Another idiotic decision

10077 Views 149 Replies 48 Participants Last post by danithomme, 7 mo ago

MyJessicaLS430

Discussion Starter · 8 mo ago

Hello fellow drivers,

My car is a 2004 Lexus LS 430 with approximately 150k+ miles. No major repairs throughout ownership. Excluding wear and tear such as brakes, tyres and suspension, minor ones are the door actuators, oil leak (engine gasket) and cruise control. Now, I am hit with a $6000 bill for the transmission. Anyone with the ability of making logical judgement would sell the car in the blink of an eye but my heart often overrides the brain.

A few months ago, the car was sluggish occasionally going in reverse but once it was given enough time to warm up, it reversed without any problems. Fast forward to last week, instead of difficulty in reverse, the car was sluggish to accelerate. Again, the car drove fine after a few minutes. Two days ago, the car did not move upon start up unless the engine hit 2000 rpm, which is ridiculous. My experience is that the car only hits 2000 rpm or above when travelling 60 mph+.

Although as ignorant as I am, I do not need a dealer to tell me the transmission is failing. What it is beyond comprehension is that at this astronomical repair cost, the dealer would only put a re-manufactured one to my car. If the donor car has more or less the same mileage as my car, if not more, it is just a matter of time for the donor transmission to fail. Perhaps I may be better off to roll the dice, buy a used transmission from eBay and pray a transmission shop will do the job right at a fraction of the cost. The pain of losing my love is still excruciating and certainly I do not want to experience anything similar again (over the years, I have developed bonding of some kind with this car). Selling it is the last thing I hope for.

Are Toyotas made to last? I will leave this to your judgment. My answer to that would be 'depends'. Honestly with the age of this car, it is understandable that something starts to fail. As with my other newer LS, a failing suspension at 26k miles is ridiculous. This is why my jaw drops each time reading stories of Prius / Camry / Corolla that never breaks at unbelievably high miles. Why is not the case for Lexus?

Thank you for taking the time to read.

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SinTaxERROR

· #41 · 8 mo ago

tohunt4me said:
Same thing.
Fancy terminology.

2004 is " Modern"?

Bands are adjustable clutches are not. If the clutch pack fails it needs replacing… this is true for both wet and dry clutches.

SinTaxERROR

· #42 · 8 mo ago

W00dbutcher said:
@W00dbutcher is not responsible for any repair advice related to up.net.

Nothing like tagging yourself in your own post… lol

Reactions: 3

tohunt4me

· #43 · 8 mo ago

SinTaxERROR said:
More modern than 1974… so yeah lol

In 1974 models . . .changing transmission fluid could kill those old 3 speeds. Loss of " grit" could cause slippage .

Remember dropping the WHOLE damn transmission to change out a $2.00 front seal ?

76 nova-305 and 73 Pontiac Catalina. 400.

In the Catalina I had to add 1/2 quart of " reconstituted" transmission fluid to pull away from a red light sometimes !

Kept on going though.

Fun job by yourself when using only a floor jack to put car in blocks & to lower transmission when you got it loose !

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SinTaxERROR

· #44 · 8 mo ago

tohunt4me said:
In 1974 models . . .changing transmission fluid could kill those old 3 speeds. Loss of " grit" could cause slippage .

Remember dropping the WHOLE damn transmission to change out a $2.00 front seal ?

76 nova-305 and 73 Pontiac Catalina. 400.

In the Catalina I had to add 1/2 quart of " reconstituted" transmission fluid to pull away from a red light sometimes !

Kept on going though.

Fun job by yourself when using only a floor jack to put car in blocks & to lower transmission when you got it loose !

Now you have to take apart 1/2 the car to change that same front seal… and it cost $5 today… lol

Reactions: 1

W00dbutcher

· #45 · 8 mo ago

tohunt4me said:
In 1974 models . . .changing transmission fluid could kill those old 3 speeds. Loss of " grit" could cause slippage .

Remember dropping the WHOLE damn transmission to change out a $2.00 front seal ?

76 nova-305 and 73 Pontiac Catalina. 400.

In the Catalina I had to add 1/2 quart of " reconstituted" transmission fluid to pull away from a red light sometimes !

Kept on going though.

Fun job by yourself when using only a floor jack to put car in blocks & to lower transmission when you got it loose !

You mean you've never dug a trench in the ground and push the car over it to change the transmission?

Reactions: 1

SinTaxERROR

· #46 · 8 mo ago

W00dbutcher said:
You mean you've never dug a trench in the ground and push the car over it to change the transmission?

