NHTSA Complaint #10052620 — 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

THE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH RELAY IN THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PRESSURE, WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO PUSH THE DIP STICK UP OUT OF THE DIPSTICK TUBE. THEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ESCAPED. TRAVELING DOWN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HIT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND IGNITED INTO A FLAME THAT BURNED ALONG THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE (INCLUDING THE STEEL PLATE UNDER THE GAS TANK) AND EXTENDED TWO FEET BEYOND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE FORCED TO EVACUATE OURSELVES AND OUR FOUR CHILDREN FROM THE VEHICLE ALONG SIDE THE HIGHWAY. FOUR OTHER VEHICLES WERE FORCED OFF THE ROAD AS WHITE SMOKE HINDERED THEIR FIELD OF VISION. THE MIL INDICATOR (I.E., CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) HAD A CODE OF P1870 (TRANSMISSION SLIPPING). THIS CODE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HUNDREDS OF TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH RELAY FAILURES IN GM/CHEVY FULL-SIZE PICK-UPS, SUBURBANS, AND TAHOES (DISCOVERED BY SEARCHING FOR "P1870" ON THE INTERNET AND QUERIES AT THE NHTSA WEBSITE). TECHNICIANS HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE TCC RELAY IS UNDERSIZED AND TENDS TO OVERHEAT CAUSING MAJOR TRANSMISSION DAMAGE (IN MY CASE, A FULL TRANSMISSION RE-BUILD WAS REQUIRED - $2000 PLUS TOWING AND RENTAL CAR). TECHNICIANS SAY THAT THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET TCC RELAY MADE BY SONNAX THAT, WHEN INSTALLED, PREVENTS THIS PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE (JUST LOOK AT THE BLACK CHARRING ON THE BOTTOM OF MY GAS TANK SHIELD) THAT CAUSED GREAT PERIL TO MY WIFE, FOUR CHILDREN, AND MYSELF. GM NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL FAILURE.*AK