Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options

Transmission Traumas?

1…4243444648

Comments

  • robert103robert103 Member Posts: 4
    Following up to comment #57 in this forum, the Honda service bulletin 98-061 does indeed apply to 2001 Accord transmissions. The bulletin also explains the late shifting that other Honda owners have commented upon. Quoting the bulletin, LATE, HARD SHIFTS BEFORE THE ENGINE WARMS UP, by DESIGN, the A/T shifts later and a little harder when the engine is cold, it returns to smoother shifting when the engine warms up. And, indeed, this has been my experience. But this begs the question of WHY? Why would Honda design a transmission with this feature? It appears that they had a problem and decided to call it a design intent. Go figure!
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    Maybe that's the way the offshore brands keep their quality scores at Consumer Reports perfect. :)
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    How can you tell that the car was "well taken care of" based on a CarFax report?

    Car Fax tells you nothing about how a car was maintained. It only tracks registration changes etc and it may or may not show an accident history.

    Change the fluid!
  • rhtransrhtrans Member Posts: 84
    Yes, it has been extended 100,000 miles but only 7 years from what i understand.
  • coda1212coda1212 Member Posts: 2
    Hi there: I have a 92 Grand Marquis with 67,000 miles. While outside temp is cool such as 40'-low 50's, my trans shifts fine. But once warmed up, typically 5 or 6 city miles, the trans is slipping from start to 1st gear. I had the trans fluid flushed, but still have the problem. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    I wonder if a band adjustment would help.
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    band adjustment is not an option. it sounds like the forward clutch is slipping in your transmission.when fluid is cold its thicker and will help hold the forward clutch after it warms up and thins down its unable to take up the extra clearance in the forward drum so the trans slips. time for an overhaul
  • coda1212coda1212 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for the advice.
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    Hey, it sounds like fordfan knows what he's talking about. I double clicked his moniker and read his self description. I want to see some videos!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah he knows.
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    please feel free to ask for pics or vid's on whatever trans you need info on ill be happy to provide what i can ..... most of the time i do my carspace work while im at work on the bench and have access to as much info as i need to get problems resolved in a timely fashion
  • amsternamstern Member Posts: 5
    How could I have been so remiss? I did not research adequately the problems with transmissions in these minivans. We did buy a pretty high mileage one, so of course there wasn't even an option for a warranty. We're now waiting to have a Jasper reman transmission put in at a hopefully "reputable" independent transmission shop to the tune of about $3000.00. Probabaly should have paid upfront for an Odyssey.
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    jasper builds a good unit all dyno tested and checked for operation before shipping. only problems that could arise is from installation of the unit. as far as jasper is concerned ROCK SOLID company
  • venturealexventurealex Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 Venture with a rebuilt, 50k miles, transmission. Last week 500 miles from home it started hunting between low and 2nd with light throttle pressure. I added a bottle of Lucas trans fix. At freeway speeds it seemed OK. After nursing it all week I got home OK except for some city driving it hunted again. While cold it couldn't find low but will when warmed up. The hard parts seem OK just the control. Can anyone of you trans gurus tell me what to look for when I take it apart? Shift solenoid, dirty valve bady, computer?
  • acura_lover1acura_lover1 Member Posts: 1
    hello every body i have a 92 acura vigor with a automatic trans problam is i hate autos so i wanted tochange my trans with a 6 speed manual and then get the shifter and pedal installed but i dont want to do this then find out it cant work and have a really meesed up car sodose anyu one know if this can be done thx in advance
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    you are goin to have to replace ecm wiring harness in order to convrt to stick...many headaches good luck with it...
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    This wouldn't be worth the trouble or expense.

    Just sell it and buy something different with a stick.

    And, I wouldn't buy another Vigor even if you could find one. They were decent cars but they were very strange and vERY difficult to work on them. The technicians hated them for that reason.
  • rsanders2rsanders2 Member Posts: 1
    So I have a 2001 Mazda Millenia that is now in need of transmission repair. The estimated cost for this can reach into the $4 to $5-thousand dollar range. I see a couple of options right off the bat. One, I've got to do the warranty fight right away and it is in play until I reach 100-thousand miles - I'm at 90-thousand now. Any thoughts?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    What is the deal with the 100,000 mile warranty?

    Did you buy an extended warranty when you bought the car?

