The vehicle must be raised and supported sufficiently to allow the transaxle to exit the engine compartment, ensuring support by the uni-body rather than the subframe, as the subframe needs to be removed for transaxle removal. Begin by placing the vehicle in PARK with the parking brake engaged, then disconnect the negative battery cable and remove the battery and tray. Next, remove the under-vehicle splash shield, the left front inner fender splash shield, and, for 2016 and later models, the front bumper. Drain the cooling system and remove the upper radiator hose, along with the charge air cooler outlet hose for 1.4L models. Label and unplug all transaxle electrical connectors, removing any related brackets as needed. Disconnect the shift cable from the transaxle shift lever and the Vehicle Speed Sensor. Loosen the front wheel lug nuts, raise the vehicle securely on jackstands, and support the radiator/condenser assembly with heavy-duty plastic tie-wraps. Drain the transaxle fluid and remove both driveaxles, then remove the transaxle oil cooler lines by removing the retaining nut and pulling the line straight out. For 2016 and later models, remove the ECM and its mounting bracket bolts. Support the engine from above using an engine hoist or support fixture, then remove the upper engine-to-transaxle bolts and stud. Disconnect the ABS wheel speed sensor harnesses from the subframe and remove the subframe. Support the transaxle with a transmission jack, securing it with straps or chains. Remove the starter, mark the relationship of the torque converter to the driveplate, and remove the torque converter-to-driveplate bolts while turning the crankshaft. Push the torque converter into the bell housing to prevent it from staying with the engine during transaxle removal. Remove the lower transaxle-to-engine bolts and the driver's side powertrain mount, then remove the mount-to-transaxle bolts and the through-bolts from the front and rear mounts. Ensure all wires, hoses, brackets, and mounts are disconnected from the transaxle, slide the transaxle jack toward the side of the vehicle until the transaxle is clear of the engine locating dowels, and lower it while keeping it level. For installation, reverse the removal steps, ensuring the torque converter's drive tangs engage with the automatic transaxle fluid pump inner gear, aligning the match marks made on the torque converter and driveplate. Install all driveplate-to-torque converter bolts before tightening them, then tighten the transaxle mounting bolts, driveaxle hub nuts, and wheel lug nuts to the specified torque. Finally, fill the transaxle with the correct type and amount of automatic transmission fluid and shift the transaxle into all gear positions to confirm shift cable adjustment, readjusting if necessary.
Posted by GMPartsGiant Specialist 
