Mechanic Problems

[schmart]

We couldn't even get ahold of the guy until Friday of last week. My son told him he wants to pick it up, and is planning on going up early afternoon today to pick it up after he gets a few hours of sleep after his 3rd shift job.

 

[***Ironhead***]

I also would like to here how this works out. Hopefully for the best for you two. Poor service really pisses me of. Good luck man

 

[churchmouse]

The 4L80E was discontinued by GM in 2013, being replaced by a six speed unit. Finding a low miles used unit is going to be hard to do, and ANY transmission that has 125,000 miles on it is likely going to need a rebuild soon. It's a bell curve, of course, with some new cars never making it out of the dealer parking lot before the trans fails, others last a quarter million miles or more if the owner maintains it and avoids "fast and furious" type driving. But if you were to look at our invoices for first-time rebuilds the vast majority are going to be within a few thousand miles of 125,000 in either direction. If you find a working one with 140,000 or more on it, it's likely already been rebuilt. Easy way to tell is the valve body gaskets, OEM are usually unmarked while aftermarket (even if they are the OEM supplier) are festooned with their name and logos.

Not that you shouldn't call around, sometimes you get lucky, just be aware what "low miles" means in relation to trans life. And clean the cooler, or better yet replace the rad or bypass it with an add-on one.

This is what we give carry-in customers to clean their cooler with, flush both directions and on the last bit of cleaner in the can, catch the solvent coming out of the cooler in a few layers of clean paper towel. If you find ANY debris, you need more flushing. We use a hot flush machine, and some coolers even after a full day of flushing are still dumping out debris. New rad time for those.

Amazon product ASIN B001DKNH8I

I try and tell folks the same thing when they loose a trans at 125K or there about. Most everyone of them are upset about it. Nothing new so be ready for it folks. I keep all ours serviced regularly and it pays dividends in the long run.

 

[Kernelkrink]

A major issue with many transmissions is the valve body wears out pretty quick, some GM front wheel drives start showing symptoms below 100K. Until recently, variable opening solenoids didn't get used in transmissions, they were all either wide open or closed. To vary the pressure applied, they use something called pulse width modulation, basically they cycle on and off several times a second. The ratio of on versus off time each cycle varies the pressure. Unfortunately this means both the solenoid and the valve it is stroking tend to "vibrate" back and forth in the valve body several times a second. VBs are made of AL these days to save weight, imagine how many millions (billions?) of times a valve moving in a hole bored in AL would tend to wear both pieces out. It's a miracle they last as long as they do. There is one particular Ford rear wheel drive trans that wears out so quickly the factory new replacement VBs are dirt cheap and available, simply because EVERY rebuild needs one!

Fortunately a lot of times a VB problem shows up as a symptom early, and if fixed right away the problem won't cause damage further down the line. So, if you notice any changes in your trans behavior, it's time to visit a reputable trans specialty shop. Even if they charge a fee to scan and diagnose it, better to head off a $300 problem than wait a few months and pay $2-3K for an overhaul.

BTW, the 4L80E kits are back in stock, at least at Transtar.

 

[Axxe55]

Transmission fluid heat can kill a transmission pretty quickly too. And external, or extra transmission fluid cooler can help extend the lifespan of the transmission.

 

[schmart]

My son was able to pickup the transmission in pieces, but had to give the guy $200 for his worthless labor. It was cheaper than getting a "new" core and wasn't worth an assault charge... so he paid it. He's taken it to a reputable shop who will have it done in a couple days. The shop can also install it for an additional $400, but with that, they flush the multiple coolers on the vehicle and add a 3 year/100K mi warranty so we are highly considering doing that.

 

[Kernelkrink]

$400 sounds cheap for a 3 year warranty and knowing the job was done right.

 

[ultra...good]

My son was able to pickup the transmission in pieces, but had to give the guy $200 for his worthless labor. It was cheaper than getting a "new" core and wasn't worth an assault charge... so he paid it. He's taken it to a reputable shop who will have it done in a couple days. The shop can also install it for an additional $400, but with that, they flush the multiple coolers on the vehicle and add a 3 year/100K mi warranty so we are highly considering doing that.

I wouldn't hesitate at $400 for the install, the warranty alone is worth that in my book.