Auto transmission repair

[WitawatWatawit]

Avanza - 8 years old. The transmission went bung on me the other day - now it only gets reverse and 2nd gear. I have taken it to a mechanic who has a reliable rep, he told me it would cost 20k to repair, and that there would be a warranty of 2 months. Does this sound right? I asked him if the parts would be new (not reconditioned) and he kind of prevaricated, but basically said yes. So I don't know if the warranty covers just the parts or just his work. Anyone had a similar experience?

[VocalNeal]

My neighbor had an Avanza that had transmission problems. It cost him or rather his company 40,000. So 20,000 sounds OK.

[Lefty]

Insist on 12 warranty

lefty.

[WitawatWatawit]

iLefty, I figure it's a recondition job, not brand new, so I guess I just have to go with it or try somewhere else, which would be a pain. The car gets very little use, maybe 5-6k a year atm, so I think it should be ok.

[WitawatWatawit]

Thanks Neal - that gives me a point of reference.

[seedy]

Is the trans electronically controlled ? Fluid nice and red - no smell of burning ?

Believe second and reverse are the same gear reduction ratio - meaning same pairs of gears, just with an idler for direction change.

I would look at the shifting side if all else fails - seems like a control problem. They may be quoting a full tear down with new clutch discs when all it needs can be done while trans in place in vehicle thru the oil pan.

[nithisa78]

Where are you? Send me PM, I'll refer you to S.E. Asia's best and most trustworthy auto repair shop. In Ubon.

Also as the other poster stated, insist on 12 months to two years; parts, labor isn't much.

[hkt83100]

A friend of mine had the same problem with his Avanza. It was a 20,000 Baht repair according to Toyota, a free garage did it for 10,000 and that was about two years ago. No problems so far.

[WitawatWatawit]

Thanks all - the car is in the garage and there's not much I can do about it now. But I should have done more research beforehand because there is a lot of conjecture on various websites about just what kind of problem causes the transmission to have only two gears. One hypothesis is that the 2nd gear and reverse gear use the same spindle (or whatever it's called) and are linked by a sensor that decides which to operate - it could be that that has a fault. It could also be just a computer malfunction, and one way to find out is to disconnect the battery for 15 minutes - that causes a factory reset of the computer system. But because the car jerks powerfully when I shift it into drive or reverse, I tend to think it is more mechanical than electrical.

[pgrahmm]

That is called "limp in" mode....If something goes out of parameters (could be an electronic sensor) it is intended to give you a forward a reverse gear to get you to a shop....Have them run the codes as a failed sensor could trigger the limp in.....Could be an out of prarameter speed/distance (potentionmeter) sensor which is pretty common....

Did you get any mil lights coming on?

Don't authorize any internal teardown/work until the codes are run and you get a concise diag/report...Pure guesswork is not uncommon here and Toyota boxes rarely have internal problems.....

Spent about 12 years around/working for Toyota/Lexus don't think I saw 7 in my area over that time.....

[WitawatWatawit]

^^^ Good points. But not sure I can do much about it - as I said, I left it too late and took the car to the garage before I did a search on the internet. You asked about the mil lights - well, the overdrive light was flashing off an on - it did not stop regardless of whether I pressed the overdrive button.

Now you've got me severely pissed off at myself for not waiting a bit longer - it could prove an expensive lesson - like 20th baht expensive. Which brings me to - is there any way I can tell/check that they have done the work that they claim to have done?

[pgrahmm]

Practically - no.....If they replace parts they usually give the old parts to you or hold them for you to review....A dealer may have a print out showing which circuit failed if electronic and then it's usually a sensor unless water intrusion or rodent chew.....thete are sensors measuring engine speed at turbine

and output if out of sync will trigger limp in......Google flashing OD light Avenza and see what you can find...

[kartman]

^^^ Good points. But not sure I can do much about it - as I said, I left it too late and took the car to the garage before I did a search on the internet. You asked about the mil lights - well, the overdrive light was flashing off an on - it did not stop regardless of whether I pressed the overdrive button.

Now you've got me severely pissed off at myself for not waiting a bit longer - it could prove an expensive lesson - like 20th baht expensive. Which brings me to - is there any way I can tell/check that they have done the work that they claim to have done?

You could always turn up unexpected just to see how their getting on oh i left a toothpick in the ashtray

[Ace of Pop]

You could Google Daihatsu Xenia for more info, cause it a Toyota Re Badge Joby.

[pgrahmm]

→→ Light is blinking or flashing.

This cant be solved by the push of a button. If your overdrive light is blinking (like a turn signal or hazard light), it is indicating that there is a problem with your cars transmission. It could be the solenoid or possibly the speed or range sensors. There are many different issues that can cause the light to flash.

When your transmissions control unit senses an issue, it will store a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) in the computer. To determine which component is the culprit, bring your vehicle to a repair shop or buy an OBD2 scanner to get the code(s).