    If not, you are facing a repair bill that is probably close to the value of the car. A tough place to be.
  • oz10koz10k Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I've bought a '99 Grand Marquis with 65,000 from my father-in-law a few months ago. He didn't recall any problems with it, but at 83 he probably just didn't notice what was going on. The trans is slipping when going into overdrive under light acceleration. It doesn't slip every time, but it does happen several times per day. When it happens the slip will last maybe 1/2 second, just long enough that you can feel the car slow-down a bit and you can hear the engine rpm increase.

    The local Mercury dealer describes the problem as "overdrive bans slipping". They can repair it for ~$2,000, but they recommend a Ford rebuilt trans for ~$2400.

    At this point all I've done is had a fluid flush.

    With your experience I'm hoping you guys can answer a few questions. First, what can I do to maximize the remaining life of the trans?

    For example, I'm assuming it would help to turn-off over-drive. Is this correct? Assuming it is, is this a big help, since the problem is with the overdrive bans slipping?

    Also, we have some long (1 minute) red lights around here. Would it help to shift into neutral at these, or whenever the car isn't moving for more than 20 - 30 seconds? Or does every shift just put more wear and tear on the bands?

    Basically, is there anything I should do, or anything I should not do?

    Second, any opinion on how much life is left in the trans? From these symptoms does it sound like this is in the early stages of failure or close to a complete failure? Any opinion if the problem is isolated to the overdrive bans, or are other bands likely to start having problems.

    Thanks, I really do appreciate your help.

    Ron
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    once the o/d BAND starts slipping the direct frictions(3rd gear) are taking damage too from excessive heat to answer your question in a nutshell trans is close to failure. sooner you get it fixed cheaper it will be.....try aftermarket trans shops your likely to get a much more reasonable price for repair
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    How right you are, all the way around. The bands will just get worse, and eventually there will be complete failure. Ask around for recommendations for a good shop to use.
  • wellesleywellesley Member Posts: 8
    Hi,
    I have an 07' sierra, 5.3 auto 4wd. I added a tranny cooler that has the low pressure drop feature (oil must be warm enough to go thru cooler). Anyway after adding the cooler I did need to add some fluid but am not sure if I'm reading the level correctly. It says to read warm , idling in park. When it is cold the fluid is well beyond the hot range and when it is warm and idling in park the fluid is barely above the low/cold mark. Prior to adding the cooler the cold level was near the cold mark and when hot in the hot range. Does adding the cooler change this reading in anyway and should I just be concerned with the level when hot? thanks
  • josapjosap Member Posts: 2
    Intermittent problem: car will not shift into 3rd gear. 1st to 2nd is fine. 102kmi. on car. Trans service less than 10kmi. Lucas trans conditioner was suggested. Help! Thanks. jsap
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    It could be linkage related, and need adjustment, but with that many miles, you may have far worse problems that could require tearing it down for a rebuild. Can you get a professional opinion locally without a great expense? Good luck.
  • angelarose1angelarose1 Member Posts: 5
    I bought a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (supercharged) 3 months ago. 80,000kms on it. Driving home from the lake today, passing cars at 130-140 kms per hour no problem. Get into the city, and my car starts rattling under the hood so bad. I made it to a local garage, fella there said the oil is fine,belts look fine, but it might be something very bad, that it would be best to take it back to the dealer. I had to leave it there, until I can have it towed to the dealership. No indicator lights came on, however, yesterday the car did tell me to check the trip computer. What's wrong with my car?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Loud rattles could be water pump, defective power steering pump, bad AC compressor, things like that. It could be a lot of different things going wrong under there. Engines usually don't rattle and transmission probably won't make noise while idling in neutral. Anything's possible but the first area to explore is any accessory driven by a belt.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,675
    To add to possibilities that Mr_shiftright already gave, the idler pulleys on your belts also can go bad. I believe a supercharged model has two idlers on the two belts.

    Also the supercharger can go bad and I believe the front bearing area can be replaced separately if that is the noise maker. The oil in the superchargers should be replaced regularly to get long life out of them. Or you can just replace it at 100K miles or so when it goes bad.

    Guessing at what a sound that is a rattle without hearing it ourselves is difficult!

