Rebuild transmission, wait for epic failure, or buy new rig?

[Brad Johnson]

Brad, assuming you meant me since AZ indicated that he changed his. I've had it serviced every 30K. No Isuzu dealers around here since they don't sell Isuzus in the US anymore, but I have a trustworthy shop, so am pretty confident it's done right.

Missed his post where he talked about the Pep Boys epic fail.  If that's the case I would be calling Pep Boys legal dept and saying "New Transmission Please".

Brad

[charby]

Just as an FYI: do NOT replace the transmission yourself, unless you really enjoy suffering. It is hell.

but if you do, rent a tranny jack. I dropped a manual transmission in a Suzuki Samuari on my chest when I was 21.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I have no answers for you, but would appreciate knowing what it is if you find out. My Trooper with 110,000 just started doing a slight hesitation before engaging after being put in gear. Just every once in a while and usually when cold, but sounds similar to your issue (except I get full rather than partial power). The tranny is the only weak point in the Trooper. Everything else is made in Japan. The stinkin' tranny is French.

what year trooper?  if i ever find out the name of the engineer who designed those troopers that didn't have an atf dipstick i'll hunt him down

[AmbulanceDriver]

Missed his post where he talked about the Pep Boys epic fail.  If that's the case I would be calling Pep Boys legal dept and saying "New Transmission Please".

Brad

Yeah...  Pep Boys oughta be forkin' over the dough for f'in up the tranny...    Granted, you can't prove that the wrong transmission fluid is what caused the problem, but they can't prove that it didn't...   

[AZRedhawk44]

Wil-co, charby.

If I can skate by and resolve this confidently for less than a grand, I'll do it.

I'd like to refinance my house while still not having a car payment.  If I can somehow do that, I'm done with the student loans and remaining credit card balances a couple months earlier (April or May 2013 instead of July or August 2013).

Truth be told, I could probably let this limp by un-touched for the next year.  Since I've gotten my bike in March of this year, I've put 10k miles on the bike and about 3k on the truck.  Now that I'm back to an 80% telecommuting job, I'll put even less miles on both vehicles.  I expect I could "get by" and only put another 2000 or so miles on the truck in the next 9 months or so.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

but if you do, rent a tranny jack. I dropped a manual transmission in a Suzuki Samuari on my chest when I was 21.

Ouch. Yeah, tranny jack is the only way.

[Tallpine]

but if you do, rent a tranny jack. I dropped a manual transmission in a Suzuki Samuari on my chest when I was 21.

And broke the transmission? 

[AZRedhawk44]

And broke the transmission? 

Squeezed it in twain with his manly pectorals, I'm sure.

[roo_ster]

Squeezed it in twain with his manly pectorals, I'm sure.

The wrath of Khan on his Trahn-smission:

[Fitz]

I didn't read the whole thread, just the initial post.

On my 2005 F150 a few years back, I had similar symptoms. Turned out not to be the transmission, but the rear end. 100 bucks later, I was in business.


So, you never know. Go ahead and have a GOOD shop diagnose it. It may be something easy to fix.

[Ben]

what year trooper?  if i ever find out the name of the engineer who designed those troopers that didn't have an atf dipstick i'll hunt him down

2000. Those transmissions were apparently GM's idea. GM had majority ownership in Isuzu USA and apparently insisted that they use these French trannys (same as were being put in some other GM products) in at least the 2000+ year Troopers. Those that were built for outside US sales had an Isuzu transmission, IFRC.

[Tallpine]

2000. Those transmissions were apparently GM's idea. GM had majority ownership in Isuzu USA and apparently insisted that they use these French trannys (same as were being put in some other GM products) in at least the 2000+ year Troopers. Those that were built for outside US sales had an Isuzu transmission, IFRC.

2006 HHR 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i thought the kid that worked for me was lying when he told me about it. you have to crawl under and remove a plug to check level.  usually after transmission fail. heck they should at least put an idiot light in

[Tallpine]

i thought the kid that worked for me was lying when he told me about it. you have to crawl under and remove a plug to check level.  usually after transmission fail. heck they should at least put an idiot light in

There is no "crawling under" our car - you have to put it up on a lift or at least ramps.

We just had it flushed and changed at the ex-GM dealer.

I'm sure there is a light or computer code for low atf - there is one for everything else 

[charby]

And broke the transmission? 

I was in a lot better shape then, I was climbing telephone poles for a living. Still about broke my chest though.

[Phyphor]

Just as an FYI: do NOT replace the transmission yourself, unless you really enjoy suffering. It is hell.

