Mechanic is charging for transfer case flush on a FWD Vibe!?

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Monstarz
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Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:27 pm

Mechanic is charging for transfer case flush on a FWD Vibe!?

Post by Monstarz »

Hey there! I know common knowledge says a fwd does not have a transfer case. 2009 Base 5spd FWD

Is there any other component my mechanic might be referencing before I tell them I'm not going to pay?
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Long story short, wife says the car went suddenly undriveable and the mechanic is recommending a new transmission. This was just the closest shop, I'm thinking about having it towed elsewhere though. When they say "transfer case" would they just be referencing filling the new transmission with fluid or something? I like to tinker and do my own spark plugs but I'm way out of my depth here.
tpollauf
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Re: Mechanic is charging for transfer case flush on a FWD Vibe!?

Post by tpollauf »

That sounds high! More info would help us with helping you. Mileage, number of drivers, location & terrain (seeing how you have a manual tranny), etc. Looks like you've owned this for close to nine years so YOU should have a strong history of what's been done to it recently. Ironically, that's when you last posted also :o Any warning signs that led to the tranny failure? If we knew your whereabouts, some here may be close and could recommend a better shop!
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Monstarz
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Re: Mechanic is charging for transfer case flush on a FWD Vibe!?

Post by Monstarz »

tpollauf wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:58 am That sounds high! More info would help us with helping you. Mileage, number of drivers, location & terrain (seeing how you have a manual tranny), etc. Looks like you've owned this for close to nine years so YOU should have a strong history of what's been done to it recently. Ironically, that's when you last posted also :o Any warning signs that led to the tranny failure? If we knew your whereabouts, some here may be close and could recommend a better shop!
Okay first, an update: I asked around in a few other places and we seem to think that they're referencing refilling the transmission after install when they mention the "transfer case".

Second: Sorry I haven't posted!! I've been lurking and the forum has helped me solve so many problems over the years. And what a great nine years it has been! I must have been 22 or 23 when I bought this thing and made my introductory post. I've since been married, and my wife loved the Vibe so much she's turned it into her daily driver while I've been relegated to either the motorcycle or then van (I guess life ain't so bad).

So let me see if I can answer your questions:

We're in Phoenix full time. As I outlined, it's recently become mostly my wife's car. HOWEVER! It did begin to grind when going into third gear when cold. I noticed this and would always be a little slower/gentler going into third and it wouldn't grind. I love my wife, but she never built that habit. It has 185,000 miles on it so I think that combined with someone shifting it rough could indeed be a recipe for a new transmission.

I hope that gives you a clearer picture. I do think the work is necessary, I'm just suspicious of this one shop since their rates seemed high and we weren't able to vet them before dropping off here. I saw "transfer case" and immediately went into skeptic mode.

The icing on the cake is that there's a red 2009 2.4 automatic for sale on Craigslist near me for $6,400 that I'd be real tempted to pick up instead of repairing "Old Faithful" :P
SeattleJeremy
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Re: Mechanic is charging for transfer case flush on a FWD Vibe!?

Post by SeattleJeremy »

The parts are not out of the ordinary for this type of work, but charging $2160 to do the labor of replacing the transmission seems quite high. The "book time" for "Replace clutch" includes the time it takes to "Uninstall transmission" and "Reinstall Transmission".

Hypothesis: The quote includes fees for both "replace clutch" and "replace transmission".

The independent mechanic shop I go to charged between $500 and $600 to replace the clutch in my car. Shop around, literally anyone can work on these cars. They are dead simple.
Monstarz wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:32 pm The icing on the cake is that there's a red 2009 2.4 automatic for sale on Craigslist near me for $6,400 that I'd be real tempted to pick up instead of repairing "Old Faithful" :P
This seems like a pretty good upgrade.
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joatmon
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Re: Mechanic is charging for transfer case flush on a FWD Vibe!?

Post by joatmon »

That is a lot of money.

I get ads for a lo al junkyard that offers install service, maybe a yard near you would sell you a replacement tranny and install it for a lot less.

But whatever you end up doing, it would definitely be worth getting a second opinion. Another shop may tell you the tranny is fine, you just need a new clutch, but you didn't say what the failure symptoms were, and I couldn't judge from here anyway ;)
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