First off, let me say that I am a woman with limited experience working on cars. This Tahoe problem is long and complicated, and I am attempting to get the best advice from all the long time mechanics out there.

I gave my 2005 Tahoe to my daughter four months ago. It ran hot intermittently about once a week, and I knew a fix was coming on that. A friend of mine who is a mechanic decided to walk me through the fix for it. I wanted to learn about cars, so we went about fixing it. After I learned how to replace a water pump, thermostat, reservoir tank (which did have a hole in it), I found out that I had blown head gaskets from my local trustworthy mechanic at Exxon (who worked on everything I have owned prior to this). I was not paying someone $2000 (more than fair I learned)to fix this problem, so I bought a book, got my buddy over here, and we took the thing apart. Four days later and a lot of help putting it back together the overheating problem was fixed! I couldn't believe it!

Now for the problem, my daughter leaves with the car and two days later calls to tell me that the transmission overheat light is on and the Tahoe won't go into gear. She knows about as much as I do about cars (next to nothing).

I have reverse, first gear, and second gear. I have no idea where to go from here, but I am determined not to drop a bunch of money on a transmission. If it comes to that, I guess I will. All of the forums I read keep taking me in all types of directions (electrical problems, pressure manifolds, solenoids, something that sounds like the word seashell (WTH)? I was afraid of doing the work on the head gaskets because I have NO TRAINING, but my book was extremely helpful. My buddy was great with this, but neither of us know where to go on the transmission. I dropped the transmission pan last night (buddy walked me through it); there were two tiny metal shavings in the pan (I had to feel of them with my finger to even know they were there). Transmission fluid was not red; it was a dark brown color. I just want to get this damn thing fixed myself and get my daughter back to her college life without dropping a ton of money. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

On the fix, I would attempt a solenoid. Anything else I am out.

I just finished the head gasket repair four days ago; I just can't...

 

Sounds like the clutches might be fried since the fluid is brown.

BTW, welcome to the forum.