When transmission problems arise, vehicle owners have no choice but to confront them. Simply ignoring the problem and hoping that it will go away just doesn’t fly when it comes to one of the most important components of your vehicle. As such, it’s important to take immediate action at the first sign of trouble. If you notice that your transmission isn’t performing properly, you essentially have three main options: you can choose to rebuild the transmission, repair it, or replace it entirely.
The decision between which route to go in order to get your transmission running smoothly again can be a bit challenging if you don’t have any previous mechanical experience. To help you make the right choice for your vehicle and for your wallet, consult this guide to decide whether you should rebuild, repair, or replace your transmission.
What Is a Transmission Rebuild?
Rebuilding a transmission refers to the process of conducting a major mechanical overhaul to the transmission in order to replace any worn or damaged components—typically seals, clutches, bands, and gaskets—without replacing the entire system. During this process, the transmission in one’s vehicle is taken apart completely, and all of its numerous components are thoroughly inspected and cleaned. Only the transmission parts that have failed are replaced.
Because the process of disassembling, inspecting, and reassembling one of the most complex components of a vehicle is highly challenging, a transmission rebuild requires a high level of professional expertise. As such, it is not a job that can be taken on by the average DIY-savvy vehicle owner and will require a specialist.
When To Rebuild Your Transmission
In many cases, the cost to rebuild an existing transmission is less than the price of a brand new transmission. As such, many people prefer to rebuild their transmissions rather than replace them when possible. In some cases, however, the damage to the transmission is so severe that the cost of replacing all of the faulty components and paying for a specialist to conduct the rebuild may exceed the cost of simply purchasing a new transmission. As such, it is important to consider the extent of the damage that your transmission has incurred when deciding whether to rebuild or replace it. If the transmission has experienced wear and tear to easily replaceable components such as seals, clutches, bands, and gaskets, a rebuild is often more cost-effective. However, if the transmission has sustained major damage to numerous vital components, a rebuild may not be practical nor financially beneficial.
What Is a Transmission Repair?
Repairing one's transmission is far less intensive than a complete rebuild. Rather than fully dismantling the transmission, inspecting it, cleaning the parts, replacing damaged components, and putting it back together, repairing a transmission simply involves repairing any damaged components.
When To Repair Your Transmission
A transmission repair is generally far more inexpensive than a rebuild or a total replacement. As such, if your transmission issue can be resolved by simply repairing a damaged component, doing so is often the best course of action. That being said, repairing a transmission is not a viable option for systems that have incurred extensive damage or have experienced substantial wear and tear. In such instances, your transmission will require a more substantial solution.
It’s also important to keep in mind that repair costs can actually exceed rebuild or replacement costs depending on the issue at hand. Because transmission repairs often require expert handling, individual care, and a substantial amount of labor, more challenging repairs can rack up a significant bill. For this reason, you should always obtain estimates before deciding whether you should rebuild, repair, or replace your transmission in order to determine which option is the most financially advantageous.
What Is a Transmission Replacement?
A transmission replacement involves completely removing and replacing the entire existing transmission with a new one. Because a new transmission typically costs between $1,000 and $3,000, a complete transmission replacement is generally the most expensive solution to a transmission problem.
It’s worth noting that in the case of most transmission replacements, a brand-new transmission is not installed in place of the old one. Usually, a remanufactured transmission—i.e. a transmission that has had its faulty parts replaced by the original manufacturer in a factory setting—will be installed, rather than a freshly made system.
When To Replace Your Transmission
As previously stated, a transmission replacement is often considerably more expensive than a repair or a rebuild. For this reason, many people often only opt for a transmission replacement as a worst-case scenario. For example, if the transmission has experienced so much damage that a rebuild is either impossible or exorbitantly expensive, a transmission replacement may be the only option. Ultimately, whether a transmission replacement or a transmission rebuild is more economical will depend on a variety of factors such as the level of damage and the type of transmission you require.
In addition to the cost of the transmission replacement, another factor to consider when determining the most advantageous solution to your transmission issues is how quickly you need to get your vehicle working smoothly again. If you are on a tight timeline, a transmission replacement is often the fastest solution, as it only involves taking out the transmission and putting a new one in. A transmission rebuild, on the other hand, involves finding a skilled transmission specialist who is up for the job and then waiting while they undertake the labor-intensive job of completely dismantling, inspecting, cleaning, replacing components, and reassembling a transmission. As such, those who need their vehicles fixed as quickly as possible should consider opting for a transmission replacement.
If your transmission isn’t running smoothly, Transparts Warehouse can help. We stock a wide range of standard and automatic transmission replacement parts, ranging from gear vendors overdrive used kits to transmission coolers. With half a century of experience in the industry, you can trust us to provide you with the high-quality replacement parts that you need to properly repair or rebuild your transmission. If you’re not sure what part you need, our highly experienced service team has comprehensive knowledge on all lines that we carry and is here to support you every step of the way. For more information regarding our products and services, contact us today.
