baconated

I have a 95 4WD V6 4runner with an automatic transmission with about 102K miles. The tranny has been leaking fluid for a while when it gets hot (driving over the Sierras on the highway or in 4WD going up trails).

Since the leak only shows its face when hot it took the dealer a few attempts to track it down. They claimed to have fixed it once but I discovered they were wrong on a recent trip to Death Valley. Now they tell me they found the leak and there is a substantial leak at the front pump seal and a minor one from the pan seal. Apparently they need to pull the tranny to replace the pump seal. I lack the time or equipment to do this myself.

Also, this last time around I found out the tranny was still leaking because the AT oil temp light on the dash came on while in the middle of nowhere - not a good sign. I added fluid and kept monitoring the level after that and the light mostly stayed off. The dealer pulled the codes from the computer while looking for the leak and said something like the front and rear transmission stall sensors had tripped. They reset the codes and have not seem them come back on. They don't think the transmission cooked itself and it seems to run completely fine when there is fluid in it.

So, on to my questions -

Is the $1400 they quoted me to pull the tranny and replace the seals "reasonable" for this or should I look elsewhere for the repair? Apparently it is all labor, with about $50 in parts.

Also, how worried should I be about transmission damage at this point? How much can they tell once the transmission has been pulled?

Thanks
Nathan

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

$1400?????? Wow. Look elsewhere. Even the highest price tranny shops wont be that much.

I would take it somewhere that can do the work for a reasonable rate.

The seals cost about $40 maybe (OEM) so the remaining $1300 is labor costs. Someone is getting rich!