'99 SE front engine noise

[gapman789]

Hey guys. Just joined obviously and looking for some good info.
I'm preparing to buy a '99 SE, 235K miles, (1) owner car. Excellent condition. New tires, alignment, battery, never missed a scheduled maintenance, etc....you know, one of those used cars that you always hope to find.

Car starts and runs smooth. On startup, it will whine slightly in the front of the motor. As it warms up, it will go away slightly. I can't hear it while driving.
The whine does accelerate with the engine RPM's also.

I haven't bought this car yet, but arrangements are made to do so today. Price is $1000. I'm figuring even if it needed $500 worth of repair, it would still be worth it?

Thoughts, comments?

[myfirstbonnie]

This could be anything from a bad pulley to a timing chain *dang* or dying PS pump. You would have to do some troubleshooting and poking around to see exactly where it is coming from.

[bsan63]

Get a tensioner pully tool and release the tension from the sepentine belt (for a few seconds) while the engine is running. This should give you an idea if the noise is external (PS Pump, Water Pump, etc.) or internal.

[Bob Dillon]

Check the power steering fluid. Sounds like it's low.

[spoiledred94]

1 easy check is a bit of spray on the belt in case it's slipping.

[gapman789]

Not sure if the noise I was hearing is related to the transmission going out, but that's what happened.

The seller drove the car 50 miles to the BMV to meet me to make the transaction. Out-of-state title inspection, etc...
I drove him home which was 100 mile roundtrip. No problems at this point, couldn't be happier with the buy.
I put another 200 miles on it and last evening it started slipping after coming to a stop and taking off.

Also, the check engine light came on simultaneously as the slip. It's an intermitten slip. It comes and goes. Sometimes the car will go like a bat outta hell, and then I stop and take off and it'll 'shudder' and slip and then go fine through the gears only to start slipping again on acceleration in OD.

I found a thread on here concerning these transmissions. It seems that the tranny itself may not be toast, but the TPC sensor, or a solenoid, or whatever is bad.
I've read the band-aid fixes which can be a new filter, oil, and some 'friction modifier'?
Apparently the labor involved for the fix is great. Transaxels, mounts, CV joint removal, engine removal...ugh.

Sucks I have to wait til next week to get it checked it out.
Is there a bright side to all of this? I only paid $1000 for the car, which is the bright side if there is one.
Is it better to fix the transmission or buy a used one that may or probably will have the same problem?

[Bing]

With it being the tranny I'd probably go with a used one from the junk yard. With that kind of mileage on the car and the price paid for it, it's probably your best option.

[freneticburn]

I wouldn't assume anything with a car that's new to you. What DTC did it give you?

[gapman789]

I tried to drive it 2 miles yesterday to a shop to have it scanned to see what the code was that it was throwing.
I made it about a mile from the house. Trans totally gone. Slipping so bad, it wouldnt go. While on a slight incline and in drive, the car would roll backwards as if in neutral.
After the car sat for 10 minutes, I could drive it 1/4 mile before it would not move again.

So, roadside assistance towed it to the shop that I had been talking to earlier in the day about fixing it.
$480 to install a used transmission, with fluids/filter.
I found a 100k mile tranny locally for $400. The shop is going to do it's own search for a tranny...maybe find one in the 50-60K mile range with a warranty. The shop told me it's very possible for that to happen.

I'm looking at $900 for the repair. From what I've researched, that's pretty *dang* reasonable.
BTW, the shop is going to diagnose the problem before a new/used tranny is installed. But I'm quite certain the tranny is history.

I'll have basically $2000 in this car. I still feel I'll be ok with the purchase, at least that's what I keep trying to convince myself of. It's a mint car. No fluid leaks. No shakes. No shimmees. No window/air leaks at 75mph. New tires. New battery. Super smooth and quiet. Everything works. etc.

Question: How can a transmission go from running great and driving 350 miles, with no indications of it going bad, and then all of a sudden, check engine light comes on and I have a total loss in the trans?

Thanks for the input and info.

[Bing]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong in this thought, but couldn't the torque converter go out like this. Also I think that a tranny with that kind of mileage is like a ticking time bomb anyway.

Remember to have the shop install a new/separate tranny cooler, so that you don't contaminate the new/used tranny. Or you have to put a new radiator in the car. There are just to many nooks and crannies to hide crap in the radiator tranny cooler that necessarily won't get flushed out.

Over all I'd say your still ok, as long as the replacement tranny gives you at least a year or 2s worth of mileage.