Update on my Transmission... wow!

[Stevo]

Hey peeps.

I decided that it's time to fix my transmission and since I don't have time what with my school schedule and course load and all. I read up on a great many issues people are having with the 4t65e transmission.

Since the transmission was not throwing codes and was hesitating in shifting up and down on the point I read that it could be something as simple as a gummed up valve body or completely bunged solenoid. My options were to take it out to the country after getting all the parts needed for a rebuild and spend a long weekend with my cousin removing, reconditioning and reinstalling the transmission. Drop it off at the local tranny shop and tell them to rebuild it (like dropping a bomb on a mosquito, cost $1200-1400) or take it to the people responsible for creating such a shit product since they seem to know what's really going on in order to accurately diagnose what is going on ($75 to diagnose and go from there).

Anyhow, I decided after reading several service bulletins and deciding that this could be diagnosed. I took it to the GM dealer with the idea that if I paid a little more for service. They called me right after checking the system and told me that they would need to drop the pan to check for filings and if I wanted to put in a filter. Turns out there were NO filings and so the decision was made to put in a new solenoid.

I got the call the next day and they tell me that the car is still not hitting the shift points but only on the 1-2 and 2-1 shifts (2nd gear clutch? or malfunctioning new solenoid). Currently my bill is $650 for a transmission that is not fixed and they suggest that I have the transmission rebuilt at a cost of $2000. No goddamn way am I paying $2000 for a rebuild. I'm having a serious problem paying $650 for a partially fixed transmission with NO guarantee. The excuse was used that the car is 8 years old and has 155k KM's on it. My arguement is that if I wanted to rebuild the transmission I would have acted on my 2 other choices and that the dealer should be best equipped to diagnose ANY problem. They made a call and went with it and now are defaulting to a rebuild.

I'm stuck between not paying for this shit and paying for work done. The only thing that jumps out at me is that they fixed 2/3 gears and so I should only pay for 2/3 of the build. Part of me says that there can be a chance that a solenoid is bad still causing this because lets face it ... solenoids are electronic and ANYTHING can happen during the manufacturing process. The dealer is RELUCTANT to reinstall another solenoid and if it still performs the same, they will charge me for more labour.

I need an opinion on this. YES I know I should have done the damn work myself and deserve what I got but in the whole scheme of things. If you pay for a service and not get less that what you were told, you should not be required to pay the advertised price.

[RobertISaar]

I'm stuck between not paying for this shit and paying for work done. The only thing that jumps out at me is that they fixed 2/3 gears and so I should only pay for 2/3 of the build.

that would not end well...

[xtremerevolution]

I got quoted $800 at a transmission shop to replace my parking pawl rod, which I bought for $23 shipped. Once reason I don't let anyone touch my car except to change tires or to perform an alignment. If my transmission was shot, I'd find a junkyard trans to use while I'm rebuilding mine.

I would drive the car to a reputable transmission shop at this point, in 1st or 2nd gear, and have them rebuild it. If they decide that the replacement solenoid was indeed defective, you can demand a refund because they really didn't accomplish jack shit.

[White93z34]

I would drive the car to a reputable transmission shop at this point, in 1st or 2nd gear, and have them rebuild it. If they decide that the replacement solenoid was indeed defective, you can demand a refund because they really didn't accomplish jack shit.

^do this

however now with a $650 bill at the dealer you are probably going to end up paying far more then you had initially budgeted once its all said and done.

[Stevo]

I would drive the car to a reputable transmission shop at this point, in 1st or 2nd gear, and have them rebuild it. If they decide that the replacement solenoid was indeed defective, you can demand a refund because they really didn't accomplish jack shit.

^do this

however now with a $650 bill at the dealer you are probably going to end up paying far more then you had initially budgeted once its all said and done.

The dealership sides with me that the problem hasn't been fully repaired but claims that now only the 2nd gear hesitates. I haven't picked up the car yet. I have no clue what to do at this point. I will seriously consider any serious replies to my situation. I really don't want to rip anyone off but I don't want to be ripped off. I think people should be rewarded for doing a job right.

[xtremerevolution]

I would drive the car to a reputable transmission shop at this point, in 1st or 2nd gear, and have them rebuild it. If they decide that the replacement solenoid was indeed defective, you can demand a refund because they really didn't accomplish jack shit.

^do this

however now with a $650 bill at the dealer you are probably going to end up paying far more then you had initially budgeted once its all said and done.

The dealership sides with me that the problem hasn't been fully repaired but claims that now only the 2nd gear hesitates. I haven't picked up the car yet. I have no clue what to do at this point. I will seriously consider any serious replies to my situation. I really don't want to rip anyone off but I don't want to be ripped off. I think people should be rewarded for doing a job right.

Clutch plates perhaps?

IMO just as you said, the dealer should have the equipment and expertise necessary to fully diagnose your problem if you'll pay them $75 to do it.

[Stevo]

I went there today to see the bill...

$932

This is what was written in the service sheet.

