Technical Bulletin # 1306

Transmission: 4L60E/4L80E
Subject: High Line Pressure
Application: All Years
Issue Date: February, 2010

4L60E/4L80E
High Line Pressure
General Motors trucks with a 4.3L V6, 5.0L, 5.7L or 7.4L V8 gas engine and a 4L80E or 4L60E
transmission. The transmission exhibits high line pressure, harsh upshifts, coast down shifts and
engagements. When monitored on scan tool data, the line pressure is commanded high by the PCM
with no transmission codes. Check for a Knock sensor (KS) code 43, P0325, P0326, P0327, P0330,
P0332, P0335 or P0336 that is present, pending or in history.

A Knock sensor is a piezoelectric device which detects abnormal engine vibrations (Spark Knock). The
vibration produces a very low AC signal, sent from the sensor to the KS module (integral to the PCM).
The PCM uses this signal to retard ignition timing until the knock signal stops.

The strategy of the PCM with these vehicles; is to place the transmission into a high line pressure
operation when there are problems found with the Knock sensor signal. This sensor is located on
some engines close to the starter and the wire loom runs near the exhaust manifold and is not
uncommon to find the wires melted (figure 1).

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Technical Bulletin #1306
This problem may occur soon after a technician has worked on the vehicle and accidently relocation
of the wiring when the starter was replaced. Some vehicles with a 4.3L V6 engine will have two Knock
sensors (figure 2). The Knock sensors on dual systems have a higher resistance (8200 ohms) than the
single sensor (3900 ohms) systems and cannot be installed in place of one another.

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