# !997 Silverado 4L60 Transmission **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 19, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/997-silverado-4l60-transmission/132938 "2019-01-19T13:58:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![part-throttle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@part-throttle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/part-throttle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/997-silverado-4l60-transmission/132938/1 "2019-01-19T13:58:50Z")
My son has a 1997 Silverado that has started something new: the transmission howls and has fluid that is brown. It was OK last time he checked fluid at oil change time last month. I think it could be cooler contamination but the radiator is relatively new. He reported that the truck still drives the same, just noisy. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/997-silverado-4l60-transmission/132938/2 "2019-01-19T14:15:56Z")
why do you think rad is newer? did you change it? if you did, why did you change it? i had a 3yr old rad fail and dump coolant into trans oil. changed rad again and put in used trans. ugh. not a good week ---
**Author:** ![part-throttle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@part-throttle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/part-throttle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/997-silverado-4l60-transmission/132938/3 "2019-01-19T14:22:26Z")
It is a 2-2.5 yr old radiator. Figured it might be that fluid and antifreeze could cause a brown soup if it gets mixed. I will have him check the antifreeze today to see if it is muxed up. I am afraid it is a main pump or clutches that are toast. sometimes it is something simple. Looking for tips before we get too far down the wrong path. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/997-silverado-4l60-transmission/132938/4 "2019-01-19T14:23:29Z")
That transmission is on the Grim Reaper’s short list. It is gonna die, and soon! Brown fluid is a bad thing! If you aren’t seeing any brown fluid in the coolant, the radiator is probably OK, the transmission is not!