And you can repurpose that trench and bury a body when you are done…

Reactions: 1

tohunt4me

· #47 · 8 mo ago

SinTaxERROR said:
Now you have to take apart 1/2 the car to change that same front seal… and it cost $5 today… lol

Cars are STUPID NOW !

REPROGRMING SOFTWARE A 75% CHANCE OF FIXING THE LEXUS !

They put damn Computers in Tractors now !

We had a hand crank tractor when I was a kid !
Didn't need a damn battery even !

Had a crank handle you stuck into front of engine to TURN IT OVER

Damn tractor is STILL running somewhere probably.

Wheel Tire Vehicle Automotive tire Plant

No " softieware" here !

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SinTaxERROR

· #48 · 8 mo ago

tohunt4me said:
Cars are STUPID NOW !

REPROGRMING SOFTWARE A 75% CHANCE OF FIXING THE LEXUS !

They put damn Computers in Tractors now !

We had a hand crank tractor when I was a kid !
Didn't need a damn battery even !

Had a crank handle you stuck into front of engine to TURN IT OVER

Damn tractor is STILL running somewhere probably.

Gonna guess it had a magneto and not an alternator…

W00dbutcher

· #49 · 8 mo ago

SinTaxERROR said:
And you can repurpose that trench and bury a body when you are done…

Where the hell do you live that you're going to kill somebody the same day you're pulling a transmission out of a car?

Reactions: 3

tohunt4me

· #50 · 8 mo ago

W00dbutcher said:
You mean you've never dug a trench in the ground and push the car over it to change the transmission?

Hell I had a ditch !
Why dig.
But . . . I worked on cars under the boat shed
Shade

tohunt4me

· #51 · 8 mo ago

W00dbutcher said:
Where the hell do you live that you're going to kill somebody the same day you're pulling a transmission out of a car?

Might be the cause of the burial

Someone sold him a bad transmission !

Reactions: 1

tohunt4me

· #52 · 8 mo ago (Edited)

SinTaxERROR said:
Now you have to take apart 1/2 the car to change that same front seal… and it cost $5 today… lol

$3.29 AutoZone

Tire Product Automotive tire Wheel Font

Pry old one out with a screwdriver.

Hammer new one in with block of wood .
Took about a minute to remove & install.
Took 1/2 day to get transmission out and 1/2 day to get transmission back in !

Especially if you seperated your universal joint & dropped the needle bearings in the dirt !
Cost you Another $5.99 for a new universal joint & 39 cents for the grease zert !

The old Corvettes used to have 8 damn u joints !
If you were running a built motor, you were going to change them often too.

( Nightmare material )

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W00dbutcher

· #53 · 8 mo ago

tohunt4me said:
Hell I had a ditch !
Why dig.
But . . . I worked on cars under the boat shed
Shade

That works. Plenty of shade underneath the car.

SinTaxERROR

· #54 · 8 mo ago

W00dbutcher said:
Where the hell do you live that you're going to kill somebody the same day you're pulling a transmission out of a car?

What are you talking about…? They are already dead…

Reactions: 3

tohunt4me

· #55 · 8 mo ago

W00dbutcher said:
That works. Plenty of shade underneath the car.

The shed was FURTHER AWAY from the House !

No danger of bouncing thrown wrenches breaking windows .( It has happened !).
No threats of Obscenity charges for my Language.

I was Not a " cheerful" mechanic.
.i was on a budget.
Cheap misused tools lead to bloody greasy knuckles .
I would sing hymns of praise to the grease monkey gods !

tohunt4me

· #56 · 8 mo ago

There is a REASON this bird Looks " High Anxiety".

Eye Bird Beak Cartoon Gesture

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tohunt4me

· #57 · 8 mo ago (Edited)

W00dbutcher said:
That works. Plenty of shade underneath the car.

I actually had a relative die from his car falling on him.
Asphyxiated.
Hard to breathe with 2 tons of iron on your chest.
( Diaphragm don't want to work right.,)
( Can't Holler for Help either)
They called it " Pressing" in the 1600's
So I was always cautious about firm ground & proper vehicle elevation. Even if I was using wood blocks because I only had 1 jack.
I blocked the shit out of those cars.

Toocutetofail

· #58 · 8 mo ago

Let me know if you need advice from a person who took high school auto shop class.

Reactions: 3

SinTaxERROR

· #59 · 8 mo ago

Toocutetofail said:
Let me know if you need advice from a person who took high school auto shop class.

I think we have met our match fellas… lol

Reactions: 5

W00dbutcher

· #60 · 8 mo ago

Toocutetofail said:
Let me know if you need advice from a person who took high school auto shop class.

I once stayed at a Holiday Inn and we all know you can become anything spending a night in one of them places.

Reactions: 3

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