2005 Chevy Cavalier

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Transmission should be the same 4-speed unit as used on others, like mine. It's a sealed unit, so the only way to service is through pan drops. However, it is fairly sturdy, and with even minimal maintenenace will go for a long time.



You can service this transmission by draining from the transmission check plug with the engine off and refilling from a cap near the air cleaner box. You can do that a couple of times.


Can you or someone else corroborate this? Draining the trans through the check plug? Is it easily accessible? How much fluid drains out?



Yes, and it depends...

And it being sealed, I find it better to just do a flush and fill.

I changed the wife's at 52k, and it looked pretty rough....

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Transmission should be the same 4-speed unit as used on others, like mine. It's a sealed unit, so the only way to service is through pan drops. However, it is fairly sturdy, and with even minimal maintenenace will go for a long time.



You can service this transmission by draining from the transmission check plug with the engine off and refilling from a cap near the air cleaner box. You can do that a couple of times.


Can you or someone else corroborate this? Draining the trans through the check plug? Is it easily accessible? How much fluid drains out?


Well the plug is really for checking the fluid level while running. If not running some would come out maybe a quart or two? Now if 5-6 qts came out then it'd be worthwhile.

The trans isn't really sealed, just lack provisions for a dipstick. Which is somewhat a pain in the butt.

With about 12 qts capacity it would be a very inefficient way to change the fluid IMO since every time you drain it some of the new would come out with the old. Besides the filter is behind the pan and it should be cleaned out. The gasket is reusable. I think it'd be best to drop the pan and change the filter and refill with Dex VI. This would probably get about 7 qts out and be sufficient. If you wanted to go the extra mile you could also flush the cooler line but I don't think it would be necessary.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I offered him $5,500 and he laughed at me. I laughed back and said the car's been for sale for weeks on end and he keeps lowering the price. Told him if no one bites at $6,500 and he wants it gone, call me and I'll show up with cold hard cash, 100 dollar bills! We shall see...
Way to play your cards!

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: silverrat
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Transmission should be the same 4-speed unit as used on others, like mine. It's a sealed unit, so the only way to service is through pan drops. However, it is fairly sturdy, and with even minimal maintenenace will go for a long time.



You can service this transmission by draining from the transmission check plug with the engine off and refilling from a cap near the air cleaner box. You can do that a couple of times.


Can you or someone else corroborate this? Draining the trans through the check plug? Is it easily accessible? How much fluid drains out?


Well the plug is really for checking the fluid level while running. If not running some would come out maybe a quart or two? Now if 5-6 qts came out then it'd be worthwhile.

The trans isn't really sealed, just lack provisions for a dipstick. Which is somewhat a pain in the butt.

With about 12 qts capacity it would be a very inefficient way to change the fluid IMO since every time you drain it some of the new would come out with the old. Besides the filter is behind the pan and it should be cleaned out. The gasket is reusable. I think it'd be best to drop the pan and change the filter and refill with Dex VI. This would probably get about 7 qts out and be sufficient. If you wanted to go the extra mile you could also flush the cooler line but I don't think it would be necessary.



Dex VI is goinginto mine...

 

[JustinH]

My girlfriend has a 03 sunfire with about 45k miles on it.

The engine and transmission have been fine. I don't like that I have to take the car in for a transmission flush because it looks very tricky to fill the transmission properly.

The service manual that I read states that to fill the transmission you need to have one plug open, and you need to add fluid while the car is running and level. I would interpret this that the car needs to be on a lift. The hot downtube is right next to the fill plug as well.

The entire car is built very very cheaply. Instead of using a nut, GM would use a plastic christmas tree fastener. This happens all over the car, including on the blower motor!

Both muffler straps rotted off, I am replacing them this week. The chassis is very rusty even after keeping it clean. The back brake drums, I have never seen so much rust on a car back there before.

The headlights were wired with cheap wiring from the factory. When they got wet due to the location of the windshield wiper bottle, it would rust and short out the wires.

I had to rewire the entire headlight assembly, because her headlights would dim and sometimes flicker. This is very common, I see it on almost every J body on the road today.

At 45k miles, I'm going to be on my third set of brakes and rotors in the front, and my second set of drums/shoes in the rear.

She paid about 4800 for the car two years ago when it had about 25k miles on it. I would not buy another.

