Worried about my car...

[Tauni]

So I just got off the phone with a transmission shop and before that I talked to my boyfriend about it. Here's what I got out of it:

Boyfriend:
Theoretically, a flush and new filter would do so much as just prolong the tranny going out. But most of the time, if the tranny is slipping the damage is generally already there, and there's not much you can do to fix it.

So then I called the transmission place, pitch all of your ideas and my boyfriends idea to him, and this is what he had to say:

What my boyfriend said could be true, it depends on how the previous owners drove it. [The kid before me was about 20 or so, and let other people drive it, people I know, and people who I know would beat on it.] Also, on you guy's ideas, he recommended checking the fluid. If the fluid is full, the damage is most likely already there. If its low, I should get a flush.

He also said if I take it over there they will test drive it and look at it free of charge so after I check the fluid I will go from there, and if needed I will take it to them after I get the title on my Mazdarati.

[TheBlizzard]

You could get a tranny for that car from a junk yard for faily cheap I would be willing to bet though. I would think they would be pretty common, if you do end up getting a different tranny for the car in the future a tranny cooler would be a good thing to buy. Most trannies like an operating temperature of under 200 degrees, when it gets hotter than that the fluid sludges up and doesn't do its job with makes it even hotter. You can get a decent cooler for about 50 bucks and they are easy to install. Personally I wouldn't own a auto tranny vehicle without a aftermarket tranny cooler. Just ask JET why the only reason his work truck hasn't took a shit yet?

[rk4g63]

Craig,
Is it posible to hook up a tranny cooler to a 1G AWD? How long to do it?

Tauni,
My buddy priced a tranny from a junkyard for 400 bux (thats only one place he went to though), but tuners has them a bit cheaper.

[sleepydsm]

Just get a turbo manual DSM. Be done with it already!

[tim]

He also said if I take it over there they will test drive it and look at it free of charge so after I check the fluid I will go from there, and if needed I will take it to them after I get the title on my Mazdarati.
I would definitely get an opinion from an auto tranny specialist. Have them drive it and look at the fluid. Tranny flushes can accelerate a problem if the car has been too neglected. Like someone said above trannys should be flushed regularly not when you start having a problem. Call an Aamco or other tranny specific shop.

[Khadgar]

Dont know where you are going but Ive heard only good things from Master Transmission in Rosemount and my dealings with them have been good.

[A//// Guy]

No offense but getting bent out of shape about whistling noises and a checking tranny fluid tells me she is not ready for a turbo dsm... we all know the hastles involved and if you cant fix simple things how are you going to deal with turbo issues?

[TheBlizzard]

Craig,
Is it posible to hook up a tranny cooler to a 1G AWD? How long to do it?

Yes. Not very long, you just need the fittings and the cooler. And if it were me I would upgrade the lines as well.

[Tauni]

Eclipseturbo: None taken. I was going over that in my head today, thinking a bit more realistically as far as my money goes. I wouldn't consider myself getting "bent out of shape" about these issues, I'm just trying to get shit taken care of before the problems get to out of hand. I could handle a TSi, just not financially.

Khadgar: I was planning on taking it to Kennedy for the test drive but I will check out that one as well for a second opinion... as long as it won't cost me anything for the opinion, it wouldn't hurt!

I looked at the fluid yesterday. It's not low at all, it's right where it should be and on a white paper towel, the color looked just about right, maybe a TINY bit dirty, but not bad at all. But I will still have the tranny guys look at it, just for safety's sake.

Like I said, I don't have money. Like, none at all, at the moment, becuase as soon as I get my check I am going to be paying a bitch load for a title and tabs on my mazda., plus other bills. So I will probably be broke again. This is why I need to know ASAP if the tranny is bad, or if it's just a matter of the fluid needing to be flushed, because if the tranny is bad, I just want to sell it, and get as much as I can out of it, since clearly I can't afford even a $400 tranny. Besides, I don't think I could trust a used tranny, esp. out of a junk yard.

[unreal808]

I normally hate mechanic in a can stuff, but TSI (a transmission shop) by my work said that this stuff is good . http://www.shadetreemechanic.com/lubegard.htm
could help the car shift right.