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Hi, I bought a 2008 Town and Chrysler LTD in January 2015. It has 80,000 miles on it. I didn’t get any kind of warranty with it. After a week, it started turning off while I was driving it and the engine light came on. The computer said it was the EGR valve, which the dealer replaced for free and it solved the problem. The first of Feb. I had surgery and didn’t drive the car for a month and a half. Last week the gascap light came on and the dealer said it needed to be replaced and also the fuel sensor which sends info about the fuel evap system. That cost a couple of hundred. Now, when I first start it in the morning and go down the hill we live on, it seems to hesitate and then skip forward. My husband says it’s the transmission not knowing which gear to go into. The dealer doesn’t see or feel anything because it only happens twice a day, first thing in the morning, going down the hill. Does this seem like a transmission problem? I paid a lot for this van and now I’m afraid I’m going to be slammed with a high repair for a car I’ve only driven 3 months.
Need a replacement transmission? Quality transmissions are hard to find. Free estimate to your email.No, you didn’t buy a lemon, although, at times, it might seem like it. Your minivan is seven years old and it has 80,000 miles on the odometer. This isn’t a great deal of mileage as averages say your van should be at 105,000 miles but it is still a pile of miles and your minivan is a bit tired. With that said, though, at this time in a vehicle’s life things do start to go.
The good news here, though, is that there probably isn’t anything major wrong with your transmission. The most it is likely suffering from is a case of slightly low automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The fact is that your minivan is exhibiting a classic case of slightly low ATF.
Your minivan’s automatic transmission requires a certain amount of heat to operate correctly. The manufacturer, in fact, designed and built the transmission to work in this manner. The ATF uses this heat to expand to fill all spaces in the transmission properly so that it will work correctly. Now, if the transmission fluid was down substantially, your transmission would have lots of trouble finding and keeping a gear.
You will have to fix this problem, of course, to ensure the transmission performs correctly. To do this, you will have to get a good reading of how much fluid is missing and then replace it. To obtain a reading, take these steps:
1. Find the transmission dipstick
2. Park the van on a flat surface, put it into park and set the parking brake
3. Start the minivan and let it warm for about 20 minutes (or you can drive it for 15 minutes if you prefer)
4. Holding the brake down as an added precaution, run the minivan through all gears, holding each one for a moment
5. Pull out the transmission dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag
6. Replace the dipstick and withdraw it carefully again
7. Take your reading. Be sure to look at the level between the HOT marking
8. Add exactly the amount of transmission fluid that needs to be replaced. An automatic transmission doesn’t tolerate overfilling at all so be as exacting as possible
9. Replace the transmission dipstick and you are finished
Fair Replacement Transmission Cost by Vehicle
- Use the Year / Make / Model lookup tool to determine what transmission your vehicle has. [transtar]
- Find your transmission model in the table below for fair prices from reputable suppliers. Also fair labor cost for local installation at a local auto repair shop.
- Get a free estimate on a remanufactured transmission by email.
Fair Remanufactured Transmission Price Ranges by Transmission Model Updated May 1, 2018
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