A Malibu that starts, idles and goes nowhere is one of the easier calls on a 6T70 if you take it in order. The trick is not to jump straight to "the transmission is junk." On the Z-body cars a no-move can be a cable, a switch the TCM does not trust, a starved pump, one sheared spline, or a clutch pack that came apart. Each of those has a fingerprint, and you can read most of them with a dipstick, a scan tool and a pressure gauge before the unit comes out.
First: make sure it is a 6T70 Malibu
The 2008-2012 Malibu came with three powertrains, and only one of them has a 6T70. ATRA's 6T70 seminar lists the Z-body four-cylinder cars with the 6T40/45 (RPO MH7/MHC) and the V6 six-speed cars with the 6T70/75 (RPO MH2/MH4/MY9/MH6) [5]. The 3.5L V6 cars used a four-speed, and the owner manual covers both the six-speed and four-speed operation separately [3]. Read the RPO sticker before anything else.
That split matters for a no-move, because the four-speed cars have their own recall. NHTSA campaign 12V-460 covers 2008-2010 Malibus with the four-speed automatic: the tabs on the shift cable end can fracture and separate, so the lever and the actual transmission position stop matching. The remedy is a retainer over the cable end or a new cable [6]. If your no-move Malibu turns out to be a four-speed car, run the VIN against that campaign first. It does not apply to the 6T70.
Step 1: Sort it by what is missing
Every gear on the 6T70 uses two clutches, so "won't move" splits three ways, and each way points at a different part of the unit:
- No Drive and no Reverse. Something common to every range: fluid, the pump drive, the converter-to-turbine connection, the input shaft, or the manual valve not getting where the lever says.
- Drive works, no Reverse. The 3-5-R clutch, especially if 3rd and 5th are also gone.
- No 1st and no Reverse, but it will take off in a higher gear in manual mode. The low and reverse clutch.
Step 2: Check the fluid before you start it
GM's level check for the 6T70 has a note most people skip: before the engine is started, there must be at least enough fluid to wet the end of the dipstick bullet, so there is enough in the sump to fill the components once it runs [4]. A Malibu that just had a pan gasket, a cooler line or a "flush" done and now will not move should get that check first. Starting it dry and revving it to "get it to catch" is how a fluid problem becomes a pump problem.
The full check, per GM: level ground, parking brake on, engine running, cycle the lever through every range with about 3 seconds in each, idle at 500-800 rpm for at least a minute, then read the level only with transmission fluid temperature (TFT) between 180 and 200 F (82-93 C) [4]. Use DEXRON-VI only; GM warns that the wrong fluid can cause internal damage [4]. For reference, the 2010 Malibu owner manual lists a six-speed drain-and-refill of 5.0 L (5.3 qt), which is not a full fill [3].
Clutch material in the pan means the unit is coming apart. Clean red fluid on a car that suddenly quit points at the pump drive, a spline or the linkage.
Step 3: Rule out the lever, cable and IMS
The manual valve only goes where the cable puts it, and the TCM only commands a range it believes the internal mode switch (IMS) is reporting. If either is wrong, a healthy transmission sits in Neutral.
Start in the car. The Malibu has a shift lock: you have to fully apply the brake and press the lever button before it will leave Park with the key in ON/RUN [3]. If it is hard to get out of Park on a hill, the owner manual calls that torque lock, the weight of the car loading the parking pawl; set the parking brake before shifting into Park to prevent it [3].
Then the hardware. GM's wrong-gear chart for the 6T70 lists the checks: damage to the shift cable, the cable attached to the shifter and locked into the shifter bracket, the cable attached to the transmission and locked into the transmission bracket, the shift lever properly attached to the manual shaft, and a manual shaft that is not twisted or damaged [4].
On 2009-2011 6T70 Malibus built February 2009 through July 2010, GM Preliminary Information PI0269B covers a check engine light with DTC P182E, sometimes with no PRNDL display [2]. GM's steps: verify shift cable adjustment, verify the ECM Park/Neutral switch status in all ranges, and verify the IMS A/B/C/P parameters in all ranges. If P182E does not come back, replace the IMS (the lever, manual shift detent and shaft position switch assembly). The same bulletin says a U0101 in the brake module can be ignored as a false set [2].
Step 4: Put a gauge on it
Once fluid and linkage are good, line pressure tells you which half of the problem you have. If the gauge reads nothing, or flickers near zero, in Drive and Reverse, the pump is not making pressure. If pressure is there and the car still does not move, oil is getting made but torque is not getting through.
