Problem with 2001 Avalanche gauges

[rhino-x]

Hey all,

My dad has a 2001 Avalanche 1500, pretty much all standard features. (5.3, auto, 2wd, etc) He's got about 60k miles on it, and recently it started acting really strange. The gauge cluster will completely stop working and the truck won't shift automatically any more. However, if you press the reset button the on the cluster, it comes back and the tranny shifts. The CEL comes on, and an OBD scanner tells me it thinks the transmission solenoid is going.. but I doubt that. I get the impression that since all this stuff died, it can't shift and the ECU is assuming it's the solenoid.

Anyway, can anyone tell me if this is an issue that's common, or if there's something to try/check/etc.?

 

[ygmn]

Hey all,

My dad has a 2001 Avalanche 1500, pretty much all standard features. (5.3, auto, 2wd, etc) He's got about 60k miles on it, and recently it started acting really strange. The gauge cluster will completely stop working and the truck won't shift automatically any more. However, if you press the reset button the on the cluster, it comes back and the tranny shifts. The CEL comes on, and an OBD scanner tells me it thinks the transmission solenoid is going.. but I doubt that. I get the impression that since all this stuff died, it can't shift and the ECU is assuming it's the solenoid.

Anyway, can anyone tell me if this is an issue that's common, or if there's something to try/check/etc.?

I think you mean 2002 AVALANCHE....as that is first year...

Some people have had this problem and the culprit usually is the transmission....or ignition switch.

HTH

PS WELCOME to the club

 

[rhino-x]

Thanks, I really don't know the model year. I live a couple hundred miles from them, all I know is that he bought his truck in October or Nov. of 2k1, just before I got my car.

Anyway, I'll look at the transmission problems. Thanks for the help.

 

[ygmn]

Thanks, I really don't know the model year. I live a couple hundred miles from them, all I know is that he bought his truck in October or Nov. of 2k1, just before I got my car.

Anyway, I'll look at the transmission problems. Thanks for the help.

That makes it a 2002 as I got mine in Sept 2001.....good luck and read through the threads....there is also a real long thread in this section or maintenance (forget which) and a member who is tranny mechanic explains the inner most secrets of the 1500 tranny....

Good luck

 

[prov431]

Hey all,

My dad has a 2001 Avalanche 1500, pretty much all standard features. (5.3, auto, 2wd, etc) He's got about 60k miles on it, and recently it started acting really strange. The gauge cluster will completely stop working and the truck won't shift automatically any more. However, if you press the reset button the on the cluster, it comes back and the tranny shifts. The CEL comes on, and an OBD scanner tells me it thinks the transmission solenoid is going.. but I doubt that. I get the impression that since all this stuff died, it can't shift and the ECU is assuming it's the solenoid.

Anyway, can anyone tell me if this is an issue that's common, or if there's something to try/check/etc.?

I had the same problem. It is the IGNITION SWITCH that has gone bad. The logic defaults the tranny to 2nd gear starts, and kills the gauges as well. There is a TSB on this, and it's an easy fix.

 

[dsw7311]

I have this problem, is is covered even though the truck is out of warranty?
I have almost 72k on mine