Just want to vent and forget about it..... $3800 for trans rebuild

[MrCrowley]

WOw! haven't heard of one this bad in awhile. Did you ever flush and/or change fluid before this? If not, this is what killed the tranny. It is a known issue on mostly Trooper related boards NOT to do this. Dont let them know about this issue. Of course they probably cant read, anyways. Dont feel bad- I did the same thing in my '98 Trooper. My VX, however, had several small changes over about 5,000 miles and no worries yet. THE FACT THAT THEY DIDNT TOP OFF THE TRANNY AS THEIR MANUAL STATES IS NEGLIGENCE AND THEY ARE LIABLE- FULLY. This didn't help the late flush/filled tranny out either if this is the case.

They are also liable for you scratches, and DO NOT let them do it, nor let them recommend who could do it for you. Find the best, and let them pay for the best repair. Also, I would never do business there again due to their negligence.

Can't find parts? Give me a break. How many years has the 4l30 been manufactured? How many vehicles use this thing? Lol. Their IQ dipsticks must be reading a little low as well. Dont forget you are dealing with the lowest common denominator. Plus, aren't all dealership owners millionaires? I think thats one of the reasons your costs are running a little high there.

I can guarantee you they did not install any kind of "shift kit" they are feeding you a line of Bull****. Maybe its not broken in fully? Maybe the Second tranny is not "topped off" either? Either way, they are pulling your chain. Does anyone on this forum know of a "shift kit"? This would be news to me. Unless they used an Interceptor, which we know they would never drop the money for, and no shift kit does "one gearchange". Also for future reference, under most circumstances, I would never have "guts" repaired in a modern auto tranny. Labor will kill you, and it probably won't last long anyways. Then you are paying twice. They know this as well. Its easier to drop/swap the unit, and usually costs the same- except you usually pay once instead of twice. I have had good luck with my salvage yard Trooper tranny that my step-son now drives( or did until he blew the motor after I told him to keep an eye on the "oil consumption issue" lol.

When dealing with any vehicle shops today, take any information with a grain of salt. On just about every transaction they do, they are screwing you. I have heard it time and time again from friends, family, coworkers, forum buddies, etc. Crystallized brake fluid, fluid for stuff that doesn't have fluid, shift kits that dont exist, etc.

Also, make sure that you use the phrase "BBB" in a conversation. This does not mean "Big Bad Bubba" taking your wallet for a ride. It is the Better Business Bureau. Also, arbitration, liability, and Attorneys General spoken alongside the phrase Consumer fraud are good ones to throw in when dealing with these types of businesses. You will be surprised how fast the smokescreen disapperas after that. Also, get everything in writing. Shift kit? is it on the invoice? What model? Who makes it? etc. How much of your bill is associated with this? I also second the motion of having the second shop list what they found negligent from the first shop.

I had a buddy one time try to say he knew more about automotive maintenance and repair than I did. He said, " I was a mechanic for eleven years." I replied, " And I was smart enough to NOT be a mechanic for eleven years." He caught on pretty quick after that. It sure felt good to say to a former mechanic as well. Im sure he ripped into a few wallets over that period of time.

Also if anyone knows of a decent tire shop in GA, let me know. Its the only thing I have to do frequently using said idiots. One time I took in my wife's Acura. I stated that I wanted the stuck on weights inside the wheel, not clamp on weights, and I preferred my wheels not all scratched up, with a torque wrench used instead of an air gun. What did I get back? Clamped on weights that werent balanced and had to return for a rebalance, scratched wheels (this happens EVERY time on EVERY vehicle- arrrrgghhhh), No equal torque across all nuts, oh yeah, and air pressure was different in every tire. "Honey, do you think we have room for tire changing equipment in the garage?" lololololol

[nfpgasmask]

This is one scary thread. I need to change my tranny fluid and filter soon I think. I did it about 28,000 miles ago, and I have been doing a lot of wheeling since.

What do you guys think? Last time it was done, it was done by me and a friend. It was difficult, messy and time consuming, and I did have to add fluid after the first day because it was shifting hard. But once I added fluid in until it trickled out, I have been shifting smooth and running happy.

Should I take the time to change the fluid again now that it has been almost another 30k? Or should I let it run for a while longer since things are still running ok???

Bart

[Y33TREKker]

This is one scary thread. I need to change my tranny fluid and filter soon I think. I did it about 28,000 miles ago, and I have been doing a lot of wheeling since....Bart

Well, the severe duty interval is 20k miles, while the regular duty interval is about 30k, so either way yours would seem to be about due anyway. You could always take off the filler plug to get a sample of your fluid to see what it currently looks like, but that wouldn't really tell you the condition of the filter.

That was a lot of help wasn't it. You're welcome. I'll be here all week.

[MrCrowley]

I wouldnt worry too much- although obviously coming out of the summer months your tranny ran hotter than it does the rest of the year. The most tell-tale sign of "change it now!" would be brown tranny fluid. It it cherry red when new. I think 30,000 miles is reasonable time to change if you want insurance. I think- but may be wrong- 60,000 miles normal and 30,000 miles severe duty intervals? Of course having fooled with so many vehicles it gets jumbled in my brain. While youre at checking/ changing fluid. Might as well check/change transfer case as well. Besides, its alot easier to do than the tranny