Rough Shifting, and flares up when shifting, also shutters when shifting -rpms jump between shifts
Diagnose and report up to 1.0 *** - Tech Cause: Diag Trans possible pressure cont. found bulletin on problem #00-07-30-002B (note: this is the exact bulletin I grabbed and read through with pressure checks) *** - Comments R&R trans pan inpect for debris appears ok should have filter & pressure solenoid R&R pressure control son check valve check accumilatoe (accumulator?) to second all appear on RT still has slight flare when shifting to second trans has to come out problem with second

Solenoid $98.70
Misc $41.16???? (wtf is that?)
Filter Kit $33.95
Fluid $3.58???? (that's not a lot folks on a flush with 8.0L of tranny fluid)
Trans Flush $199.95
Labour $484.22
Taxes $107.02

I spoke with the head service guy and he got really frustrated with me because I told him I specifically didn't want to rebuild a transmission when it could have been an easy fix. I'm thinking it just needs a rebuild but who would shell out $2000 for that?

[xtremerevolution]

I went there today to see the bill...

$932

This is what was written in the service sheet.

Rough Shifting, and flares up when shifting, also shutters when shifting -rpms jump between shifts
Diagnose and report up to 1.0 *** - Tech Cause: Diag Trans possible pressure cont. found bulletin on problem #00-07-30-002B (note: this is the exact bulletin I grabbed and read through with pressure checks) *** - Comments R&R trans pan inpect for debris appears ok should have filter & pressure solenoid R&R pressure control son check valve check accumilatoe (accumulator?) to second all appear on RT still has slight flare when shifting to second trans has to come out problem with second

Solenoid $98.70
Misc $41.16???? (wtf is that?)
Filter Kit $33.95
Fluid $3.58???? (that's not a lot folks on a flush with 8.0L of tranny fluid)
Trans Flush $199.95
Labour $484.22
Taxes $107.02

I spoke with the head service guy and he got really frustrated with me because I told him I specifically didn't want to rebuild a transmission when it could have been an easy fix. I'm thinking it just needs a rebuild but who would shell out $2000 for that?

That's a pretty damn steep bill.

3 years ago I had my transmission rebuilt by local shop in the city. Know how much it cost me?

$1100, $250 of which was a new torque converter, and they pulled the engine for that. That brings the price of the actual rebuild to $800. You're getting billed more for a piece of shit dealer job than I spent on my entire rebuild, engine pulled and everything. What's more is they did absolutely nothing wrong, and from 144k to now (213k), the only transmission problem I've had is that stupid parking pawl rod, which is not something even a dealer would have replaced during a rebuild.

$200 for a trans flush? They charge us $90 here at any oil change place you go to, and that includes the fluid. I'd be quite furious at this point, especially since the problem hasn't been fixed.

To be honest, I always had better experiences with local shops than I did with dealers.

[Stevo]

I hear you.

I gotta say that you yanks really have low maintenance costs. I haven't driven the car yet so I really don't know how bad the 2nd gear really is. If I can at least get 2 years out of it then it would be satisfactory but there is no guarantee here... I get a little angry when people talk about ''maybe's'' that the 2nd gear will sort itself out.

I appreciate the responses folks.

[xtremerevolution]

I hear you.

I gotta say that you yanks really have low maintenance costs. I haven't driven the car yet so I really don't know how bad the 2nd gear really is. If I can at least get 2 years out of it then it would be satisfactory but there is no guarantee here... I get a little angry when people talk about ''maybe's'' that the 2nd gear will sort itself out.

I appreciate the responses folks.

Who knows. I don't even know if it would be the ECM adjusting to the changes, if any. I wish I knew more about that.

Look at it this way. Worst case, you rebuild it again yourself.

[Stevo]

I took the car out for a run on the highway and through town and I'll be damned if the transmission started acting the way it is supposed to. I'm thinking somehow it was gummed up and the flush and filter helped. It must have free'd up the valve body somehow after the highway burn and during the up and down shifts in town.

There is absolutely no hesitation in shifts. =O

[xtremerevolution]

I took the car out for a run on the highway and through town and I'll be damned if the transmission started acting the way it is supposed to. I'm thinking somehow it was gummed up and the flush and filter helped. It must have free'd up the valve body somehow after the highway burn and during the up and down shifts in town.

There is absolutely no hesitation in shifts. =O

Looks like you solved your problem.

Do you have a transmission cooler?

[1990lumina]

You'll probably notice your fluid is going to turn nasty again...at which point I would change it again (yourself this time). All the fucked fluid is going to mix with new stuff and anything that gets cleaned out in the process should be removed as well to avoid it causing issues elsewhere.

[Regal_GS_1989]

Solenoid $98.70
Misc $41.16???? (wtf is that?)
Filter Kit $33.95
Fluid $3.58???? (that's not a lot folks on a flush with 8.0L of tranny fluid)
Trans Flush $199.95
Labour $484.22
Taxes $107.02

The Misc charge most likely what other places call shop charges, or shop fee. Basically, it is an added cost to help cover various expenses around the shop. It helps cover everything from consumables, electricity, heating etc....

As for the fluid charge....Is it possible that their "flush" package only allows a certain quantity of fluid, and anything over and above that is extra? Kinda like oil change places charging extra for anything that requires more than 5L of oil.

[Stevo]

The fluid charge was $3.58 x 8 litres which makes sense. Misc is the shop fee's like you said.

I will keep an eye on my fluids too.