Saturn Ion - $3500 transmission replacement???

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http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2630956274.html
http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2630940588.html
http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/2629265257.html

Quick search of cheap saturns near here brings these in need of transmissions. I'm not finding wrecked ones with perfect powertrains.

Regrettably, the ecotec motors are great and don't blow, so a nearly dead ION would have little parts value.
frown.gif
 
Those Saturn Vues are a hard sale at even $1000 on eBay. I watched auctions a lot last year and many cars were relisted 3 or 4 times before selling for under $1000 clean and fully loaded. I laugh at people wanting only $2500 for a Vue that has a book value of $4500 and in need of a $2600 transaxle requiring $900 of labor to install.

Note that it is extremely hard to convert any modern car from automatic to manual. Using a wrecked manual Vue as a parts car and having access to Saturn equipment to reprogram everything still is a major pain and I have seen many failed conversion on eBay as well because someone missed something.

At least if someone tried this with a Ion you might be able to use Cobalt parts where as the Saturn Vue manual used Saturn only parts for the manual shifter, transaxle, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2630956274.html
http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2630940588.html
http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/2629265257.html

Quick search of cheap saturns near here brings these in need of transmissions. I'm not finding wrecked ones with perfect powertrains.

Regrettably, the ecotec motors are great and don't blow, so a nearly dead ION would have little parts value.
frown.gif




Wow! Why can't I get Vues that cheap around here?? I know enough part places that I could pick up a CVT pretty cheap...


Or just throw in a 5 speed auto....heck, I can get a motor/motor combo from a later Vue for that price....
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: eljefino
the CVT was a junker through and through. They also put it in VUEs.

I would find a way of putting a later 4 speed in even if it means swapping *everything* (PCM too) from a wrecked donor.

CL around here is full of idiot used car dealers looking for a cheap CVT tranny for a VUE they got a "good deal" on at auction, with the shocker being a good JY one going for $3000 instead of $300.


Maybe that's the problem here.... it has a CVT transmission.

Would a CVT transmission begin to fail in this way?




Not a fan of those CVTs.....
 
Since it's the CVT Ion, this is probably going to happen again. I would just junk the car.

Originally Posted By: javacontour
Ouch,

Remind me to avoid any CVT Saturns. oilBabe has a CVT Altima and I DO NOT like the way it drives. The CVT horror stories don't help either.


Don't worry, the Nissan CVTs have been fine. It was the Murano transfer cases that gave Nissan CVTs a bad rep.
 
I'm trying to get my hands on the VIN number for this car, to confirm through CompNine as to which transmission that it has.

If it has the CVT, I've already advised them to trade it in, as is, and take whatever a dealer will give them for it.

If it has the traditional 5 speed (M43), I'm recommending that they consider repairing it, especially it can be done for less than $1,500.

I've located a M43 transmission locally, for less than $300, with a 6 month warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic

Don't worry, the Nissan CVTs have been fine. It was the Murano transfer cases that gave Nissan CVTs a bad rep.


That's true. Jatco CVT's that Nissan, Chrysler, Jeep and others use have been really good.

Anyone know who made the CVT for the Saturn Spue? I'm fairly certain it wasn't Jatco.

Regardless, failure of the 4T45E in the OP's Ion is a rarity. That's another really good trans you hear of few issues with.

I'd mail-order a reman'd unit and have a shop install it for me if possible.

Joel
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: eljefino
http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2630956274.html
http://maine.craigslist.org/cto/2630940588.html
http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/2629265257.html

Quick search of cheap saturns near here brings these in need of transmissions. I'm not finding wrecked ones with perfect powertrains.

Regrettably, the ecotec motors are great and don't blow, so a nearly dead ION would have little parts value.
frown.gif


My ION had a cylinder with compression far below spec after only ~90,000 miles.

I also had to do many things not related to the engine and transmission.

Get rid of that car and find something else.
 
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