My car is idling hard in reverse, and the mechanic said it would take about $500 to diagnose the problem and $1000 to fix it if it is, in fact, a problem with the transmission (a turbine?) Well, a new transmission costs $2000 dollars - soooo, not much savings there. I was told to try some simple fuel injector cleaner first. Any other ideas that might cost a little less?
your car…
what car ?
Chevy Malibu Classic, 2005
If the car is idling “hard” (I assume that you mean a rough idle) only in reverse, then all the injector cleaner in the world will not help it. The first thing that I would check is the motor mounts and/or transmission mounts. A broken mount or two can definitely lead to rough idling under the right circumstances.
If the mounts check out okay, then I would suggest that you take the car to an independent transmission shop for diagnosis. DO NOT take it to AAMCO, Lee Myles, Cottman, Mr. Transmission, or any other chain unless you want to be told that you need a new transmission–whether you really do or not.
A general mechanic will not have the expertise that a specialized trans expert does, so I would suggest that your mechanic is fine for checking the mounts, but not for trans diagnosis and repair.
Thanks for the advice! The mounts checked out okay, so I guess I’ll get a quote from a transmission shop.