be under the car with the trans fluid warm and the engine running to check it.

I've done the procedure with our other ATS-V which has the 8-spd and it's a PIA.

 

[ItzaBerly]

Thank you for these details. I will revisit them.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Thank you for these details. I will revisit them.

You're welcome.
Glad to be of service.

Let us know what happens if you go back to the dealer.

 

[louie1487]

Thank you for these details. I will revisit them.

Hate to revive an old thread but what ended up being the solution? My dealer can't replicate, so to them no issue exists.

 

[Mr645]

I had a similar issue with my 2016 ATS-V. The dealer called it shift flare and replaced the valve body to correct it

 

[Type-D]

Same problem, how did it turn out for you?

Thank you for these details. I will revisit them.

I know the thread's pretty old but I got my 2016 ATS-V just 6 months ago. Was kind of experiencing the same issue. At first the shifts were rough, then delayed (slip!). I thought it was kind of in my head or something, because it started during harsh winter, in the snowy/icy roads while driving with studded tires in Winter mode, so everything was already so different... But my car kept doing it until one morning, I left it running on park, just to get the kid to daycare and then, when I came back, the check engine light was on! The car entered "safe mode", only working on drive (I usually used manual mode w/ the paddles, but it didn't want to!) and NOT shifting at all. I limped to the nearest repair shop (that happens to be the one I usually go to) and it returned a code relating to transmission problem (did not really need a machine to tell!). Got it towed to the nearest/only dealer via roadside assistance, 120 kms away and they replaced a solenoid of some sort.
Then, it was OK for 3000 kms or so and started acting up again! What's worst, this time I noticed the engine kept revving faster and faster even though I had my foot on the brake! Almost hit another car!! I decided to head for the repair shop and when I parked, the check engine light was on again and it was exactly the same! Called the dealer and got it towed there again. Now I insisted that they look it up a bit further, since the experience is beyond annoying and was actually dangerous and it turns out they'll change the whole transmission.
I must admit I'm kind of surprised because the car has very low milleage. It had 34 000 kms when I got it and now has 43 000 kms. I know for sure that transmission is sh*tty (several class actions for this one if it really was the same faulty transmission on most 2016-2018 GMC vehicles), but I guess that's as sh*tty as it gets! I just hope there was a revision of some sort and the one they are going to put it will last... If not, I was tempted to check if a swap for the previous generation's 6 speed auto was possible (the one I had in the 2015 ATS 2.0T I owned before the V, so I'm figuring this would be possible indeed but maybe with some rework?) or the new 9 speed that should be in the newer CT4-V sport/blackwing that will have the same V6 3.6 TT as the ATS-V. Anyone has any idea? If not, well, I will just have to waste a lot of money to get rid of a car that has been only like 10-15% paid for I guess!

 

[louie1487]

Make sure if they are swapping the transmission, that they put in the new oil that it calls for.

 

[Type-D]

Make sure if they are swapping the transmission, that they put in the new oil that it calls for.

I sure will! Thanks for the heads up. And I'm even beginning to think this could be part of the problem... Not a lot of people run their V in temperatures as low as -30 (even hit -40 last year... I had my ATS 2.0T back then though!) so, maybe the type of oil used in the transmission was not suited for the task. These kind of temperatures are pretty hard on everything. I remember some 2015ish diesel Dodge Ram used to blow their engines from the oil staying too thick and not doing its job (because diesel engines themselves don't produce heat!), so this could basically apply to anything else needing oil...

 

[louie1487]

I sure will! Thanks for the heads up. And I'm even beginning to think this could be part of the problem... Not a lot of people run their V in temperatures as low as -30 (even hit -40 last year... I had my ATS 2.0T back then though!) so, maybe the type of oil used in the transmission was not suited for the task. These kind of temperatures are pretty hard on everything. I remember some 2015ish diesel Dodge Ram used to blow their engines from the oil staying too thick and not doing its job (because diesel engines themselves don't produce heat!), so this could basically apply to anything else needing oil...

Damn that's cold. Hope you're not keeping the car outside in that temperature? Been in FL all my life, but I imagine you would want to warm it up in a garage or some storage. Anyway, the new fluid GM is using on these 8sp can handle has low has -60. Good luck with the new trans.

 

[Type-D]

Damn that's cold. Hope you're not keeping the car outside in that temperature? Been in FL all my life, but I imagine you would want to warm it up in a garage or some storage. Anyway, the new fluid GM is using on these 8sp can handle has low has -60. Good luck with the new trans.

Eheheh, I actually am keeping it outside (got a block heater though) because the switch from -30 celsius to heated garage at +/-5 creates condensation, which, paired with salt, is almost sure to make the car rust... Besides, my girlfriend is always on call, so her truck needs to be kept in the garage!
In the end, I got a new transmission. After a month, I finally got the car back yesterday.They can't/don't want to tell me if there has been any revision on any part of the transmission and I still think it shifts pretty rough, so I won't be surprised if it breaks again. Still, my sales rep (who sold the first CT5 in Canada a couple of days back!), told me the CT5 has a new 10-speed, but the CT4 (as of yesterday only 5 were produced and not any of them headed for Canada!) has kept the same 8-speed auto. So if there was INDEED a real issue, I take it 4 years was plenty of time to solve it!
Even then, I went to a Kia dealership to try a brand new Stinger GT Limited 3.3TT AWD. I am probably the first potential customer to not be impressed at all by the driving. Still, the interior feels better than expected and, most importantly for my now-paranoid self, it shifts A LOT smoother... The dealer could get a fair price for mine, so in the end, if I decided to go on with the exchange, I'd end up paying a bit less and getting a full 7 year/140 k kilometers waranty on a new car. My V has 42 500 kms and still has 2 1/2 year warranty up to 100 000 kms, but I'm still paying it for 4 1/2 years... Can't say I'm 100% enthusiastic about making a move, but since there's snow at least 5 months a year around here and I already got stuck twice with the kid so far, even though I only had the V for 6 months, not to mention I lost it for 2 weeks + 1 month due to repairs, I am SERIOUSLY considering that Kia... On the other hand, the transmission is new, so I guess I could also stop complaining and, most likely, it won't break in the near future!:-o Still thinking about it!