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • angelarose1angelarose1 Member Posts: 5
    thank you both for your responses, the dealer has had my car now for 2 days, and still have not had the time to take a look at it *sigh. I will post when I find out what the issue is - hopefully my warranty covers whatever the heck it turns out to be
  • angelarose1angelarose1 Member Posts: 5
    well, I found out that the engine in my car is dead and needs to be replaced. The dealer is currently sourcing a rebuilt engine for it. I purchased the extended warranty which covers the powertrain - yay. But this warrantly has a $1000 claim LIMIT. So the warranty is basically worthless, as a rebuilt engine will cost $7000 installed. :(
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    Perhaps you should hire a lawyer to express your displeasure properly to the offending dealer. I suspect you have been cheated roundly. Aren't you really angry? Maybe I missed something here...
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Are you sure it's a 1000.00 LIMIT and not a DEDUCTABLE?

    I've never heard of such a worthless warranty if you are correct.

    For 7000.00 I'm afraid that exceeds the value of the car.

    Tough break!
  • angelarose1angelarose1 Member Posts: 5
    yes, well I have considered hiring a lawyer but I cannot afford one. As well, I had a job interview at another car dealership in my city.( this dealership sells my brand of car). I asked them to look up what happened to my car, as the dealer I purchased from brought my car there for diagnoses. My dealer would not tell me the specifics. But the other dealership sure did. Apparently, all the bearings are shot, the oil and gas were mixing, and there was water in the engine. I dont feel angry really, just extremely disappointed. I am going into the second week without a vehicle.
  • angelarose1angelarose1 Member Posts: 5
    when I purchased the vehicle I misunderstood the $1000 to be a deductible too - but that is the claim limit, I have looked it over a million times. I never, ever thought this could happen. Silly me. lol
  • misbenmisben Member Posts: 5
    Hi,

    I am new to this forum and I can really use any thoughts or suggestions. I own a 1997 Saab 900SE turbo..automatic. The car needed an engine replacement a couple of years ago. I had this done at the dealer. They replaced the engine and the turbo with a used one. It was never done correctly and I have not driven the car much since then at all. I also replaced the transmission rang switch.

    Now, when you put the car in drive, it takes several seconds to engage into drive and even though it will go, It sounds and feels like it is all bound up..like the brakes are being applied when they are not. I also just learned that the shifter is slipped and nothing runs in its proper gear alignment on the shifter. The check engine light and the check gearbox light have been on but no actual codes are stored… I am told that it needs an alternator so that the low voltage code can be cleared in order to see if there are other codes related to the transmission. I have put too much money into the car already and if I have to replace the transmission, I do not want to replace the alternator just to find that out. I am also told that if there are no codes, they will need to drop the transmission for an inspection that may or may not tell them anything and ultimately, if all else has been eliminated, I may still be looking to replace the transmission.

    Given my list of symptoms of what the transmission is doing, does it sound like it could be the range switch again? Or if the gear linkage has slipped, would this cause any of this? Any thoughts? Could it even be the turbo? Does it sound like a definite internal transmission problem? The fluid is up there and all appears good with that.
    Thank you so much, I just need any information that can help me make determination on what to do. Thanks again
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    You don't mention the mileage, the body style you have, and your location....so I just did a lookup for 100K miles in fair condition (which is in better condition than yours with it's problems), and it's worth about 1500 - 1800 bucks. Given the extent and uncertainty of your problems, it might be worth about 500 bucks.

    Personally, with the current problems and it has never run right....I'd be looking to unload it before I have to sink any more money into it. The SAAB is an expensive car to maintain.
  • asouthardasouthard Member Posts: 2
    I recently received a 2000 Leganza SX that needed a new engine but everything else was said to be working fine, he replaced the engine but now we cant get the transmission to go into gear? does anybody have any ideas on what the problem could be? any suggestions would be great!
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Manual or auto?
  • misbenmisben Member Posts: 5
    Hi,
    Thanks for responding to my post...the car has under 90K and it is a 900se convertible...interior and exterior in excellent shape. The replaced engine only has 22K original (from a 2001 car) It has all the extras and all works great. My problems started when the dealer replaced the engine...this led to another $4000 worth of additional repairs/replacements of heater core and on and on. This was in addition to the other $ 4,400 for the engine and $2000 for the range switch and other repairs. I drove the car less than 3000 total since I bought it. Now, I have all of these issues. I just want to sell the car and recoup something. I paid over $7000 for the car a couple of years ago..it was well under book value then.

    I know that there is no way to make this situation good, but in trying to determine what I should do next, do you have any thoughts on the symptoms I described? Also, I am in Massachusetts. Thanks very much again
  • asouthardasouthard Member Posts: 2
    automatic
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'm with Kiawah here. The problem is that the car is worth very little, even if it were clean and running well. Perhaps $3,500 is all the money in the world for this car, so if you sell it AS IS for $1,000 or spend $2,500 more in order to get $3,500, you are in the same boat either way.