A scan tool helps here too. Watch engine speed, input (turbine) speed and output speed in Drive with your foot on the brake, then let off. If input speed sits near zero while the engine idles, the converter is not turning the turbine shaft or the shaft is not turning anything. If input speed climbs with engine speed but output stays at zero, the problem is past the input: a clutch that will not apply or a spline that let go.
Step 5: The hard parts, by symptom
No Drive in all ranges
GM's no-drive chart for the 6T70 is long, but it groups neatly [4]:
- Pump: disengaged, worn, binding or failed drive sprocket, driven sprocket or drive link; leaking fluid outlet seal; worn drive and driven sprocket thrust washers; loose or missing pump bolts; stripped splines on the pump shaft or driven sprocket.
- Filter: a damaged, clogged or improperly installed filter, or a damaged or leaking filter neck seal.
- Torque converter: stripped or sheared splines on the turbine shaft, or missing converter-to-flywheel bolts.
- Input: a broken input shaft thrust bearing, or stripped, sheared or loose splines on the input shaft to the 3-5-R/4-5-6 clutch housing.
- Case: a cracked case, a missing lube orifice plug, a binding manual shift detent lever, a missing manual shift shaft pin, a binding park pawl actuator, or a disengaged or broken 1-2-3-4 clutch piston spring retainer.
- Gear train: stripped splines from the low and reverse clutch to the reaction carrier, stripped splines from the input carrier to the ring gear, or improperly installed carrier pinion pins.
Pull the inspection cover and check the converter bolts first. A missing manual shift shaft pin will let the lever spin the outside of the shaft without moving the detent lever inside, which looks exactly like a cable fault. Zero pressure with clean fluid on a 6T70 sends us to the pump drive sprocket and link next.
Drive works, no Reverse
On 2008-2009 Malibus this one has history. GM special coverage 14404B says a cracked or fractured wave plate can cause a loss of 3rd, 5th and reverse gears on 6T70/6T75 units in those years [1]. The coverage ran 10 years or 120,000 miles from the in-service date, so it has aged out for every car, but the parts list is still the repair: a transmission seal kit, four reverse clutch fiber plates (24238954), four steel plates (24258074), the 3-5-R backing plate (24236516) and 9 qt of DEXRON-VI (88861037), with the reverse clutch housing and piston only if required [1]. GM also lists a reaction sun gear (24256292) as one of the parts needed in roughly a quarter of the repairs, because debris from the broken plate damages the gear train [1].
ATRA adds a simple check before teardown: unplug the transmission and see whether reverse engages. That tells you whether reverse is being prevented electrically [5]. ATRA also notes the 3-5-R wave plate is the most common one to break, and recommends installing the updated wave plates in every clutch once the unit is apart: 1-2-3-4 is 24259063, 2-6 is 24259816, 3-5-R is 24254103 and low-reverse is 24259817 [5].
No 1st and no Reverse
If 1st and Reverse are both missing, the common clutch is low and reverse. GM's chart points at the low and reverse clutch retainer, stripped splines on the clutch or its plates, damaged or deformed plates, and on the case cover side: a broken piston spring retainer, worn or debonding piston seals, a broken or deformed piston, an incorrect or oversized bleed hole in the piston, porosity in the case cover, and a broken or fatigued return spring [4].
The no-move that shows up after a rebuild
Malibus that come back from someone else's rebuild with no movement have a known cause. ATRA documents a no-movement condition, often with P2723, on GM R, V and Z body 6T70/75 applications, the Malibu named among them, after a repair that included a new reaction planetary carrier [5]. Parts catalogs show the reaction carrier and input ring gear as one assembly, but the carrier, ring gear and ring gear snap ring are serviced separately. Leave the ring gear off and the unit will not drive [5].
Repair or replace?
A cable, IMS, converter bolt or filter fix is a same-day job. Once the pan shows clutch material, or a broken 3-5-R plate has sent pieces through the gear train, it is a full overhaul: new frictions and steels, all four updated wave plates, a hard look at the reaction sun gear and carrier, a new filter, and an adaptive learn afterward.
