[pisters]

Hello everybody! I have a 2021 camaro 2.0 Turbo A8 (1LS). It recently started having problems when in automatic it downshifts from third to second at very low speeds (braking in traffic).
My vehicle has only 11,000 miles on it, I take very good care of it and I am surprised that it is starting to have problems so quickly!



I did the test using the sequential. When downshifting from third to second I hear a TUM! when the speed is very low. It scares me that the gearbox will break. I don't use the car anymore. I am very nervous and disappointed that such a new car has this kind of failure. Has anyone already gone through something similar? Please help me! I dont have warranty because its a imported car.

[SkySerpent]

I would probably get that checked at a dealer.


However I do remember my A8 did NOT like to downshift to 2nd or 1st without some noise like you have videotaped. This was only with the paddle shifters and did not occur when driving in auto mode.



So the question is does your A8 do it when you are not telling it to shift down?

[arpad_m]

I think he only tested in manual mode to demonstrate the condition, it does the same thing (ie it emits the same weird clunk noise) when shifting on its own.

pisters, this is not normal, neither the A8s I have owned nor other cars with the A8 I rode in never did this, I'm afraid you need a mechanic to fix it. Presumably your car is still under warranty, so you don't need to worry about the cost, parts do go bad sometimes, whether the car is new or old.

One thing you can try on your own (but only if you have a decent scan tool) is to set the transmission to relearn mode and hope it adapts the 3 > 2 shift properly. If there is a mechanical fault, the relearn will not help.

[pisters]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

I think he only tested in manual mode to demonstrate the condition, it does the same thing (ie it emits the same weird clunk noise) when shifting on its own.

pisters, this is not normal, neither the A8s I have owned nor other cars with the A8 I rode in never did this, I'm afraid you need a mechanic to fix it. Presumably your car is still under warranty, so you don't need to worry about the cost, parts do go bad sometimes, whether the car is new or old.

One thing you can try on your own (but only if you have a decent scan tool) is to set the transmission to relearn mode and hope it adapts the 3 > 2 shift properly. If there is a mechanical fault, the relearn will not help.

It is so! Automatically it also does it but only on certain occasions. I am in South America. This car DOES NOT HAVE WARRANTY since it was imported. So I'm on my own. I am very nervous and very disappointed in GM for selling such a crap transmission. I no longer use the car, it is stored.

Apparently now I have a huge paperweight, thanks GM

[FarmerFran]

11,000 miles seems to be a nasty number for Camaro

[Dark Phoenix]

Remember the car has the A8 transmission notorious for Transmission shudder. I’m pretty sure on trucks with the A8 the issue was not fixed yet into the 2020 and maybe even early 2021 model year.

[Jus Cruisin]

Warranty. That's why the auto manufacturers give you one.... Things break. I had the entire electric drive unit replaced on my F150 Platinum 4X4 Powerboost. There was less than 8,000 miles on it. Inconvenient? Yep. It's been flawless since.

[pisters]

Originally Posted by Jus Cruisin

Warranty. That's why the auto manufacturers give you one.... Things break. I had the entire electric drive unit replaced on my F150 Platinum 4X4 Powerboost. There was less than 8,000 miles on it. Inconvenient? Yep. It's been flawless since.

Like i Said, this car its imported brand new (no dealer) , no warranty. Im in Argentina

[Gunkk]

A birdy told me the GM 8L45s used in ATS caddys were hot garbage ... so I wonder if any of that bled over into modern Camaro. Even the 10L90 is known for a hard 3-4 when cold, you can feel it, but it's not quite as big of an audible thump as in your video, Pisters. If you haven't found anyone down there in Argentina who can diagnose and/or tune the GM A8 transmission now is the time to asking around at car meets. If you can do your own logging, then remote diagnosis/tuning might be a worthwhile option too.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by pisters

It is so! Automatically it also does it but only on certain occasions. I am in South America. This car DOES NOT HAVE WARRANTY since it was imported. So I'm on my own. I am very nervous and very disappointed in GM for selling such a crap transmission. I no longer use the car, it is stored.

Apparently now I have a huge paperweight, thanks GM

Dang man that really sucks.

I would still contact GM customer service and re-confirm with them. Legally your options are probably pretty weak but I would do my best anyway. I really hope it all works out for you.

[arpad_m]

I mean, at this point all I see and hear in the video is a clunky/harsh 3 > 2 shift, it isn't automatically the end of the world.

Since you're on your own anyway, here's what I would do in your shoes in addition to trying to find a good GM mechanic, basically trying to mix some lemonade into the bitter juice:

1) get some equipment, including a scan tool (I bought this, since my car is heavily modded and I have no powertrain warranty either),
2) buy an MPVI device from HP Tuners,
3) get the trans unlocked by HP Tuners (hope they can do these 2021 8L45s as well), then
4) get to work yourself, do some research on related GM TSBs and transmission tuning even just here or youtube, perform a relearn with your scan tool, see what codes are present, check line pressures etc.

All this is not a huge investment, certainly much less than having a new transmission installed on your own dime, but you may be able to fix the unit if it's just a software or tuning issue, plus you'll become much more knowledgeable in the process.

[pisters]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

I mean, at this point all I see and hear in the video is a clunky/harsh 3 > 2 shift, it isn't automatically the end of the world.

Since you're on your own anyway, here's what I would do in your shoes in addition to trying to find a good GM mechanic, basically trying to mix some lemonade into the bitter juice:

1) get some equipment, including a scan tool (I bought this, since my car is heavily modded and I have no powertrain warranty either),
2) buy an MPVI device from HP Tuners,
3) get the trans unlocked by HP Tuners (hope they can do these 2021 8L45s as well), then
4) get to work yourself, do some research on related GM TSBs and transmission tuning even just here or youtube, perform a relearn with your scan tool, see what codes are present, check line pressures etc.

All this is not a huge investment, certainly much less than having a new transmission installed on your own dime, but you may be able to fix the unit if it's just a software or tuning issue, plus you'll become much more knowledgeable in the process.

not the end of the world but the end of my car. Transmission is one of the worst things a car can fail. It costs a lot of money to repair and it is not always repaired well.
In my life I had about 12 different cars and NONE of them gave me transmission problems and most of them were old and used cars. This Camaro 0 miles new, tremendous transmission garbage. I will never buy a Chevrolet again in my life.

I appreciate your time in wanting to help me. That was my idea, to test if I can do a reset on the transmission programming. I have to see in my country who does it but I already start with a minimum expense of 400 USD and it is not guaranteed to solve the problem.