Dealer cost vs Independant Garage cost for Transmission flush?

[thorntcl]

I have a 2004 Vibe auto with almost 50k km. Dealer says I'm due for a tranny flush and the cost to flush the transmission fluid is $150 CDN.Is that a reasonable price?What did other people get charged?Anyone try an independant garage instead and if so then how much? It won't void the warranty in the states, but not sure about Canada...Cheers

[48-remi]

Went trough the maintenance schedule. Recommended service is at 60 000 m or 96 00 km, that I could find. Check the color of the fluid , if still a nice red, not needed. If the fluid is brownish and has a burnt smell, go for it!I changed the fluid every 3 years on my GMC but I was towing over 9000 lb of 5th wheel!RémiCarlsbad Springs

[Altus]

Yup $150 is just about spot on for a tranny flush -- at least, that's what Mr Lube charges. $150 for regular, or $200 for synthetic. Now, mind you, they do a TRUE flush of the tranny - not a drain & fill. Beware of the dealers - a lot of times they'll use the word "flush", but they actually mean drain & fill -- not the same by any means.

[thorntcl]

Thanks Remi and Altus,Remi, I looked on the GM service site and it says 96000 for the change, so I sent an email to Donnelly's here in Ottawa to confirm why they say 50k...Went to other independent transmission sites and they said 48k for transmission flush. Altus, thanks for the info, that might be why some places charge $100 for the service Also sent that question to the dealer to see what they do for the $150...

[jake75]

It's late but isn't 50,000 km about 30,000 miles? Why would a normally drivenVibe need tranny change at tht point?

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »It's late but isn't 50,000 km about 30,000 miles? Why would a normally drivenVibe need tranny change at tht point? Technically, it probably doesn't. The dipstick says "under normal driving conditon no need replace atf" or something like that... Uh, ok... Then, the manual says 60,000 under more "severe" conditions, and I'm not certain I recall that it ever gives a timeline for those whose driving does not meet those conditions. So going by the book, everyone who does get theirs changed is doing more than enough by a simple drain and fill at 30,000... And going WAY above and beyond for those considering a flush at that mileage. For those who do any fluid changes early, *pat on the back!* It may not need it for all we know, but it never hurts!!! After being burned by this transmission from its catastrophic failure at slightly over twice that 30,000 mile point: I have to say an ounce of prevention is worth, oh, say somewehere above four thousand bucks of cure (at the gm dealer.) Luckily, GM paid for it. But youbetcha, if I haven't been able to get out from under this car once the new tranny hits 30,000, I'm going all out and getting the flush. I can't afford not to! I'll never know for sure if more fluid changes would have prolonged the life of that tranny... But I do know that tiny bits and pieces of metal killed my tranny as they floated around inside there - so to me, the sooner you can get that junk outta there if there is any junk to get rid of, the better off you'll be. There is more than likely a 99.9% chance that you guys may never have this problem - so keep it that way!Having something that won't go into gear, or when it finally does go into gear it will never shift out of first is slightly inconvenient! This vehicle overmaintenance public service announcement was brought to you by CP!

[thorntcl]

Well I got this quote from the dealership, it seems the guy at the shop told me one thing while this quote says otherwise. The guy must have got mixed up with saying a transmission flush when he should have said a coolant flush...The tranny flush is not due until 60k miles (100k km).If they check the fluid this time around then that is fine for me...THanks everyone...Colonel Panic, I was reading about your tranny woes elsewhere, so hopefully you're back up and running without too much damage to your wallet...email quote from dealer:Below you will find the listed recommendations for the 04 PontiacVibe at 50 000km; you will see that the Transaxle service is recommended forinspection only (although inspection may show that change is warranted), anddue for changing at 100 000km.The price of a proper change is $139.95 (includes removing pan,removing and cleaning metal screen filter, reinstalling pan and replacingtransaxle oil). The actual power flushing of the transaxle is notrecommended by GM.The price of the required services at 50 000km is $249.95, and canbe performed any day that work for your schedule!30,000 Miles (50 000 km) • Change engine oil and filter (or every 3 months, whichever occursfirst). An Emission Control Service. • Replace passenger compartment air filter. • Replace engine air cleaner filter (or every 24 months, whicheveroccurs first). An Emission Control Service. • Inspect fuel tank, cap, cap gasket and lines for damage or leaks (orevery 24 months, whichever occurs first). Replace parts as needed. AnEmission Control Service. (See footnote †.) • Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation for proper rotationpattern and additional information. (See footnote +.) • Drain, flush and refill cooling system (or every 24 months, whicheveroccurs first). See Engine Coolant for what to use. Inspect hoses. Cleanradiator, condenser, pressure cap and neck. Pressure test cooling system andpressure cap. An Emission Control Service. (See footnote †.) • Change manual transaxle fluid every 30,000 miles (50 000 km) only ifyour vehicle is used to tow a trailer. • Check automatic transaxle fluid. • Change transfer case fluid when doing frequent trailer towing. • Change rear differential fluid when doing frequent trailer towing. Thank you for your time