have a 1998 Chevy Cavalier 2.2IL with a manual transmission. I did some research and found out that specifically, it is the Getrag F23 5-speed manual transmission.
I went in for an oil change, and it was discovered that my transmission was leaking. My oil change place is one of those quick oil change only places, and said that they don’t do repairs, but recommended a few places.
As the owner of a manual, my understanding is that they generally do not need to have a fluid change, or need one far less often than an automatic, so I have never needed a transmission repair. I’m hearing from trusted friends that this could be a scary bill. More than I can afford, which would leave me without a vehicle, which would put me out of work.
1) The oil change guy says that you can never be sure, but he believes that since there appears to be no external damage, it might just be a gasket or seal leak. Is that something I can do?
2) If I can’t do it, how do I add a little bit of tranny fluid/gear oil to replace the slow leak I have until I can get a repair shop I feel comfortable with?
3) What kind of questions should I be asking to see if I am dealing with a reputable shop?
4) What would be a reasonable range of repair costs for the most common problems associated with this transmission? I am not looking to go cheap, because you often get cheap work, but I don’t want to be taken advantage of either.
Thanks for your time.