    I'd just punch out if I were you, have a few drinks, eat your losses and stay away from Saabs for the rest of your life.

    Good luck, sorry this turned out so badly for you.

    PS: If this solution is too hard for you, you could spend a few hundred dollars and get a really good diagnosis from a qualified transmission shop. It seems painfully obvious that whoever has been working on the car in the past needs as much help as you do right now.
  • misbenmisben Member Posts: 5
    Unfortunately, it's a Saab dealer that has done all the work for me. I tried to complain to Saab...but they are all independent and everyone passes the buck.

    Thanks for the suggestion... I do not drink but this maybe a good time to start.

    Do you think that it could be the range or as it is otherwise called, safety /neutral transmission switch? Would it cause these symptoms?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    So when you try to put it in gear, drive, reverse or other it does nothing, or is it that you can't move the trans selector at all?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's hard for me to say without driving it. I can't tell if maybe you are starting out in 2nd gear or what. That's why I was suggesting a competent diagnosis. Also I can't see how you need an alternator if the car is actually starting and running, nor can I understand why the codes can't be cleared. So much about this car doesn't seem to add up, it's kind of confusing to make good guesses. I wish I could drive it.
  • misbenmisben Member Posts: 5
    God, I wish you could drive it too...I spoke to another shop today (they say they work on lots of Saab's) they told me that it sounds like the car is operating on "Limp" mode and if that is so, the computer doesn’t know what the car should be doing and the transmission is not engaging at all. He suggested that we replace the neutral switch (I replaced this a couple of years ago already). He said that this could be the reason the car is functioning this way. . I spoke to yet another shop and they said it sounds like the transmission pump is not working and neither is the gearbox. All i know is when you put it in drive, it takes several seconds before it goes into gear and then it does but it sounds and feels like it is all bound up, like you are runing the car with the E. brake on or dragging tons of rocks.

    To answer a couple of your questions: I know that the linkage cable has slipped and needs to be adjusted so that the gears line up again on the shifter, but I compensate for the slippage and still have it in drive when I try to run it. The codes are indicating "low Voltage" and that is why they are telling me that I need to replace the alternator first and clear that code and then they can see what other codes come up..the check engine and gearbox lights are on though.

    I just do not know who or what to believe anymore. I think what I might do is go ahead and tow it to the first shop I indicated above and have them see if there is a way to test out the transmission switch and see if it is faulty and go from there. My fear is that they will replace this ($600) and it may not be it and if it does not clear the issue, I maybe stuck still replacing the transmission. :cry:
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I've been reading your posts but have been more or less mum on your problems, but I do have one comment. If your getting a low voltage code readout, then why don't they just check the alternator and see if it's working? You could have some other electrical problem that is causing these multiple symptoms and is dragging the voltage down. This could be one of those hard to find electrical malfunctions that only the right experienced person could find. Unfortunately those type of people are hard to find, especially for a Saab.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I should do full disclosure here. I've been in your shoes. One of my first vehicles back in the 70's was a used SAAB. I had to tow it home when I bought it and fix it, and that was an indicator of things to come. I had it for about 3 years, and it forever was having something major go wrong with it. The only place you could find parts was at the dealer, and they were way overpriced. The only place that had skills to fix it was at the dealership, and they were way overpriced.

    I kept it alive and running as long as I could, and finally one day I called up the SAAB dealership, asked them if they wanted to buy it for parts, and they sent a tow truck to haul it back. I would have given it away if I had to. I swore I would NEVER own another SAAB, and haven't.

    I'd be figuring out the minimum I had to do to unload it. Life's too short to have to worry about vehicles that are un-reliable.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I don't know much about Saabs, and most people say it's better for me if I keep it that way.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    My feeling exactly. Why doesn't a shop simply test the alternator instead of throwing expensive parts at this car? If the alternator is bad, and we have low voltage throughout the electrical system, that will screw up all the computers in the car anyway and might cause these symptoms.

    "limp mode" sounds like a good guess, but why can't they read the codes instead of guessing?

    Does ANYONE know what they are doing here, is the question of the day!
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    Does Saab have an oversight administration of some sort, such as "district managers" or a rough equivalent? I wonder if such a manufacturer's representative could help out in this sort of situation.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles