Auto experts question. About to have an issue with a place that worked (1 Viewer)

[T J]

A couple weeks ago I had my transmission flushed/filled at a local prominent auto place.

Today, I experience problems with my transmission.

The Infiniti dealership ran diagnostics on it and unprovoked asked me if the card had had the transmission flushed anytime recently. I said it had. He says, well, they put a quart and a half too much fluid in it and that causes pressure on the valve body which caused it to go bad. Getting repaired Tuesday for $1900.00.

The car is a 2005 infiniti g35x.

I call and tell the first place what infiniti said and that I was going to be looking at them for the cost of the repair.

The owner of the first place says he wants to do some research so he calls back a little later and says their guy filled it up to the "full" level, no higher, and that he called other transmission specialists who tell him too much fluid will not result in the valve body failing but rather just froth. So he says he's not covering it.

Not sure what to do from a legal standpoint yet but for now, I want to get some insight into the mechanical part of things.

Any feedback is helpful.

 

[squidrope]

I'd get something in writing from the dealership saying that to much fluid would damage the trans and how much fluid they removed from the transmission. Give a copy to the manager of the prominent auto place, and to there superiors. This sounds like a manager trying to play CYA.

Transmission worked before the flush. After the flush you have issues. Dealer asks if you had trans serviced elsewhere and explains what would cause the problem your having. Seems like a slam dunk to me that the flusher messed up.

Why don't you have all service work done at the dealership instead of one of those chains??? Those chains hire mostly idiots.

 

[MikeIke]

I'd get something in writing from the dealership saying that to much fluid would damage the trans and how much fluid they removed from the transmission. Give a copy to the manager of the prominent auto place, and to there superiors. This sounds like a manager trying to play CYA.

Done in one

 

[ChiefD]

Have sex with his tailpipe.

 

[Joe Summer]

The first place is just going to say "We filled it to the top and you can't prove that we didn't."

 

[T J]

I'd get something in writing from the dealership saying that to much fluid would damage the trans and how much fluid they removed from the transmission. Give a copy to the manager of the prominent auto place, and to there superiors. This sounds like a manager trying to play CYA.

Done in one

That was the owner I talked to and this company has been around a long time and is very well-regarded in the area.

And I do have it in writing.

The owner of the company wants me to get a 2nd opinion.

 

[johnnycakes]

Hmmm... Maybe 15 - 20 years ago I had transmission fluid replaced at one of those fast oil change places. A day or two later I start having transmission problems. I bring the car over to a high school friend of mine who has a service station of his own. He looks at it and finds the transmission fluid was actually low. Then he tells me an air bubble will form when the fluid goes in, making it look like its full when it is not. So all he had to do was to add more fluid and it was fine.

If your car was at an unscrupulous shop, though, maybe they could tell you there was too much fluid in there and get you for the $1,900 when all they have to do is to top it off.

 

[T J]

But again, the question for this thread is mechanically, can the fluid level being too high cause the valve body to go bad?

 

[playin4beer]

I don't know about the "too much fluid causing a valve body to fail".. in my experience, excess fluid comes out the vent hose...

BUT, doing some looking around, Nissan/Infinity has out a service bulletin against transmission flushing .. (Reference NPSB/07-027; #9376 page 3)

 

[Dan Lambskin]

My mechanic told me a trans flush usually does more harm than good so I've never had one done

 

[Poke_4_Life]

My mechanic told me a trans flush usually does more harm than good so I've never had one done

Most flushes do more harm than good. Those quick change places love them tho, because a $25 oil change turns into a $100 service plus $25 oil change and it only takes an extra 5-10 minutes.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Flushes are a huge ripoff and should be avoided.

 

[arrow1]

Flushes are a huge ripoff and should be avoided.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

My mechanic told me a trans flush usually does more harm than good so I've never had one done

Most flushes do more harm than good.

I've heard this before. What is the reason for this?

 

[top dog]

My mechanic told me a trans flush usually does more harm than good so I've never had one done

Most flushes do more harm than good.

I've heard this before. What is the reason for this?

I think people believe that you end up kicking up metal shavings (normal wear and tear) that had settled in harmless areas of the transmission. The bottom of the pan, etc. They then have a tendency to cause problems.

I added a good 3 years of life to a 2002 Ford Taurus by flushing the trans at 130,000 miles when it started slipping into the passing gear.

You want to have someone who knows what they are doing though. Those places that do it without dropping the pan and changing the filter are the ones that end up causing more harm than good I think.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

My mechanic told me a trans flush usually does more harm than good so I've never had one done

Most flushes do more harm than good.

I've heard this before. What is the reason for this?

I think people believe that you end up kicking up metal shavings (normal wear and tear) that had settled in harmless areas of the transmission. The bottom of the pan, etc. They then have a tendency to cause problems.

Yes, I've heard the same thing. Just make sure the fluid level is correct (measured while idling in neutral I believe)

 

[Amused to Death]

My mechanic told me a trans flush usually does more harm than good so I've never had one done

Yup, when I was in college (mechanical eng.) a professor told us to never have your transmission fluid touched unless you're having a problem. Its a closed system. Once you open it is when you have problems. I've never had transmission problems and I've never had the fluid flushed & filled. My cars, my wife's cars and now my kids.

 

[Fat Nick]

Why don't you have all service work done at the dealership instead of one of those chains??? Those chains hire mostly idiots.

Just guessing here, but he's got an Infiniti...I had one and their service department was a HUGE rip-off. Service-wise, they're the same as a Nissan, but they charge 3-4x more.

I wouldn't buy an Infiniti again...not because of the cars (they're great), but because the service departments are HORRIBLE compared to other luxury car dealers. Just my