More gears mean a smoother driving experience. This is why a lot of modern trucks, including the 2015 Silverado, have started using 6-speed transmissions. But they’re also prone to more problems.
What are the 2015 Silverado 6-speed transmission problems? The most common problems are transmission shifting difficulty from 1st to 2nd gear, whining noise, slipping transmission, transmission failure, and the transmission shuddering while it’s cold. Other than these, you won’t face many other issues.
There’s more to it than just that, though. So today, I’ll go over all the 6-speed transmission problems on the 2015 Silverado model and their possible fixes.
What is a 6 Speed Transmission?
In simple terms, the transmission on your Chevy Silverado takes power from your engine and gives it to your wheels for them to run. So as you can imagine, a faulty transmission can lead to your truck not even moving, while a good transmission can increase the speed and acceleration.
So while a 5-speed transmission only has 5 gears to choose from, a 6-speed transmission has 6 gears and, therefore, can be smoother by a bit. The bigger the number of gears, the smoother it will generally be. However, this also means they might have more problems, especially the automatic gears.
Overall, a 6-speed transmission found on models like the 2015 Chevy Silverado makes the vehicle easier to accelerate and makes it smoother and much faster. This does come with a few disadvantages, though.
2015 Silverado 6 Speed Transmission Problems
There are mostly 5 common problems you might find with a 6-speed transmission. Here’s a list of all the problems, along with their fixes in short. Don’t worry, as I’ll cover them in detail later on
| Problems | Fixes |
| Shuddering transmission when cold | Fix or replace the transmission |
| Hard 1st to 2nd gear change | Fix or replace the torque converter clutch |
| Slipping Transmission | Tighten connectivity or replace the throttle position sensor |
| Completely non-functioning vehicle | Replace transmission |
| Whining noises |
How To Fix The 2015 Silverado 6 Speed Transmission Problems?
Now that you have a general idea of the problems and their fixes in short, here’s a more detailed explanation of the causes and how to fix it —
Shuddering Transmission
Your Chevy Silverado’s transmission may often shudder when it’s cold, especially while going uphill at low revolutions. This is one of the most common problems with a 6-speed transmission.
It’s usually caused by a power reduction in the truck, and it generally clears up after a while. This happens when the transmission slips while it’s cold, leading to a loss of power.
Solution
A shuddering transmission only occurs when the transmission itself is faulty. If this is the case, you simply need to get the transmission fixed by a professional or have it completely replaced, which can be quite expensive.
Hard 1st to 2nd Gear Change
When switching between the 1st and 2nd gear, it might seem harder than usual or just not smooth in general. This is usually caused by the torque converter clutch not working properly, as it’s used to mechanically lock the engine of your 2015 Silverado to the transmission, increasing efficiency.
Solution
To fix this issue, first locate the torque converter clutch. You can find this near the rear of your Silverado’s engine and in the front of the transmission. After doing so, take it out. You can get it to a professional to fix it now, or just replace it. It usually won’t cost much, and you can find it on Amazon.
Slipping Transmission
When your transmission slips because the sensor on your accelerator pedal isn’t working, it can cause the entire transmission system to malfunction. So, in short, it’s caused by a faulty throttle position sensor.
The throttle position sensor basically checks how far the pedal is pushed down to calculate how much the car should accelerate or decelerate. So as you can guess, it can greatly affect how your vehicle moves.
Solution
There isn’t much you can do with a faulty throttle position sensor. However, the connectivity to the transmission and the sensor can be loose. So you should first check if it’s connected properly and tighten it. Otherwise, you should replace the sensor with the help of a professional mechanic.
This is one of the cheapest parts in your 2015 Silverado to replace, so you can easily get it from a store nearby or just order it from Amazon.
Make sure to look out for chevy silverado P06dd code first, though, as problems with low oil pressure can also affect the acceleration.
Whining Noise
A whining is common with 6-speed transmissions on a 2015 Silverado. These usually occur after you switch gears, so it can get quite annoying.
Solution
This problem is caused by a deformed check valve ball. If this is the case, you should first check if it’s deformed first, and if it is, get it replaced at a service point.
Non-functioning vehicle
If your 2015 Chevy Silverado doesn’t start and it’s completely non-functional, then you might have complete transmission failure with your 6-speed transmission. This is quite rare, as it only happens when none of the parts in the transmission can work properly with each other.
Solution
The only solution to this problem, if you’ve already fixed the problems mentioned above, is just to replace the transmission. You should first get it checked by a professional, as changing the transmission can be expensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that you have a good idea of all the 2015 Silverado 6-speed transmission problems, causes, and fixes, you should look at the most frequently asked questions I find. These can help clear confusion —
Most of the time, the transmission on a 2015 Silverado model lasts anywhere from 150,000 miles to 200,000 miles. After this range, you’ll start to see problems and might need to replace it.
Generally, it can cost you from $2000 to $3500 to change the transmission on a 2015 Silverado. Other parts, such as the transmission fluids can cost around $150. Besides, you’ve to pay the installation charge separately.
A lot of Chevy Silverado models have a 6-speed transmission, but it was first found in 2005. After that, it got more popular from 2006 to 2008. The latest models have even better transmissions.
Sometimes, DTC codes such as P0102 of silverado which lead to leaks can damage other parts of your Silverado and you might have problems with the transmission. Less severe codes won’t cause this, though.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you have a good idea of all the 6-speed transmission problems of 2015 silverado. Problems such as whining, difficulty in 1st to 2nd gear change, slipping transmissions, and shuddering transmission are quite common. However, problems that can cause a completely nonfunctional truck are pretty rare.
Overall, you won’t get these problems on a brand-new truck anyway. It’ll take at least 130,000 miles until you start noticing some issues, and after 200,000 miles you should replace the transmission to rid of these annoyances. Cheers!
