fuck fuck fuck fuck

[joflasher]

Transmission place just called. Said the tranmission fluid was full of metal and a rebuild would cost around $1400. Keep in mind that the Wagon is blue booked around $1000 right now and has a trade in at a dealership of less than $500. FUCK!

How in the world did I miss this? I mean, yeah, she's been acting weird since I parked her but before that, she was pretty good. Maybe a little louder than normal down shifting but not hideous. ARRRGGGHHH!

So now do I skip the rebuild and try to find a use one to put in? Attempt the rebuild myself? Do I even remember how to remove a transmission from its casing? Or do I follow my stepdad's advice and run her till she blows up and then get a new car like I should have done 3 years ago?

It'd be easier if I didn't anthropomorphize my car. Then I wouldn't feel guilty for thinking about abandoning her. I mean, I LIKE the Wagon. I know her quirks. So what if she can't get past 70 on a hill?

*sigh*
advice, please?

Comments

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

I recently (a year ago) spent $1400 to get the engine replaced with a used engine on ecco90. That exceeded the price I paid to *buy* Ecco 4 years previous (I have now had Ecco 5 years). Ecco is now blue-booked at about $800 (I don't know precisely what the value was when the engine was done, but it couldn't have been too much more). Ecco had 174K miles on the odometer, now has 216K. I want Ecco to live forever. I know this isn't probably very realistic, but... I figure as long as I have the money to do it I will. I justified doing this at the time by asking myslef - "for $1400 could I buy another car that is in a good a shape as Ecco will be after the new engine is put in?" I was pretty sure the answer was no. Since then I have put in a new power steering pump, rack, waterpump, 4 new tires, full tune-up (and due for another one), front brakes, halfshafts, timing belt... and I figure this still all adds up to less than car payments would be and now I *know* when all of the stuff has been replaced. I also did a bunch of it myself with lifetime warantees. Sure, every once in a while I get some new-car-lust for something that would not require maintenance as often... but is there a new car out there that I would love as much as Ecco? Absolutely not!!

[nuns.livejournal.com]

I read something else about metal in a transmission recently -- was that you? If it wasn't you, get a second opinion, because the other person's metal-in-the-transmission assessment was a total scam -- instead of the $1400, s/he spent I think $100.

[bk2w.livejournal.com]

So, they saw metal shavings in the transmission fluid? Not terribly surprising, I have to say.

I consider metal shaving to be a normal part of a transmission. Heck, if they didn't have metal in the fluid, they would never wear out; they do wear out, even really good ones, so therefore metal in the fluid is normal. It's just like lint in a clothes dryer, in that regard.

The key is "excessive". Now, having not seen the fluid, I'd guess the shop is being paranoid (probably a good thing) and/or exaggerating. If you haven't changed the fluid in years, normal wear might look "excessive" to someone expecting a car that had it's fluid changed 6 months ago.

Personally, on any car of mine, I'd just clean out the metal trap and change the fluid. Might need to change the fluid a few times over the next month to flush out the rest of the shavings still in the transmission, but it should get to the point where you see very little, if any, metal each time.

For $1400, I'd be willing to bet the transmission will last a lot longer just as it is. Keep a close eye on that metal trap, and you'll have a much better notion of when you really need a rebuild. And keep paying attention to how it sounds and feels when shifting. Transmissions are usually quite good about telling you when they need work.

Also, when rebuild time came, I'd do it myself, but then I'm a wrenching masochist that ripping out both turbos on a transverse mounted V6 by himself (well, almost by himself) and enjoyed it. :)

[flasher.livejournal.com]

Normally I would agree with you but I asked the mechanic to see what they pulled out. Excessive doesn't begin to describe it. Also, in overdrive, its been rapidly downshifting from 3rd to 1st when it shouldn't. Puts one hell of a load on the engine. Haven't had it happen in drive yet but still. Guess I need to run some tests on it to see if maybe it was just a fluid thing.

[pixel.livejournal.com]

"I say have them do a transmission flush and filter change, and see what happens. If that fixes it you're all set, and if it doesn't it might keep the tranny limping along for a bit longer.
Do you know if your tranny pan has a built in magnet to catch metal shavings? If not you might want to glue a couple strong ones to the outside of the tranny pan to catch the shavings and keep them out of the rest of hhe tranny.
I can fully understand where you are coming from with the tranny. I just had the transmission replaced a few months ago in The Cat (http://www.blert.net/thecat/). I spent $1,200. to put a tranny in a '91 Taurus wagon with (then) 242,000miles, and a resale value that approaches $0, from below."

[flasher.livejournal.com]

I had them do a fluid/filter change. Asked them to check the rubber gasket thing too and they said it was fine. Going to drive it around a bit and see what happens. Don't know if it has a magnet or not. I'll check and add on if not. We're talking a '91 escort wagon that hasn't rolled over yet. Its old but it doesn't have that many miles for its age.