That depends on whether you have:

1 - the Right Tools (Transmission Jack (NO, while a normal floor jack will *work,* it really isn't the right tool and will just make it harder.  Don't ask me how I know,)
2 - A GOOD workspace.  On my dad's F-150, changing that $$#%$#% vacuum modulator would ordinarily have been easy, however, his driveway/carport is actually dirt based covered in wood chips.  Definitely NOT a recommended work surface for ANYTHING involving getting under the vehicle.  YMMV.)
3 - Patience
4 - A manual / forum post / anything with pictures that SHOW you specifically where the various wire harnesses, tubes, bolts, etc all attach and how they come off, if you're not of the inclination to figure it out on your own.  Having a reference can be invaluable and can save you buttloads of time.
5 - Depending on your temperment: An open "hot" "tool throwin' wild profanity" range.  

[Brad Johnson]

Wil-co, charby.

If I can skate by and resolve this confidently for less than a grand, I'll do it.

I'd like to refinance my house while still not having a car payment.  If I can somehow do that, I'm done with the student loans and remaining credit card balances a couple months earlier (April or May 2013 instead of July or August 2013).

Truth be told, I could probably let this limp by un-touched for the next year.  Since I've gotten my bike in March of this year, I've put 10k miles on the bike and about 3k on the truck.  Now that I'm back to an 80% telecommuting job, I'll put even less miles on both vehicles.  I expect I could "get by" and only put another 2000 or so miles on the truck in the next 9 months or so.

Offer them a comprimise... tell them you'll pay the labor if they will buy the tranny and parts.  If your truck is a 2wd the swap should take no more than 5-6 hours by a mechanic that's done it before.  I'd suggest using a dealer for this, one that charges by the actual hour and not by shop rate.  Using a dealer also means you get a factory tranny, not some Who-Knows-What-Parts-They-Used third party reman'd unit.  If if it's factory reconditioned it's still a factory unit.  Plus, using a dealer means you'll likely get the right fluid this time. 

Brad

[NickySantoro]

OP,
Often an engine malfunction will present symptoms that, superficially, would appear to be transmission related. One symptom you related, RPM drop, seems more engine than transmission related. Before you make any major decision have it looked at by a decent shop than can pull both engine and trans codes.

[AZRedhawk44]

Offer them a comprimise... tell them you'll pay the labor if they will buy the tranny and parts.  If your truck is a 2wd the swap should take no more than 5-6 hours by a mechanic that's done it before.  I'd suggest using a dealer for this, one that charges by the actual hour and not by shop rate.  Using a dealer also means you get a factory tranny, not some Who-Knows-What-Parts-They-Used third party reman'd unit.  If if it's factory reconditioned it's still a factory unit.  Plus, using a dealer means you'll likely get the right fluid this time. 

Brad

I thought I lost the paperwork that documented Pep Boys' screw-up on this one, but I just found it while looking for something else.

I'm winding up some other matters that have tied me up for the last 9+ weeks (taking care of a friend that had knee surgery recently), and I should have some freedom to finally tackle this project.

[AZRedhawk44]

Truck has been in the shop the last couple days.  Dodge dealership here in Scottsdale.

They found low pump pressure in the transmission, some bad seals and so on.  I told 'em about the history on the transmission with the Pep Boys issue after they started pointing at the tranny, and they said "yep, that'll do it."

They did a fuel injection service and replaced all the plugs (I would have rather done that myself to save money but they wrapped it all together) and semi-rebuilt the tranny in regards to the seals.  Their testing indicates better transmission pressure now.  I get to pick up the truck in about an hour or so.  Gonna go drive it up the steepest hills I can find in town... Shea Boulevard out to Fountain Hills, there's a bigazz hill that tends to cause auto transmissions to downshift pretty good.  If I can climb that at 50mph in 3rd or 4th, life is good.  If it drops to 2nd, we got problems.

[Frank Castle]

2006 HHR  Face Palm!

Me too.

[AZRedhawk44]

Seems to be fixed.

Reset onboard fuel economy computer as I left the dealership, drove to afore-mentioned big hill.  Truck maintained 4th gear, 1500rpm on steep hill @ 50mph.  Net fuel economy driving on surface streets, stop-n-go traffic to big hill and then back home was 16.5mpg.  Tires at 30psi right now due to unseasonably cold temps (dropped below freezing here recently for a week straight!).  Normally have them @ 35-37psi.  So it will be another 0.5mpg higher with better pressure.

No highway test yet.  Will do tonite.  But seems like problem is dealt with.

[geronimotwo]

congrats!  what did they set you back?

[AZRedhawk44]

congrats!  what did they set you back?

$760.

[geronimotwo]

seems fair enough.  hope it lasts.