8L45 Shift Kit 2015, new and ready to install. Fits the 8L45. Ships fast from the USA.
The 8L45 is the lighter-duty member of GM's eight-speed family, found in the Colorado and Canyon, the V6 and turbo four Camaro, and Cadillac cars such as the ATS, CTS and CT6. Owners searching for a fix usually describe one of two things: a shift that slips or flares between gears, or a shift that slams. Both can come from the same worn valves. TransGo builds one valve body repair kit for both the 8L45 and the 8L90, the SK 8L90, and that is the kit sold on this page for 2015-and-later 8L45 units. The name says 8L90, but TransGo lists it for the 8L45 too because the two share the same valve body architecture and control strategy.
Every shift in an 8L45 is a clutch-to-clutch handoff. The TCM commands a variable force solenoid, and a regulator valve downstream converts that small signal into real apply pressure. When a regulator valve or its bore wears, the pressure the clutch actually sees no longer matches the command, and the TCM's adaptive learning can only chase the error so far. A smaller V6 or four-cylinder unit makes less torque than a V8 8L90, but the hydraulic wear is the same, and a low-line 8L45 burns its clutches just as fast.
TransGo's kit replaces the parts that wear: a drop-in pressure regulator and shuttle valve line-up, a drop-in TCC regulator valve, drop-in S2, S3 and S4 regulator valves, an oversize converter feed limit valve and an oversize AFL valve. The S2 circuit sets line pressure, S3 and S4 control clutch apply across most forward gears, and the TCC regulator controls converter lockup, so the kit touches the circuits behind most 8L45 drivability complaints.
On a Colorado or Camaro with a fresh shudder or harsh shift, rule out fluid first. GM's bulletin fix for the 8L45 and 8L90 is a fluid exchange to DEXRON HP, and our 8L90 / 8L45 shudder and harsh shift guide explains how to tell a fluid-caused shudder from a hardware fault. After that, compare commanded and actual line pressure with a gauge and scan tool, and read the code history. The valve body symptoms and testing guide applies directly to the 8L45 and shows which bore matches which complaint. This kit does not include signal accumulator pistons, so if testing shows S3 or S4 accumulator bore leakage, that wear needs its own repair.
TransGo lists this kit for all 2015-on 8L45 and 8L90 transmissions. For the 8L45 that means 2015-and-newer Cadillac applications plus the Colorado, Canyon and Camaro once those vehicles adopted the eight-speed. Because some light-duty GM vehicles used other transmissions in the same years, confirm the RPO code on the service parts label before you order, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Every 8L45 and 8L90 part we stock is listed on the 8L90 / 8L45 parts page.
| Fits | 8L45 2015 |
| Part type | Shift Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | TransGo |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
TransGo makes a single kit, SK 8L90, for both the 8L45 and the 8L90 from 2015 on. The two transmissions share the same valve body design, so the same valves and springs fit both.
If the truck has the 8L45, yes, the kit covers all 2015-on 8L45 units. Check the RPO code on the service parts label or send us the VIN, because the Colorado was also built with other transmissions.
It is if the slip comes from low line or worn regulator valves, which the kit replaces. If the clutches are already burnt you also need an overhaul kit, and if a signal accumulator bore is leaking that needs its own repair.
Yes. Run the Transmission Service Fast Learn with a GM-capable scan tool, then drive the clutch learns described in GM bulletin 16-NA-019 with fluid in the correct temperature range.
DEXRON HP, sold as Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP. Do not substitute DEXRON VI or ULV. Set the level hot through the check plug in the pan.
