[SOLVED] 4L60E Transmission Won’t Move in Any Gear

You recently got the 4L60E automatic transmission for your new pickup truck but now your vehicle’s 4l60e transmission won’t move in any gear! No matter what gear you shift to, your vehicle is stuck and acting as if it’s parked. You might be hearing the sound of the gears clicking, or no sound at all. 

Either way, this is a common problem that can be solved. 

What could be the reason behind this? There are a couple of things that can go wrong, and we will try to include a few ways where you can DIY the troubleshooting. We understand that you’ve probably undergone a hefty cost for the transmission installation already, so here are ways you can save money by trying to solve the problem on your own. 

Why won’t my 4L60E Transmission move in any gear? 

Here are the most probable reasons why your 4L60E transmission isn’t working in any gear: 

  • Pump Failure
  • Complete loss of transmission fluid
  • Too much transmission fluid
  • Torque Converter seated incorrectly

However, if you’re facing the problem of your transmission not shifting to first gear alone, you might want to check out our article on this separate issue here. 

Car Transmission

Top 4 Reasons Why 4L60E Transmission Won’t Move in Any Gear

Here we elaborate on the top four reasons why your 4L60 Transmission isn’t moving in any of the gears that you shift to. Some of these will require a change of parts, while others will simply require you to look into how the transmission was fitted. We’ll also provide solutions on how you can go about repairing the issue once you’ve narrowed down the reason for the problem. 

Reason #1: Pump Failure

Out of all the four reasons that we’ve listed in this article, pump failure is the most undesirable. That’s because it almost certainly means you’re going to have to replace the pump. Note that this is also not a very common cause for the 4L60E Transmission to stall in all gears, but it is useful to get it out of the way as the first thing when you’re troubleshooting. 

Transmission Gear Pump Housing

There are quite a few symptoms that you can look out for trying to detect if there’s been a pump failure in your vehicle. 

The first obvious one is that you will get a pungent or burnt odor from around your transmission. This is because when the pump does not work well, the transmission fluid doesn’t circulate as it should. As a result, the transmission fluid can easily burn and discolor. 

Solution: Here’s a way that you can check to be sure your transmission pump has failed. Check the transmission fluid level when the engine is off. Now start your engine and check the level of fluid in the engine again. If the level has not changed at all, then the transmission pump is broken.

Unfortunately, there’s no way around this but replacing the transmission pump. You can find the right transmission pump for your vehicle easily. 

Reason #2: Complete Loss of Transmission Fluid

You should know by now that transmission fluid is extremely important for the well-functioning of your transmission. If there’s a leak, then all the transmission fluid is escaping and there’s no transmission fluid that’s left behind in your transmission. This can be problematic in many different ways. Having no transmission fluid is also unpredictable — sometimes it causes no gears to move (such as in this case) but it can also cause gear slippage and other issues. 

Transmission Fluid leaks

Solution: You need to inspect the transmission for any evidence of leaks and trace them. Only once the leaks are found and fixed, will you be able to refill them with transmission fluid. Do not refill the transmission with transmission fluid without first addressing the leaks, no matter how minor or major they are.

This is also why most transmission fluids are colored red so that you can easily detect the leaks. If your transmission fluid is red then your job is cut out for you, and you only need to locate the red smears. It is also possible that the reason why the transmission fluid is leaking out is not because of a leak, but because of a loose gasket. In this case, you’ll have to replace the gasket or repair the leak. 

Reason #3: Too much transmission fluid

Transmission fluid is a tricky substance. It can cause major problems for your automatic transmission if there’s not enough of it, but it can also cause issues if there is too much transmission fluid. Too much transmission fluid in your system can alter the temperatures drastically, out of the recommended temperature range. This can cause lots of issues for the functioning of your automatic 4L60E transmission. 

Solution: You will have to expel some of the transmission fluid in order for your automatic 4L60E to go back to normal functioning. You can do this by opening up the transmission and manually removing some of the transmission until it is at the desired level. Always make sure to wear safety gloves and necessary precautions to ensure that you do not inhale or come in contact with the transmission fluid itself.

While it may seem like a hassle to have to remove some of the transmission fluid, this is definitely an easier fix than any of the other problems on this list. It is also easily avoidable in the future. Ensure that you always put the right amount of transmission fluid. Note that a completely dry 4L60E will require more transmission fluid than one in use.

Reason #4: Torque Converter Seated Incorrectly

If the torque converter is seated incorrectly, it can cause problems for your 4L60E automatic transmission and will cause it to be stuck with all of the gears as if it is parked. This is a problem that is created by whoever installed the transmission. It’s also a common mistake that inexperienced truck owners or mechanics make when they’re not familiar with how to install an automatic transmission. 

Torque Converter

Solution: While you might be dreading having to open up everything and reinstall it correctly, that is the only way we can ensure that the torque converter is seated correctly. You have to pull the torque converter forwards until the flywall. 

Conclusion

We hope that you were able to resolve the issue of your 4L60E automatic transmission being stuck and not moving in any gear. The most common explanations for this issue are that you’ve either got too little transmission fluid or too much of it! Alternatively, your mechanic could have installed it incorrectly, and the torque converter is seated wrong. Finally, there’s an unlikely chance that the pumps have failed, and you might have to replace them in this case. 

We’re sure that you’ll be able to fix the issue in no time and get your vehicle up and running.

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