Calling any 1st gen geniuses!!!
I'm at the end of my rope; any help at all:
I have a '98 CL, 165K, auto -- a black, lovely clean little machine which a few guys here have helped me keep in fine condition with minor maintenence advice (new cat, o2 sensor, window reg, BTW, thanks all.
I took a hit in the front right fender from some #@$% in a tri-color '85 civic who ran a red light. Body work looks like nothing, just front right quarter, bumper, blinker, tiny hood bend that'll hammer right out (I almost sighed when I saw how minor the body damage was, considering the hit felt pretty solid)...BUT:

when I went to chase down this chick who tried to run away in half a civic (got her!), my engine would race, trans would slip sort of and redline at the moment of expected shift, like 0-25, redline-no power to ground, then kick in, 25-40, redline...etc. Once it's in gear, it runs fine; it just revs out of control/slips between shifts. My trans guy swears it wasn't due to the hit, the trans just decided it was time to die -- and his word's pretty good, but this car never missed a shift, 3000rpm wham, like clockwork. Now I know the ATs go in this car, but without ANY warning??? The timing of it going out with the hit just seems too coincidental. A couple of other trans guys I don't know too well say it could be electrical, but I've been told that's just to get me in the door so they can rip me a new one. I know there's a 'rev limiter' or something on this car -- anyone know where that's located, could that be it? Is there something else electrically trans-related over on that side?
Insurance is being a bitch; they want me to pay to disassemble the trans.
I'm asking anyone for anything, thanks all, in advance.

 

well, it didnt give out right away necessarily:

you're at 165k miles (and im assuming you're still on first tranny, which sounds incredible)

you just got wrecked

and you're chasing someone down right after the wreck

The tranny's in those cars are known to be very faulty, and the slightest hits at that kind of mileage could have been "the straw that broke the camel's back" so to say.

good luck, hope you fry that little ricegirl for all she's worth.

-Alex

 

wait a sec I made that comment assuming this was a 3.0 tranny.. is it 3.0 or a 2.3 auto?

if its a 2.3, then thats a whole different story. I havent heard about any issues w/the 2.x model trannys...

-Alex

 

Tx a lot for the re, Alex. 2.3, but does the engine size make a difference ----- really, no issues withh the 2.3's AT???
Tx, again,
Rob

 

You need to simply take it all to your insurance company. Having a front end collision with immediate transmission issues would most easily indicate the accident caused damage to the transmission... You also need to let your insurance company know that the other driver tried to run.

 

you can get a new tranny out of that. You did have a frontal collision. ESPECIALLY if she tried to run. Get her, and take her from what she has, from her insurance. Nice work on chasing her down

 

Thanks a lot, guys.
Yeah, this happened like the end of December, I've got stacks of insurance paper -- like I said, they're being a bitch. I tried to go through mine, but after an appeal or three, they still don't wanna cough up for the trans. I'm going that route of her insurance now...waiting...just sucks being w/o my baby, y'know. Just thought there might be a simpler fix I was unaware of, i.e. some electrical crap that makes the AT shift properly,
anyway, thanks, guys

 

YOUR insurance company should be chasing her insurance company. That's why your're paying them. You shouldn't have to chase anyone. I'm not sure it's even wise to do so. Get on your insurance company to get your car fixed. Let them worry about where the money comes from. A significant front end collision causing transmission issues on a front wheel drive car is to be expected. You've been paying a premium to have a company cover your car. So make them cover it. Write a polite and registered letter to YOUR company. Simply insist on getting your car repairs covered immediately. They should send out a claims rep and get it done. If they keep balking, then send a copy of your letter to the company to your state atty. general. Keep making noise until they do what they're supposed to do. But I would not contact the other person's company.

 

sounds about right, wjk, (I can see this issue gets you furious, you must be one of the good guys well...done, done, and done long ago -- did everything you said, even went to the State, no dice ; the only ave. left is to claim thru her insurance.
My insurance cut me a check for the bodywork. The issue was the rep took a hardline on getting me to pay to disassemble the trans to see if the hit caused it (like 800$), and here I've got my trans guy swearing it most likely didn't, and I own a car with notorious AT probs.
Next is just to suck up the 1800$, slap a rebuild into it.
Thanks for the input, and sorry this thread turned into something only a lawyer might find interesting.

 

Just trying to encourage you to stick up for your reasonable rights. If you honestly didn't notice a problem, that you then noticed right after a collision, then it makes good sense that the collision caused the problem. From what you wrote, the problem emerged immediately after the collision... Keep in mind that there are CL's out there with 200k miles that are still on their original transmission. Anyway, I just didn't think you needed to be intimidated out of getting a fair settlement.

BTW, you don't own a car with notorious transmission problems. The '97-'99's actually have a very, very low failure rate. What's on this board doesn't reflect the 1,000's of other owner's experiences. Consumer Reports, which tallies 1,000's of owner experiences, currently lists the '98 transmissions well above average in reliability.