1997 Chevrolet Pickup

TRANSMISSION OVERHEATES AND BLOWS FLUID OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION VENT. THIS LEFT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TRUCK TOWED BACK TO DEALER THAT DAY. DEALER TOLD ME THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A TRANSMISSION GET SO HOT BEFORE , AND BURN THE FLUID BLACK. THE DEALER FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. I DON'T BELEIVE THEM FOR A SECOND! I ASKED IF THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND THEY CAN'T GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER. THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD CHECK MY FLUID ONCE A WEEK TO SEE IF THE FLUID IS TURNING BLACK, AND TO SMELL THE FLUID TO SEE IF IT'S BURNING. THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER I WANT AFTER SPENDING $27000.00 FOR A NEW TRUCK! BEFORE THIS PROBLEM AROSE I NOTICED ON HOT DAYS AFTER DRIVING DISTANCED OF UP TO 40 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY , ONCE OFF THE HIGHWAY AND STOPING AT A LIGHT OR SIGN. WHEN I BEGIN TO GO AGAIN THE TRUCK SHIFTS INTO 1,2, AND 3RD GEAR HARD, ENOUGH TO SHAKE THE TRUCK. I BELEIVE THERE IS A PROBLEM OUT WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND CHEVROLET IS TRYING TO HIDE IT, OR CAN'T FIX IT. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A VEHICLE THAT CAN BREAK DOWN AT ANYTIME OR ANYWERE ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE MY WIFE AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN. I AM GOING TO SETUP AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE OWNER OF TRABUCCO CHEVROLET TO SEE IF I CAN RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITH HIM. BUT I AM PREPARING MYSELF FOR THE SAME SONG AND DANCE JUST LIKE I GOT WHEN I APPROACHED ANOTHER DEALER ABOUT THE CHEVY LUMINA REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS. IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE ANOTHER CLASS ACTION SUIT TO MAKE CHEVROLET DO ANYTHING. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK WITH THE INTENSION OF KEEPING IT FOR 10 TO 12 YEARS. NOW I CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF IT, THIS IS A $27000.00 MISTAKE I MADE FOR TRUSTING CHEVROLET AGAIN!! BUT MORE THAN THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THESE VEHICLES BREAK DOWN DURING OPERATION ON THE HIGHWAY!! I AM JUST HAPPY THAT AFTER WAITING 40 MIN. ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A TOW TRUCK THAT NOBODY IN MY FAMILY WAS HURT. WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE GOES BY AT 65 SOMEONE COULD GET KILLED.

THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM STARTED EARLY (@3500MILES), BUT DID NOT SUFFER A COMPLETE FAILURE UNTIL 1/99 AT 53478 MILES AND AGAIN AT 110000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP LIST IT AS A BROKEN SUN GEAR SHELL. THE BATTERY BEGAN LEAKING ACID AT THE POSITIVE CABLE CONNECTION CREATING SOME KIND OF MELT DOWN THAT LOOSEN THE CONNECTOR BEYOND REPAIR AND CAUSED POWER FAILURE. THE DRIVE SHAFT HAS BEEN CLUNKING SINCE @3500 MILES, BUT EVERYTIME I TAKE IT IN THE DEALER JUST LUBES THE DRIVE SHAFT SLIP YOKE, BUT THIS DOES NOT FIX IT. THE FUEL PUMP HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND JUST SHUT DOWN TOTALLY. IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THE THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED WHEN THE TRUCK STARTED OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING. THE STEERING PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE TOTALLY SOLVED. THE TRUCK STEERING SEEMS TO SLIP OR OVERSTEER WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE DRIVER TO RUN OFF TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT DEPENDING ON WHICH DIRECTION YOU TEND TO BE STEERING AT THAT MOMENT.. FIRST IT STARTED OCCASSIONALLY, THEN BECAME MORE FREQUENT. I HAVE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING BELT, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE DECREASED THE FREQUENCIES, BUT HAS NOT TOTALLY CURED THE PROBLEM. ANY HELP YOU HAVE ON THIS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.