Hi everybody,
I have this SRX 4.6, built 2005, with tranny problems. I hope somebody can help me.
It all started when my engine cooler started to leak due to corrosion(!!). The garage people (official Cadillac dealer) put some stuff into the cooling system to make it stop dripping. Next thing was that the engine and the tranny started to overheat.
So they flushed the cooling system twice and installed a new engine cooler. Then the engine temperature was back to normal but the tranny kept on overheating.
So I had the tranny fluid changed. No difference!! Back to the garage the tec said he doesn't know why and cannot help me anymore.

So I changed the garage.
The new tec there said the filter was clogged and the oil badly burnt. So he put in a new filter, new lines and a new tranny cooler, and changed the fluid. He also said the fluid had never been changed before (!!).

Neither engine nor tranny overheat now, the car runs fine, but the shifting quality became bad.

When driving at low speeds (town, 15 - 30 miles/hour) with just little gas the tranny seems unable to decide which gear to take. The car revs up and down without changing speed.
When decelerating (30 down to 5 miles/hour) the tranny changes to the lower gears really harsh, it sort of bangs into lower gears, again sometimes up- and downshifting erratically.

When I accelerate sharply all shiftings seem to be normal, problems only occur when I drive slowly.

Now what should I do next?
THX
Andreas (Muewi)

 

@Muewi, since you noticed how the vehicle is acting during down shifts, have you contacted the dealership that performed the work for you about this?

Michelle, Cadillac Customer Service

 

Michelle, thanks for replying so quickly.

As I told before the people from the old garage (official Cadillac dealership here in Ettlingen/Germany) said they won't touch or open an automatic Cadillac transmission (!!). Too complicated. This is why I changed to a free garage.

I spoke to the the tec there today and he said he cannot explain why the tranny acts up, he said he did what he could, and he wants to check the fluid level again next week although he already checked it a month ago and it was okay.

Any ideas ? Perhaps a software update for the tranny? Maybe there is a bulletin on this matter?

The SRX is a great car and it runs fine besides the above mentioned troubles and I want to keep it as long as possible.

Andreas (Muewi)

 

I feel this is a fluid issue. Is the correct trans fluid available in Germany? Is the fluid 100% filled to proper level?
What about Mass Air Flow sensor, is it connected properly?

 

Could definitely be a fluid issue. Could also be that there was a problem with the trans before, as the one tech said it was burnt when he changed the fluid/filter. Putting new fluid in it may have dislodged some debris, and created a shifting problem.

I would first suggest checking for any diagnostic codes, and go from there.

 

Hello Katzman's Caddy and Adams' Apple and Michelle.
THX a lot for your help. Bingo! It was the fluid but no trouble codes were issued. Trans fluid was low after the last refill because the tec checked the level without the engine running. Today we checked it again, this time with the engine running and the car levelled out correctly, and the fluid was way too low. So, after topping it up the trans functions fine and my baby runs like new.
And Big Daddy is happy again.
Andreas (Muewi)

 

What should one be charged to have tranny fluid and filter changed? 2006 Cadillac sts 4.6. Thanks

 

I can only tell what they charged me here in Germany. The official Cadillac Service asked for a total of 329.36 Euro. (The fluid was 59.71, the gasket 22.23, the filter kit 105.06, codes 9.97 and labour was 79.80)
The free garage did it for 120 Euro.