Transmission failure, very frustrating

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Uphill_Both_Ways

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This morning I was driving to an independent shop to change the oil (I bring my own M1 and Napa Gold), stopped at a red, started on the green and BANG! the transmission went south. But the car stayed in the frozen north.

By ignoring the deafening screeching and gawdawful vibration, i got the car crawling in Drive 1, then shifted into Drive 2, where at least the screeching and vibration stopped. I put it in Drive 3, then Drive, and checked the tach at 80 km/h (50 mph). It was about 1750, 1800, so the transmission doesn't appear to be slipping — except when the car doesn't move at all.

I managed to nurse all the green lights, made it home and reversed (hurray!) into my back yard so a truck could tow it out on Monday and drag it to a transmission shop that I think is trustworthy. I had the fluid changed there last summer, at which time they said the transmission was in good shape. Unfortunately, the place is closed weekends.

The car (and transmission) has almost 270,000 kms/160,000 miles on it and the car gets the same mileage it did when I bought it in 2010 with 60 thousand something and change kilometres on it.

I guess I'll have to get it fixed. I'd get nothing for it the way it is. But if, after the dust settles and I spring for a new car, it'll be a manual or my name isn't Uphill Both Ways.

Oh, wait. It isn't.

Anyway, after harping on about GDI engines and a recent raid by prosecutors on Hyundai's South Korea offices, I'd likely end up with an Elantra.

But I'd insist on a free can of CRC or I walk, 'cause I'm a tough negotiator.

Lordy, I hate being wheelless.
 
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The last little while I would think that a snowmobile would be better transportation in the CA mid-west rather than a car
Sounds like the old girl doesn't owe you anything - good luck

A guy from Winnipeg who has "hills" in his name is smoking something.
Remember the back of the old Canadian dollar bill? Endless miles of prairie intermittently punctuated by a grain elevator .... not a hill to be had.
lol.gif
 
Sorry to hear of your transmission woes. I think a lot of these GMs have gone to the scrapyard with failed transmissions, but in otherwise good condition.
I have 300,000 kms on a 2003 Buick with a failing transmission. It's parked in the back since last summer, not sure what to do with it. Car is in good shape, but still not worth anything even with a rebuilt transmission. I didn't really maintain it properly, but have learned from my mistake. Hoping that very good maintenance will have the 2005 Buick trans functioning for as long as I want.
 
Originally Posted by Papa Bear
Remember the back of the old Canadian dollar bill? Endless miles of prairie intermittently punctuated by a grain elevator .... not a hill to be had.
lol.gif

Not only are there no $1 bills, now there are no grain elevators.

Back when there was an elevator every seven miles, when a transmission died the most you'd have to walk would be that same distance. Lucky I made it home or I'd have to walk to Thunder Bay.
 
Originally Posted by carviewsonic
I have 300,000 kms on a 2003 Buick with a failing transmission. It's parked in the back since last summer, not sure what to do with it. Car is in good shape, but still not worth anything even with a rebuilt transmission. I didn't really maintain it properly, but have learned from my mistake. Hoping that very good maintenance will have the 2005 Buick trans functioning for as long as I want.
I didn't mistreat mine and I changed the fluid every 45,000 to 50,000 kms. It died, anyway.

The same thing happened to my '92 Buick Roadmaster, leaving me stranded. But it died with 400,000 and something kms on the odometer.

At least with a manual transmission you get a long warning.
 
Sorry to hear about the transmission going on you. Personally I'd cut my losses and look for a newer car. Put that repair money into something newer.
 
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Maybe it's something less expensive like a broken band. Good luck on the repair. That's a common vehicle therefore most transmission shops can take
it out and repair it with their eyes closed.
 
Yep, this was discussed on the thread on how to get 300,000 miles on a car. At some point you might have to put a few thousand into a transmission of a car not worth a few thousand. Get it over with it, and it might go another 100,000.
laugh.gif
 
I decided to keep the car and had the transmission rebuilt.

The mechanic in charge told me that that transmission has a weak part that eventually breaks the band, and that GM knew about it but refused to extend the warranty or even issue a secret warranty. The band letting go caused the tremendous bang that tore apart more of the transmission.

He showed me the broken band with a shiny, sliced length of steel. He said I was lucky to have gone the distance with it I had — 262,665 kilometres or 163,212 miles. The complete rebuild included the updated part that had failed. There was nothing I could have done to prevent the failure, he said. I didn't simply swap the transmission for a rebuilt — or even a new one — because each could have contained the old, weak component.

I made a couple of visits to the shop and spoke to the tech rebuilding the thing. The old parts needed a cardboard box to hold them all. The subframe was out of the car, sparkling clean and free of rust. The rest of the undercarriage is free of rust, too — unlike a patch on the hood immediately above the grill that appeared this winter.

While the transmission was out, they replaced the rear seal that was beginning to leak and the oil-pan gasket that was seeping. I would have liked to have seen the inside of the oil pan but missed it. The tech, though, said it was clean with no sludge whatsoever. I brought a jug of Mobil 1 5W30 from my stash and a Napa Gold filter. I had been going for an oil change when the band let go.

So it's back and running great, and while it wasn't cheap, it wasn't in the tens of thousands for a new car, either. The rebuilt has a one-year North America-wide parts and labour warranty covered by the automatic transmission alliance that shop belongs to. Even so, here's hoping the still-expensive roll of the dice doesn't come up snake eyes.

They were about to start work on a gorgeous, near-mint new-paint maroon '59 Jaguar six saloon automatic, with a sunroof, an all-wood dash, new red leather upholstery and wide whites. Pure art on wheels.
 
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Hey Uphill, 263K km is pretty good in our harsh climate.

I likely would have done the same as you and had it repaired. If you spend say $3K and get another three or four years out it that's a investment. Which shop did you deal with?

Just because there was mention of grain elevators, here are the ones in Inglis in late 2004:

2004 12 28 Asessippi 008 e-mail.webp
 
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Originally Posted by Uphill_Both_Ways

Oh, wait. It isn't.

Anyway, after harping on about GDI engines and a recent raid by prosecutors on Hyundai's South Korea offices, I'd likely end up with an Elantra.


I would like more info on the raid of Hyundai offices.
What's the latest gossip?....... what's that all about?
 
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