Broken transmisson, and/or torque converter?

[sllswd]

Hi everyone,

I have a 2000 Camry (4cylinder) which has 90,000 miles on it. I bought it as a used car for 3 months, and recently it seems to have some problem with the transmission.

The problem showed up when I drove on highway. The speed slowed down from 70mils/h to 50mils/h, and couldn't go further than 50mils/h anymore.

I took the car to a local shop. They said the transmission had problem, and offered to repace it with another used one by 1,000$. But they are not transmission specialist and offered only 3 months warranty.

So I took the car to a transmission shop. The guy there test drive the car. The "Overdirve" light shows on when he drove it hard to try to shift into 4th gear. He said the transmission need to be rebuilt for 1,000$. And he also said I should have to replace the torque convertor by extra 120$. He said the warrant covered one year but not include the computer things.

I did some research on internet after I came back. The car does drive ok in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear, except a little jump when shifting from 1st into 2nd gear. But it's not able to shift into 4th gear.

1,000$ for the rebuilt sounds reasonable. But do I need to change the torque convertor as well? And price of the torque convertor online shows to be higher than 120$. So I don't know whether the transmission shop is honest. That's what concerns me.

It's my first time to post here. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Sadly,
-Leo

[toyomoho]

Trans shifting, O/D engagement and torque converter lockup are controlled by the trans computer. The torque converter is designed to lockup after the car reaches a predetermined speed. Lockup means the torque converter no longer slips and become a solid connection between the engine and trans.

The O/D light will come on if there is a problem with the electric shift solenoids. O/D or torque converter lock up system.

The torque converter has parts that can fail and should be able to be replaced without replacing the complete unit. Perhaps the shop has a deal on rebuilt units or replaces the parts themselves.

The prices quoted are good if including repair and/or installation labor.

If you do get the trans repaired highly suggest you have the trans fluid changed every 30K miles. This is very cheap insurance as most trans failures are due to worn out fluid. Having clean fluid in good condition is your best way to prolong trans life.

[sllswd]

Hi Toyomoho,

Thank you for the information!

The transmission shop does the rebuilt job themselves. I'm not sure whether they will replace the complete unit of the torque converter or not. I will talk to the shop to make it clear.

The prices quoted do included the repair and installation. Now I need to decide between the used one and re-build my own. The used one is said to be a 2000 one, and has around 60,000mils on it, but they only provide 3 months warranty, which sounds not so good.

The transmission problem is really a headache. I think I will pay more attention to the transmission service from now on. Thanks a lot!

[Stillrunning]

My experience has shown that too many transmission shops usually want to replace the transmission, no matter what the problem. I would highly recommend you get several opinions from different shops to confirm the diagnosis. 90k miles on a Toyota transmission is not high and there should not be much wrong with it. The shift solenoids can be checked and replaced with little expense. I usually do not use or recommend additives, but I have used the following product twice on different vehicles and had success both times: http://www.transmaticsc.com/ If you do use this then I recommend you do so after you flush and replace the transmission fluid. This product will not correct electrical failure of the solenoids or mechanical problems.

[ghettosled]

on a previous car i had the transmission go (stopped downshifting). the local tranny shop rebuilt my trans and torque converter for $1300 and gave me a one year warranty. wouldnt you know it, 14 months later my transmission stopped shifting, but this time i had a buddy that rebuilds them.

(stay with me, there is a point to this.)

he tore everything apart to see what the problem was. this time the torque converter went and sent pieces into the transmission. he was apalled to see the tranny shop rebuilt the torque converter instead of replacing it. he said the cost works out to be the same between the labor to rebuild as opposed to replacing the unit, but rebuilds never last as long as replacement units. point is, next time i would spring or encourage the shop to replace the torque converter. especially after forking over the money to have the tranny rebuilt.