Boston's Leading Mobile Mechanics

 

New and Rebuilt Transmissions

 

Visit the Driveway Doctors!   We are your transmission repair and replacement experts !   The Driveway Doctors service foreign and domestic makes and models as well as standard and automatic-type transmissions. 

 

All About Transmission Replacement

A transmission is a crucial part of a car.   When a transmission breaks down, the car is almost always inoperable.   Replacing the transmission is an expensive repair, but the exact price varies based on the make.   

A manual transmission is cheaper than a new automatic transmission. Typically, a manual transmission costs on average $1,500 to replace while an automatic transmission costs $3,000 or more.

 

New-

New transmissions are not available from the dealer - or any other source.  They are only used in the production of new cars and trucks. When you purchase a transmission from the dealer, what you are getting is one that is “remanufactured”.   This is an important consideration when looking at the cost of replacing the transmission.

 

Rebuilt –

A rebuilt transmission is one where the transmission is disassembled and inspected, worn or damaged parts are replaced (referred to as “hard hats”) and then reassembled to factory specifications, along with new gaskets, seals, clutches and bands.   These are commonly referred to as “soft parts”.   The term “rebuilt” is generally used where the customer’s transmission is removed from the car, rebuilt and then reinstalled.   It is a custom-process performed by a specialist.   Other terms are “refurbished, reconditioned or overhauled”, they have the same meaning.

 

Remanufactured –

A remanufactured transmission (commonly referred to as a “reman”) is the same as a rebuilt transmission - except that the work is done in a factory-setting.  

There are two common practices used in remanufacturing:

One uses a team of workers skilled in a specific area of the repair.   One person does the tear down and inspection, one person does the cleaning, several people will assemble and restore certain components and a final person will assemble the transmission.

The other uses a single person (specialist) skilled at rebuilding a specific transmission or family of transmissions.  In this instance, the specialist rebuilds an entire transmission from start to finish.

In both instances, the remanufactured transmission is tested on a dynamo meter and then shipped to a dealership or retail outlet for sale.

 

Repaired –

A repaired transmission is one where only a specific component is replaced or fixed.   For example, if an input shaft broke or a solenoid failed, this part will be the only part replaced without rebuilding the entire transmission. This also include instances where a transmission may have a leak.   During the inspection, it’s learned that the internal components still have a lot of mileage left in them.   In this case, just the external seals would be replaced in order to resolve the leaking problem. Generally speaking, with a repair, only the component that is replaced would be warranted.   This can be problematic in that you may spend a significant amount of money on a repair and then later have something in the transmission fail which is unrelated to the repair. It is cost effective but does have the element of risk.

 

Used –

Another possibility common today is to have a used-transmission installed.   Used transmissions have become a viable option because insurance companies will often total a car simply because the airbags deployed from a relatively minor accident.   The rest of the car may be in terrific condition, and with very low mileage.   The used transmission may cost hundreds less than a rebuild but in most cases they come with a lesser warranty, so that is the trade-off. 

 

Not all options are practical to a car owner. A lot depends on the make and model the car, the car’s mileage, the type of failure, and more. The Driveway Doctors will be happy to diagnose the car’s problem, and discuss the transmission repair options that are available.

 

 

                                               Automatic Transmission Replacement Tips

If a diagnosis reveals an internal transmission problem that require replacing the transmission, here are tips that can prevent future problems down the road:

1. Flush out the ATF oil cooler lines to make sure they are clear and contain no debris. This is very important if the transmission has failed due to overheating or contained contaminated fluid.

2. Install an auxiliary ATF cooler if your vehicle is used for towing, off-roading or racing. Keeping fluid temperatures within safe limits will help prolong the life of the transmission.

3. Use the type of ATF specified by the car manufacturer when refilling the transmission. Honda, Mercedes-Benz and others all have their own unique fluid requirements. Make sure the ATF you use meets OEM specifications.

4. Read the installation instructions that come with the remanufactured transmission. Some applications may require special care to align dowel pins, and a special adjustment procedure for the throttle valve cable.

5. On rear-wheel-drive cars and trucks, inspect the U-joints in the drive shaft. On front-wheel-drive cars and minivans, inspect the CV joints and boots. Replace any parts that are worn or damaged.

6. Pay close attention to the condition of the motor and transmission mounts, especially fluid-filled hydro elastic mounts. Replace any mount that os cracked, loose or leaking.

 

                                          Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Service Tips

Most transmission problems can be prevented by changing the transmission fluid and filter regularly for preventive maintenance.  How often depends on how the vehicle is driven.  For some vehicles, this might be every 30,000 miles or two years.  The harder the transmission works, the hotter the fluid runs.  The life of the fluid drops quickly once its temperature gets up above about 200 F.    ATF also becomes contaminated with normal wear particles from the clutch plates, bushings and gears.   The filter will trap most of this debris before it can cause problems.   But many older Asian transmissions only have a plastic or metal screen that does little to protect the transmission against internal contaminants and nothing to keep the fluid clean.   On these vehicles, changing the fluid is the only way to get rid of these contaminants. 

Changing the fluid by dropping the transmission pan can leave up to three or four quarts of old, oxidized fluid inside the torque converter.   A better way to change ATF is to use equipment that exchanges new fluid for old while the engine is running.  This equipment can usually replace up to 90 percent or more of the old fluid.