I had my car repaired recently and 2 weeks + 1 day later, I ended up with the same problem. The check engine light came on and the transmission wouldn’t shift into 3rd. The diagnosis indicated the transmission module needed to be replaced. Well, turns out there was a short in the transmission and the new module blew. Should I be required to pay to replace the module again? (Part alone is close to $800.) I realize I need to pay to fix the short, but…
Just so that we all know exactly what the situation is, can you tell us if this apparently bad diagnosis was done by a chain transmission shop, such as AAMCO, Lee Myles, Cottman, Mr. Transmission, etc?
No, it’s my local shop, who I like. Knowing the way shorts are hard to find, I don’t necessarily fault them for not finding the short before but, I pay them to fix my car, and it was only fixed for 2 weeks. When a part goes bad, I would think some effort should go into figuring out why it went bad.
A question still needs to be answered though. Is this local shop a specialized transmission shop or a general repair shop?
If the latter, I suggest finding a good transmission-only shop and having them scan the car for starters.
Just my opinion, but I’m not really buying into the short in the transmission or faulty new module theory at this point. The original problem could have been an intermittent one, the module was replaced as a wild guess, and the intermittent has now reared its ugly head again.
Sometimes words or phrases such as short, bad wiring, etc. get tossed around a bit carelessly.
If this is a duplicate, sorry. I thought I submitted a reply but it hasn’t shown up yet.
No, they are not a specialty shop. They are my local service shop. Would it change your answer to my original question if it was a specialty shop? I’m really just trying to find out the “etiquette” of this type of situation.
This is a conundrum. The transmission shop probably found that the TCM had failed, replaced the same, test drove the car, and the car went 15 days with the problem fixed. The mechanic could not have forseen the short in the output device. If he had ohmed out all leads, he might have found the failing device. But, you would be paying more for diagnostic time.
IMHO the shop should compensate you for the part or at least charge you the wholesale cost of the part. It is good customer relations.
A while ago I took a class on automotive electronic control systems, the teacher recounted a repair he did on a Cadillac that was towed in. He found the ECM failed and replaced it. On the test drive the car failed again and he had to get a ride back on the hook. Turns out one of the AIR solenoids was shorted. When the ECM commanded the switch over, the short took out the driver transistor and then the ECM.
Again, sorry if this is a duplicate but seems the “submit” button is working intermittently (sounds like a short (ha ha)). Anyway, thanks for the input.