Decided transmission is bad.

After taking my car into a shop to have the transmission diagnosed,
they determined it is slipping and needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

Now my question is, for a 98 Honda Accord with 230K miles and already
replacing 1 transmission (which lasted for 100K miles), being money
smart, which of the following options seems like the best:

Should I spend $500 more to rebuild the transmission, or does now seem
like a good time to invest in a new car?

Thanks,

--tj

 

what code did they pull from the computer? the transmission has sensors
on both input and output shafts and will throw a code if slippage is
occurring.

and is this a v6?

 

was the transmissin fluid changed occasinally? 100k doesn't sound great

On the other hand - credit crunch/recession/230k other large expene around
the corner(?) should meana chance of a bargain?

 

Obviously depends on your circumstances. If you can easily afford a
new car and are inclined to buy one, this would be a good time. If
you are cash strapped and worried about your finances in the
recession, $500 sounds like a lot less than $20,000 plus. This
assumes that the car is otherwise in good condition.

 

If you got 100K out of a $500 swap, then maybe that's not too bad. If
it's a shop you trust and they use a full master rebuild kit then I'd
consider that. Drain/refill ~3 qts of ATF every 30K miles may also
help prolong the life of the tranny. A remanufactured tranny with 3yr/
100K mile warranty usually runs ~$3000.

That said, I'm not sure how the shop can remove the transmission,
rebuild it with a $200 master overhaul kit (new friction and steel
plates) and reman torque converter, correctly install a new $25 in-
line Magnefine (or no-magnet Honda) ATF filter, flush the ATF cooler
using a $15 cleaner, fill with $50 of ATF, reinstall the transmission,
and warranty the work even 6 months on $500.

I think it's probably a junkyard swap with a 3-month warranty if even
that? Because that's what the junkyards often give the shops - a 3-
month swap warranty.

 

Got a new transmission (30K miles) 995 + 500 to install. In the
process, I had them replace the rear main seal, which fixed my oil
leak. Looking good now.

Thanks,

--tj