Quick reference
| Malibu no-move symptom | Suspect | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Four-speed car, lever and gear do not match | Shift cable end tabs | Recall 12V-460 (not 6T70) [6] |
| No movement after fluid service | Low fluid, pump starved | Fluid wets dipstick bullet before start [4] |
| Wrong or no PRNDL, P182E | Cable, IMS | PI0269B steps, IMS A/B/C/P [2] |
| No Drive or Reverse, no line pressure | Pump drive sprocket/link, filter | Gauge, then pump and filter [4] |
| No Drive or Reverse, pressure normal | Converter bolts, turbine or input splines | Input vs output speed [4] |
| No Reverse, 3rd or 5th | 3-5-R wave plate | Special coverage 14404B [1][5] |
| No 1st or Reverse | Low and reverse clutch | Case cover piston and seals [4] |
| No movement after rebuild, P2723 | Ring gear left off reaction carrier | ATRA reaction carrier note [5] |
Shop the part for this fix: 6T70 rebuild kit with pistons
When the no-move comes down to a broken wave plate, a burnt clutch pack or failed piston seals, this CoreTransmissionParts kit carries the pistons, frictions and seals to rebuild the clutch packs. Match the generation to your unit before you order.
View the 6T70 rebuild kit with pistons at CoreTransmissionPartsLooking for something else? Browse all 6T70 parts at CoreTransmissionParts.
Need parts for this job?
Our 6T70 parts page has pumps, filter kits, Gen 1 rebuild kits with pistons and clutch drums for the 3.6L Malibu, all on our own checkout. For fluid specs across every unit, see the transmission fluid spec chart.
FAQ
Why won't my Chevy Malibu move in drive or reverse?
On a 3.6L Malibu with the 6T70, check the fluid first: with the engine off it must at least wet the end of the dipstick bullet. Then confirm the shift cable and internal mode switch agree with the lever, and put a gauge on line pressure. No pressure points at the pump drive or filter; normal pressure with no movement points at stripped splines, a converter bolt or a clutch.
Why does my Malibu have no reverse but drives forward?
On a 6T70 that is usually the 3-5-R clutch, and the 3rd and 5th gears often go with it. GM special coverage 14404B covered a cracked 3-5-R wave plate on 2008-2009 Malibus. If 1st is missing along with reverse, the low and reverse clutch in the case cover is the suspect instead.
Was there a recall for a Malibu shift cable?
Yes, NHTSA campaign 12V-460 covered 2008-2010 Malibus with the 4-speed automatic, where the tabs on the shift cable end could fracture so the lever and the transmission no longer matched. It did not cover the 6T70 six-speed. On a six-speed car GM bulletin PI0269B is the one that addresses shifter and IMS issues, with DTC P182E.
Can a Malibu 6T70 lose all movement right after a rebuild?
Yes. ATRA documents a no-drive with P2723 on Z-body Malibus after the reaction planetary carrier is replaced, because the reaction carrier, input ring gear and ring gear snap ring are serviced as separate pieces. If the ring gear is left off the carrier, the unit will not move.
Related guides
Sources
- General Motors, Special Coverage 14404B, "Transmission Clutch Wave Plate." Backs the 2008-2009 Malibu 6T70 listing, the cracked wave plate causing loss of 3rd, 5th and reverse, the 10 year/120,000 mile coverage, and the parts list (24238954, 24258074, 24236516, 88861037 x9, 24256292 in about 25% of repairs). static.nhtsa.gov (PDF)
- General Motors, Preliminary Information PI0269B, "Check Engine Light On, DTC P182E." Backs the 2009-2011 Malibu 6T70 listing and February 2009-July 2010 build window, the no-PRNDL complaint, the cable, Park/Neutral and IMS A/B/C/P steps, IMS replacement, and the false U0101. static.nhtsa.gov (PDF)
- Chevrolet, 2010 Malibu Owner Manual. Backs the six-speed and four-speed operation sections, the brake-and-button shift lock, torque lock and its prevention, and the 5.0 L / 5.3 qt six-speed drain-and-refill. assets.gm.com (PDF)
- GM service information for the 6T70/6T75 (2011 Saab 9-4X workshop manual): No Drive in All Ranges, No First and Reverse Gears, Shift Indicator Indicates Wrong Gear Selection and Fluid Level and Condition Check. Backs the full no-drive cause list, the low and reverse clutch checks, the cable and manual shaft checks, the wet-bullet note, the 180-200 F check temperature and the DEXRON-VI warning.
- ATRA, "6T70 Product Issues and Updates" seminar. Backs the Z-body Malibu RPO split, the unplug-the-transmission reverse check, "3-5 Rev wave most common to break" and the four updated wave plate part numbers, and the P2723 no-move after reaction carrier replacement. ATRA (PDF)
- NHTSA, Recall 12V-460, "Gear Position Indication (PRNDL)." Backs the 2008-2010 Malibu four-speed shift cable end tab fracture, the lever and gear mismatch, and the retainer or cable remedy. NHTSA recall record