Transmission cost

Mani,

First, let us drop back about 3 squares. First, what kind of shop did you take it to for that transmission flush? How many miles are we talking about on that vehicle? Has the transaxle been reacting strange, such as delayed shifts, slips, weird noises, etc.?

I'm VERY suspect of any shop that, without really checking it out, pronounces your transaxle as toast.

I'm no great fan of transaxle flushes without also taking down the pan and replacing the filter assembly. Just doing a fluid flush would be like changing the engine oil and leaving in an old oil filter.

Also, if that flush machine is not cleaned out from the last job they did you'll inherit all the crap that was in that last transmission..

So anyway, before you shell out $2500~3000 P&L to have a tranaxle put in that car, let's try and figure out if one is actually needed.

Regards, Bill Bowen Sacramento, CA

I'll echo Bill's comments and add that unless this car has been abused or the car has very high mileage, this really sounds suspect. These transmissions are quite solid and they run for a very long time. That said - what was it that caused you to take it to the shop for a flush in the first place?

I just paid $2600 for my 2001 Le Sabre (114k miles). That aside, is your still running well? Sounds like someone is trying to make a quick buck. See if there is a local reputable shop around, not some big chain and get an opinion. Or just keep driving until it dies.

I echo the comments of Bill and Mike. Some of these mechanics immediately suggest a flush with little apparent justification. I am not sold on the procedure.

Cost of replacement depends upon where you live. On that car, around here, you should be able to get a rebuild for $1-2000.

My son just had problems with his Honda hybrid, and the dealership (it is under extended warranty) mechanic told him they should flush the tranny THREE TIMES and maybe that would help. Mechanic claimed it was a maintenance issue, not a warranty issue. Since he had the paperwork to prove that all maintenance had been done at THAT dealership and on time, it made the storyline from the dealership a little thin. They, with red faces, agreed to fix the car.

Hi Bill,

When I bought the car at around 63K miles I was told that the transmission flush was done and now it's 95K miles. I heard some grinding noise in the front and car shakes while braking. So I had the front rotors and pads replaced and since it's been more than 30K miles since a transmission flush was done, I asked them to do it. They advised that if they do the job, the car might not move and suggested that I just drive till it the transmission goes out instead of repairing it. This was all at Tuffy Auto Service.

Thanks, Mani

William H. Bowen wrote:

Mani

On a car with 95K miles, a shop that has no history of the car might be wary of doing a flush on the trans - basically a CYA response on their part. I agree with you, though, that it's a good idea to change the trans fluid. How about just getting the pan dropped, a new filter and fresh fluid? That goes for about $125 in my area.

Doug

I suggest you replace your "repair shop" .

My experience is different. In 45 years of car ownership, I've only ever changed the fluid in one transmission. I've only ever had a problem with one transmission. Can you guess which one? And yes, some of them have gone

I hope and pray that I never buy a used car that you have owned.

Why? My cars are very well cared for. The oil is changed regularly, but not at 3500 miles. The body is perfect, clean, waxed, engine is tuned up when needed, etc. You don't get 150k to 200k by abusing and not caring for a car. Transmissions, OTOH, really don't require much service unless something wears over many miles. It can happen. Pretty close to being a sealed system.

Make all the comments you want, but can you explain why the only trans that ever broke down was the one that received some "preventative maintenance" and the others were flawless? Make all the suppositions you want, but facts are facts.

it's simple, you didn't do the preventative maintenance soon enough, or you didn't do it correctly. (or, of course, you might have had a car that had a design or manufacturing flaw in the transmission.) Saying things like doing recommended PM causes transmissions to fail earlier than they otherwise would is flat out idiotic and I should hope that nobody reading this is dumb enough to infer from your post that one should not properly maintain a transmission. BTW 200K miles is nothing for a good car; with fluid changes and band adjustments every 50K a good auto trans should last double or triple that before requiring any other work.

nate

(prefers stickshifts anyway, and yes I do change my gear oil and am partial to Redline. Good clean synthetics never hurt anyone.)

A transmission with 95K miles and has already had one flush done should be absolutely fine. Find a better shop, one that will do a real service (drop the pan, clean it out and replace the filter, and adjust the bands) and don't listen to those jokers. Isn't Tuffy a muffler shop anyway?

nate

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

are you experiencing any problems with the trans. or are you just doing PM? Based on your other posts I suspect the latter in which case you should find another shop. If you are having actual transmission problems, you should probably take it to someone that specializes in transmissions. This is where things get difficult, as most of the time unless you are lucky your local transmission shop will be an AAMCO or Cottman franchise, and I've heard enough horror stories about both I'd never set foot in either one. But you may be lucky and find a good independent transmission specialist, in which case treat him well and be very friendly.

nate

I've always followed a schedule of changing tranny oil and filter every three years, ever since I bought my first car 35 years ago. I've never had a tranny failure - ever. I've always done it myself to keep costs down, but it isn't that hard to do. If any of your cars went over 200K miles with no trans maintenance and didn't have a problem, you were very fortunate.

I didn't say it was the cause, but that is the only one I ever had a problem with. Waste of the $65 I paid if it was going to fail anyway as this did not prevent it. Again, from FACTS, not hearsay, I don't see the need Many cars, no service, no failures. I'm happy.

Argh! This one is hard to swallow. There are no band adjustments any more Nate.

I too service my tranny at regular intervals but the fact of the matter is that car are all over the road that are just like what Edwin describes - no tranny service at all and still running strong at 200K+. Look - it's one thing to believe in performing maintenance but to start throwing hobgoblins out in the dark and suggesting something that is just plane contrary to every day experience is simply bullshit. Plenty of trannys that have been adequately serviced have failed. I know - I too am the owner of one that failed after proper service.

When I think of transmission service Tuffy dose not come to my mind.