Transmission Line Damage Dealer Wants to Replace Entire Transmission !!!

[cruiser007]

Hello Friends,

I'm a proud owner of a 2004 Cruiser. On a recent trip to Death Valley National Park my car acted funny just as I was composting an off road trip. As I pressed the gas the RPM would jump to a high number (6-7) and I would let go off the gas peddle accordingly. I was going up a ramp and it seemed like loosing power. I stopped and towed the cruiser back to dealer. He mentioned that the transmission line is broken. I lost all transmission fluid and the transmission is all messed up (worn out clutches...etc). He recommended I change transmission for $5k. Before I do that I wanted to get your opinion? Does this sound right? How can I check that this is the right path forward? And most importantly, is my cruiser ever going to be the same?

Thanks for your help in advance

Sorry. Clicked send to soon. A few other data points:

When I parked there was smoke coming out of the hood. Oil was dripping as well. At first I thought it may be a oil gasket. But the dealer thinks its transmission oil. During my trip I was engine braking alot and I had used L gear. I now know that is the worst thing for my truck. A bit to late

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Depends on how far you and how you drove it without any tranny fluid, but you could easily kill it driving it without fluid. You say the dealer "thinks" it's transmission fluid, it's pretty easy to deal the difference between oil and tranny fluid and easy to check the levels of both.

If you did cook it, you could probably have a used tranny put in for less. As for it being the same, depends on if you take care of it.

 

[hoser]

Personally, if the transmission is confirmed dead, I'd probably just replace it with a used transmission for $1-1.5k plus labor since they don't seem to go bad prematurely.

For everyone else, I recently checked my transmission cooler hoses and they need replacing at 130k miles. I don't see it listed on any maintenance interval but I didn't really look too hard either.

 

[marshotel]

Ouch.

You should open the drain plug on the transmission and collect whatever comes out.
If it includes metal parts and pieces of gears, then you will need to replace the transmission.

Based on your account of free revving engine, loss of power to wheels, lots of smoke, it does sound like the transmission could be toast. Did the dripping oil have a red tinge to it?

Please explain in more detail what you did on your wheeling trip right before this happened...

 

[i4c4lo]

I got a "Toyota remanufactured" transmission from Stevens Creek Toyota (Bay Area, Ca) for $3,200 - So you might want to see why your dealer is going to charge you $5k - when Bay Area dealers are usually more expensive. I did call Cdan - by the time I get the core back to him it would cost the same as a local dealer.

That's a bummer your tranny went bad.

EDIT - that price $3,200 was out the door.

 

[re_guderian]

I seriously doubt that using L and engine braking are to blame for your transmission failure. Look to hose failure, either catastrophic due to impact or wear, or incorrect assembly during maintenance. It'll be interesting to see what the dealership says. Have they done recent work to the tranny?

Typos sent from my HTC EVO using the IH8MUD app...

 

[cruiser007]

No recent work on tranny. Must have been the off-roading but I didn't hit anything. Could loose rocks cause such damage?

I got a "Toyota remanufactured" transmission from Stevens Creek Toyota (Bay Area, Ca) for $3,200 - So you might want to see why your dealer is going to charge you $5k - when Bay Area dealers are usually more expensive. I did call Cdan - by the time I get the core back to him it would cost the same as a local dealer.

That's a bummer your tranny went bad.

They are charging $5k including labor. Parts are around $3.3k and labor is the rest. I am calling around to compare pricing as well.

I will ask the dealer to check on oil color. What does that tell you if there is a red color?

The most important thing I noticed is that when I downshifted there would be no shifting into gear. It would take some time to get into gear (poor responsiveness). Then it would rev up and get into gear but acceleration is impacted.

Shouldn't the tranny fluid line be tucked away in a safe place to avoid damage from rocks...etc?

I guess my question is : with a new tranny does everything work normally or do I expect more problems down the line (given that I learnt from my mistake)

 

[e9999]

I guess my question is : with a new tranny does everything work normally or do I expect more problems down the line (given that I learnt from my mistake)

not sure what you mean. If the trans is toast and it's replaced with a good one, what else do you think would give you trouble? It's unlikely the engine has been affected, I would think.

Before buying something else, have you checked to see if your current trans could be rebuilt?

$1,700 in labor to replace the trans seems steep, but I'll admit I don't know exactly what is involved. Could an independent shop do it well for less?

 

[marshotel]

What does that tell you if there is a red color?

If the oil that you saw dripping had a red color, that means it was transmission fluid. Not a good sign if it was dripping out.

