Transmissions Servicing, Rebuilds, Rebuilding or Remanufactured Installation

Decision Factors-Actual Transmission Repair Case Study

Lehman's Automotive Services, Inc
Hi!  It's Keith Lehman again.  Before you make that fatal decision to scrap your vehicle due to a transmission problem, you'd might consider reading the above TRANSMISSION REPAIR CASE STUDY.  Maybe your vehicle is experiencing some sort of slippage problem, or the vehicle is having difficulty shifting from gear to gear, or you think that the transmission might need servicing.  We've are here to help people with transmission problems and you just might be surprised by your money saving options.  

In most cases, when an informed decision is made to repair a transmission at Lehman's, we've been able to save our customers a substantial amount of money, as the cost to repair a transmission, over the extended life of a vehicle, can most certainly mean money in your pocket.  Some transmission problems can be diagnosed by just taking your vehicle for a short test ride ... and in some cases, the repair for slippage or gear shifting problems (torque converters) just might involve a repair that would entail a whole lot less than you might think.    

Transmission failures are dependent upon many factors to numerous to list in this discussion including vehicle brand, the engine option selected, and the manufacture of your vehicle.  Obviously some vehicle types fail more than others, where the experience of an established mechanic is most valuable.  For example, a tow-truck driver is going to know what vehicles have a history of transmission problems because they've got to constantly tow them everywhere.  These are the people that can help you make that quality repair decision, with the least amount of risk to your wallet.    

Every owner is different, where one owner might change vehicles every two years while another might keep a vehicle for 10 or more years.  Each situation is different.  One guard against transmission failure is to service it by changing the transmission fluid but before you do this, its best to discuss all transmission servicing with your mechanic prior to doing anything.  Transmission fluid can discolor, which is a key sign that there might be a problem, however, changing the fluid alone may just exacerbate the problem into a full blown failure.  Unfortunately, this is just the nature of the beast.           

Transmission replacement is quite common.  Again, the reason is primarily due to economics - "This car is in perfect shape, except for a blown transmission."  When you figure the cost for the remanufactured replacement or rebuild in terms of the number of new car payments, the payback might be too overwhelming, in your favor, to ignore.  Generally fixing a car, with a reliable history, is always less expensive in the long run.  The counter to this statement is also true, fixing a car with a questionable history is like throwing money down the drain.  Obviously, there are many other factors or reasons why a transmission replacement might be the right choice for you.  The key is, that there is more than one choice to consider, and there maybe a whole lot of money to be saved.  

What makes transmissions replacement somewhat unique is the prime choice between remanufactured replacement versus rebuilding your original transmission.  Quite simply, a remanufactured replacement maybe someone else's prior headache where rebuilding your original transmission means that they will rebuild a transmission with a known history.  Based on prior experience, we'd personally prefer a rebuilt transmission, unless something is discerned during the rebuild process.          

Of course there is always a risk as the rebuild or remanufactured transmission are only part of the equation.  A remanufactured or rebuilt transmission does comes with a limited warranty, but the labor to remove and install it is not covered under that warranty.  On the other hand, although you may be risking some dollars up front, the potential dollars saved, as compared to the thousands of dollars invested toward the purchase a new car, is so significant, that being risk adverse just might cost you more money than you think.  They key is in making a good quality informed decision.    

Obviously, the choice is yours.  If you'd like to have more information about transmissions, we'll do our best to answer your questions.  We'd also be happy to provide you with a cost estimate at your convenience.  Just give us a call.           

03/05/2011