I am starting to seriously think about getting a new transmission in my Buick. It's had harsh shifts for quite some time and the dreaded whine that comes along with max adapt. I didn't get the exact codes last time i had it scanned but it was max adapt and i am sure with the rough mileage it's had the clutches are worn to the max. I can see clutch material in the fluid every time i wipe the dipstick or change the fluid through the fill tube, and it gets black pretty quick.
I won't be able to do anything right away so i am checking out my options.
I am leaning heavily towards a powersource re manufactured unit, but the cost is substantial, $1699 + i have to pay someone to install it, which not sure but will probably cost around $450 at best. Brown's quoted me $450 for the install. They also rebuild for over the phone estimate of $1400-$1600 depending on if they have to replace any hard parts or electronics.
http://www.bestrebuilttransmissions.com/4T65Etarget.htm
I haven't taken it to a transmission shop yet, as i am un sure of the quality of the few shops, and haven't had the money for the full rebuild yet. I am pretty sure they will just want to slap a full rebuild no matter what, but i really don't like the short warranties most transmission shops give. Brown's rebuild is the 12mo/12,000 mile standard... The powersource unit has 3 year 100,000 miles.
If i do go local i have a couple of options.
MR. Tranmission, Pro Tranmission, Brown's Transmission and Complete Auto Repairs are the ones listed around me.
Mr. Transmission quoted me $1800-$2400 over the phone, $1800 is the full rebuild + new aftermarket TC only, and it will likely be more expensive he said if needs hard parts or electronics, all with the same 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. The guy did seem pretty confident and was willing to talk about anything i asked although he said he wouldn't install my own transmission since he has in the past and seen the junk autozone puts together in person for remans.
The guy at Mr. Transmission said hes been doing it 35 years and seems pretty nice too, obviously said hes rebuilt tons of these transmissions. I asked him if he would install my own provided fluid (Maxlife) and he said he would as long as it wasn't something stupid like Trickshift. He said the difference between the regular fluid and Amsoil is the cost, and if it makes it to 150,000 miles on the original fluid why change anything? He said it would need about 12+ quarts for me if i provided the fluid and he would knock off the cost of his shop dex/merc.
Pro tranmission does a full rebuild for $2000-$2300 and he said usually the electronics need to be replaced with a max adapt code and will probably be on the upper end of the $2300 cost, but the warranty is 3 years 36,000 miles. He said the warranty covers everything but neglect of running out of fluid or burning rubber dropping it from neutral.
This shop said he uses a DEX-4 w/Lubegard!, i said you use ATF+4 with Lubegard? He said it's a synthetic Dex-3. I said so you use a Dex 6? He said yeah with Lubegard. He said i could provide my own Maxlife and would save a few bucks if i did. He said provide no less than 11 quarts for this job. (Over all Shop fluid knowledge -1 again)
Pro transmission also said he could install a myriad of different clutches if i wanted, he said they use OEM, but he could get whatever i wanted for cost, Raybestos, Redline, and named a few others, but recommended the OEM clutches.
So i am confused yet again, obviously the local shop Brown's seems enticing, and Pro transmission has the best local warranty, but thought i would ask for opinions and see what the general population has to say about the matter.
I won't be able to do anything right away so i am checking out my options.
I am leaning heavily towards a powersource re manufactured unit, but the cost is substantial, $1699 + i have to pay someone to install it, which not sure but will probably cost around $450 at best. Brown's quoted me $450 for the install. They also rebuild for over the phone estimate of $1400-$1600 depending on if they have to replace any hard parts or electronics.
http://www.bestrebuilttransmissions.com/4T65Etarget.htm
I haven't taken it to a transmission shop yet, as i am un sure of the quality of the few shops, and haven't had the money for the full rebuild yet. I am pretty sure they will just want to slap a full rebuild no matter what, but i really don't like the short warranties most transmission shops give. Brown's rebuild is the 12mo/12,000 mile standard... The powersource unit has 3 year 100,000 miles.
If i do go local i have a couple of options.
MR. Tranmission, Pro Tranmission, Brown's Transmission and Complete Auto Repairs are the ones listed around me.
Mr. Transmission quoted me $1800-$2400 over the phone, $1800 is the full rebuild + new aftermarket TC only, and it will likely be more expensive he said if needs hard parts or electronics, all with the same 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. The guy did seem pretty confident and was willing to talk about anything i asked although he said he wouldn't install my own transmission since he has in the past and seen the junk autozone puts together in person for remans.
The guy at Mr. Transmission said hes been doing it 35 years and seems pretty nice too, obviously said hes rebuilt tons of these transmissions. I asked him if he would install my own provided fluid (Maxlife) and he said he would as long as it wasn't something stupid like Trickshift. He said the difference between the regular fluid and Amsoil is the cost, and if it makes it to 150,000 miles on the original fluid why change anything? He said it would need about 12+ quarts for me if i provided the fluid and he would knock off the cost of his shop dex/merc.
Pro tranmission does a full rebuild for $2000-$2300 and he said usually the electronics need to be replaced with a max adapt code and will probably be on the upper end of the $2300 cost, but the warranty is 3 years 36,000 miles. He said the warranty covers everything but neglect of running out of fluid or burning rubber dropping it from neutral.
This shop said he uses a DEX-4 w/Lubegard!, i said you use ATF+4 with Lubegard? He said it's a synthetic Dex-3. I said so you use a Dex 6? He said yeah with Lubegard. He said i could provide my own Maxlife and would save a few bucks if i did. He said provide no less than 11 quarts for this job. (Over all Shop fluid knowledge -1 again)
Pro transmission also said he could install a myriad of different clutches if i wanted, he said they use OEM, but he could get whatever i wanted for cost, Raybestos, Redline, and named a few others, but recommended the OEM clutches.
So i am confused yet again, obviously the local shop Brown's seems enticing, and Pro transmission has the best local warranty, but thought i would ask for opinions and see what the general population has to say about the matter.