It might be worthwhile to get a second opinion from a reputable transmission shop. The dealer is obligated to do repairs "by the book" even if there is a more reasonable solution.

But don't necessarily go with the lowest quote. There are plenty of ways to screw-up a rebuild on a 5 spd automatic.

If it turns out you need to replace the transmission, I would get one that was rebuilt by Toyota and not by the local shop.

Maybe call a few junkyards to see if you can get one out of a cruiser or LX that's been wrecked? I have not heard that the 5 spds are prone to failure, so I would not hesitate to use a transmission out of a wrecked vehicle if it was a good deal and the installation was done by a quality shop.

Good luck man.
Let us know how this turns out.

 

[re_guderian]

...But don't necessarily go with the lowest quote. There are plenty of ways to screw-up a rebuild on a 5 spd automatic...

x a bazillion. Search a recent thread for exactly this issue - to save a few hundred bucks. Not worth it. At all. And you shouldn't expect any issues with a toyota reman'd transmission, though not sure what the 5-spd options are. 4-spd = only reman'd available, no "new". Your downshifting issues observed are likely a symptom of the low fluid, not the cause.

 

[cruiser007]

Thank you so much friends your feedback has been awesome. I am going over to the dealer this morning to check on some of the suggestions. Does anyone know of a good repair shop to get a second opinion from in the SoCal area? My car is currently at Tustin Toyota.

 

[scottm]

You should open the drain plug on the transmission and collect whatever comes out.
If it includes metal parts and pieces of gears, then you will need to replace the transmission.

If no metal parts come out, might he try fixing the line, filling the trans and see what happens? That's what I'd be thinking before replacing the transmission. Maybe try Mobil 1 fluid just to save money if it's likely to be toast.

Or could that do damage and eliminate the possibility of rebuilding? It doesn't sound like rebuilding is a cheap option though.

 

[CappyKD]

Thank you so much friends your feedback has been awesome. I am going over to the dealer this morning to check on some of the suggestions. Does anyone know of a good repair shop to get a second opinion from in the SoCal area? My car is currently at Tustin Toyota.

I know of a good shop in the riverside area. I think there is also a LC speciality shop in Laguna. HTH

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Just something to consider with using an independent, you'll get a warranty on the repairs and parts going through a Toyota dealer. With something spendy like a transmission it may be worth paying a slightly higher shop rate.

 

[Topmounter]

I seriously doubt that using L and engine braking are to blame for your transmission failure. Look to hose failure, either catastrophic due to impact or wear, or incorrect assembly during maintenance. It'll be interesting to see what the dealership says. Have they done recent work to the tranny?

I'm curious to hear more details on the history of his '04 LC... how long have you owned it, had the acted transmission acted up previously, did you sustain any trail damage or notice any hard hits from flying rocks, etc.?

 

[scottm]

I'm curious to hear more details on the history of his '04 LC... how long have you owned it, had the acted transmission acted up previously, did you sustain any trail damage or notice any hard hits from flying rocks, etc.?

And are you missing any skid plates? There are plenty of 100s getting wheeled off-road, seems like someone would've mentioned exposed transmission lines.

 

[rusty_tlc]

not sure what you mean. If the trans is toast and it's replaced with a good one, what else do you think would give you trouble? It's unlikely the engine has been affected, I would think.

Before buying something else, have you checked to see if your current trans could be rebuilt?

$1,700 in labor to replace the trans seems steep, but I'll admit I don't know exactly what is involved. Could an independent shop do it well for less?

Most shops charge more to re-build a trans than it cost to buy one that is re-built by a company that specializes in that area. I tend to think the specialty shops produce a better product than local shops who's main business is service and replacement.

 

[rusty_tlc]

And are you missing any skid plates? There are plenty of 100s getting wheeled off-road, seems like someone would've mentioned exposed transmission lines.

The "skid plates" on a 100 offer very little protection, at most they help keep the undercarriage clear of mud.

I agree poorly routed tranny lines would certainly have been mention by now if that were the case.

 

[scottm]

The "skid plates" on a 100 offer very little protection, at most they help keep the undercarriage clear of mud.

I agree poorly routed tranny lines would certainly have been mention by now if that were the case.

They're good for keeping things from bouncing up, and for catching and hiding any small parts dropped from above. Definitely not good for skidding over rocks and stumps.

 

[marshotel]

If no metal parts come out, might he try fixing the line, filling the trans and see what happens? That's what I'd be thinking before replacing the transmission.

^ Try this first ^