I have an Ion on the delta chassis, it is worlds of a better car than the J body. The ion and the cobalt share the same chassis. The newer Ions/Cobalts (2005+) have Quiet-Steel, and are a MUCH quieter car, and better put together than my 2003.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
My girlfriend has a 03 sunfire with about 45k miles on it.

The engine and transmission have been fine. I don't like that I have to take the car in for a transmission flush because it looks very tricky to fill the transmission properly.

The service manual that I read states that to fill the transmission you need to have one plug open, and you need to add fluid while the car is running and level. I would interpret this that the car needs to be on a lift. The hot downtube is right next to the fill plug as well.

The entire car is built very very cheaply. Instead of using a nut, GM would use a plastic christmas tree fastener. This happens all over the car, including on the blower motor!

Both muffler straps rotted off, I am replacing them this week. The chassis is very rusty even after keeping it clean. The back brake drums, I have never seen so much rust on a car back there before.

The headlights were wired with cheap wiring from the factory. When they got wet due to the location of the windshield wiper bottle, it would rust and short out the wires.

I had to rewire the entire headlight assembly, because her headlights would dim and sometimes flicker. This is very common, I see it on almost every J body on the road today.

At 45k miles, I'm going to be on my third set of brakes and rotors in the front, and my second set of drums/shoes in the rear.

She paid about 4800 for the car two years ago when it had about 25k miles on it. I would not buy another.

I have an Ion on the delta chassis, it is worlds of a better car than the J body. The ion and the cobalt share the same chassis. The newer Ions/Cobalts (2005+) have Quiet-Steel, and are a MUCH quieter car, and better put together than my 2003.



You have some strange problems. None of them with my 97,except for the one muffler strap, but that is a fairly common problem on all cars.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
Originally Posted By: JustinH
My girlfriend has a 03 sunfire with about 45k miles on it.

The engine and transmission have been fine. I don't like that I have to take the car in for a transmission flush because it looks very tricky to fill the transmission properly.

The service manual that I read states that to fill the transmission you need to have one plug open, and you need to add fluid while the car is running and level. I would interpret this that the car needs to be on a lift. The hot downtube is right next to the fill plug as well.

The entire car is built very very cheaply. Instead of using a nut, GM would use a plastic christmas tree fastener. This happens all over the car, including on the blower motor!

Both muffler straps rotted off, I am replacing them this week. The chassis is very rusty even after keeping it clean. The back brake drums, I have never seen so much rust on a car back there before.

The headlights were wired with cheap wiring from the factory. When they got wet due to the location of the windshield wiper bottle, it would rust and short out the wires.

I had to rewire the entire headlight assembly, because her headlights would dim and sometimes flicker. This is very common, I see it on almost every J body on the road today.

At 45k miles, I'm going to be on my third set of brakes and rotors in the front, and my second set of drums/shoes in the rear.

She paid about 4800 for the car two years ago when it had about 25k miles on it. I would not buy another.

I have an Ion on the delta chassis, it is worlds of a better car than the J body. The ion and the cobalt share the same chassis. The newer Ions/Cobalts (2005+) have Quiet-Steel, and are a MUCH quieter car, and better put together than my 2003.



You have some strange problems. None of them with my 97,except for the one muffler strap, but that is a fairly common problem on all cars.


Yeah I've owned and did the maintencance for several J-body cars and known of them had much in the way of problems.

 

[The Critic]

For $5k, you can get an older 01-02 Maxima and have a much better driving experience.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
For $5k, you can get an older 01-02 Maxima and have a much better driving experience.


And much higher operating expenses. Older vehicle with higher mileage, premium fuel, more expensive parts, a timing belt...

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: The Critic
For $5k, you can get an older 01-02 Maxima and have a much better driving experience.


And much higher operating expenses. Older vehicle with higher mileage, premium fuel, more expensive parts, a timing belt...

No timing belt, yes premium fuel, and I doubt parts are more expensive.

 

[daves87rs]

The headlight thing is kinda strange...neither one of mine ever had that issue....

Replacing the clamps every few years is getting annoying though. Js from the 00+ years tend to eat pads and rotors..my 03 @ 60k is now on it's 3rd set of pads, second set of rotors.


Can't touch the rust issue (granted this car was designed around 93/94 for this current generation), so you are still looking at mostly early 90s tech..


Even with the issues, I's still consider grabbing another as a 4 door beater...they are quite dependable to get around in...