Is it possible I don't need a new transmission?
I took my 99 Honda CRV into a shop that has really good online reviews. It
had a check engine light, was idling rough and misfiring (ran code at
autozone and it read for misfires too.) This problem came on very suddenly.
At the shop they did their diagnosis and came back and said it needed a full
tune-up and that it mainly just needed new spark plugs and spark plug wires.
At that time they said the transmission and compression were great. The car
is old, but has always been well maintained. It wasn't due for a tune-up for
another 7,000 miles, but I went ahead and approved the work. They
changed out the spark plugs and wires, did a new fuel filter and new
distributor rotor and cap. In the past, the places I've taken it to have done
more for a tune-up for much less money. The next morning before I went to
pick it up the called me and said that they were test driving it and that the
transmission was slipping and needed to be replaced. They also said the
trans oil was foul. I was surprised because I had checked it before my most
recent trip and it was fine, but like I said the car is old and I'm no expert. I
started looking into finding a used transmission to see if it would be worth
getting done, and before I could find one they called again said they were
"playing around" with the transmission a bit and had put in an additive to the
trans oil and were running the car and the distributor went out and needed to
be replaced. They said they felt bad and would replace it for me at cost for
$450. However at this point I'd called around and hadn't been able to find a
transmission for less than $1100 so I had the car towed back to my house.
Are they possibly being dishonest with me? How often does a distributor fail
less than 24 hours after getting a new cap and rotor? Should they have done
more during a "full tune-up"? Also, because of the distributor I can't run the
car for my own test drive, but I checked the trans oil since I got my car back
and it's fine...no discoloration or abnormal odor.
Urtalkin distributor shaft, correct? Because u had dist cap replaced? They can start to give u problems, but all of a sudden? Never heard of it. It should still run, u took it in running. Also i would really look into why they put an additive into trans. Hondas can be pretty tempremental bout additives ( if u didnt authorize and can prove they added it and something happens because of it they could be responsible) Did u giv em permission? I remember taking a car to a ford dealership for an oil change, nothing else. When I went to pick it up they said I owed for a full inspection, etc, etc. and b4 could get car needed to pay 10 times more than what I wanted. I told them i didn't authorize and would call the police if they didn't release it to me. I paid for oil change and was on my way. Yes sad to say there can be some real shady places out ther. My friend worked for a Honda dealer and was told to look for things even if none needs to b done. To more work and make more money. He quit! Only authorize what u need, have them show u why. Take someone who knows a lil but cars with u. Someone who can help u if u feel intimidated. Watch what u sign and always get a copy of what u sign. I am no mechanic but have worked on um for over 50 years, b careful. I would even ask them why was it running wen I brought it in and not now?
Nope, not the distributor shaft...they said it was the distributor itself that went out. See the photo attached. I didn't give them direct permission for the additive. They said there are a couple little things they could do that MIGHT make it run a little more smoothly. But I kind of just said "Hmm...Ok, I'm going to spend a few hours looking for a transmission." Maybe they misunderstood that as permission, but they also never charged me for any additive.
