[KPGB]

Hello BHPians,

Posting this on behalf of my friend - he has a Toyota Corolla 2004 model for which he is advised to replace the gear box assembly.

Local mechanic in Hyd is quoting a price of 2L for new original part and ~Rs.40000 for a refurbished replacement one that he can source from Mumbai.He'll take the one in the car for some price which effectively reduces the net price for the refurbished one to ~Rs.22000.

Model : Toyota Corolla
Mfg-Date : 2004
Cyl : 4
Fuel : Petrol
CC : 1794
KM run : 120000

His question is - are these rates quoted correct ? There will be definitely some reliability issues if we go for refurbished one - which he understands.

Any guidance will be very helpful.

Regards

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by KPGB

Hello BHPians,

Posting this on behalf of my friend - he has a Toyota Corolla 2004 model for which he is advised to replace the gear box assembly.
Mfg-Date : 2004
Cyl : 4
Fuel : Petrol
CC : 1794
[b]KM run : 120000

Well, is'nt it too early for a gearbox replacement, @ 120000 kms?

Such jobs should be carried out in authorized workshops only. Not in an FNG.

Why has he been advised to carry out a replacement in the first place? Gearboxes last much more than that.

Regards to pricing, it is a bit steep. Like I said, more details will lead to a proper analysis.

More details, please.

Cheers!

[saket77]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Well, is'nt it too early for a gearbox replacement, @ 120000 kms?

+1. I have seen Corollas munching over 3 Lacs of Kms with grace and then too, the gearbox is mostly fine. How did it get damaged? Transmission oil leakage?
About the replacement, if it has to be done, then take the ASC route. If the car is to be kept for long by your friend, then don't think twice and take the advice of ASC. You just don't want to ruin the reliability of the Toyota by fitting a refurbished or locally produced item.

[Ravindra M]

Instead of refurbished gearbox, it is better to transplant with "salvaged" gearbox, say from written-off vehicle. That would be considerably reduce the risks of failures.
A brand-new gearbox for 2004 vehicle is overkill - it is too costly.

[rahulsharma2008]

Is it an autobox or manual? I have experienced the same with my Santro AT. The best way out should be to go for refurbished gearbox and sell the car unless he has sentimental values attached to the car. But make sure you pay the garage guy only on completion of full work satisfactorily. These guys are experts in playing the give-up game mid-way to extract more money.

[KPGB]

Originally Posted by saket77

+1. I have seen Corollas munching over 3 Lacs of Kms with grace and then too, the gearbox is mostly fine. How did it get damaged? Transmission oil leakage?
About the replacement, if it has to be done, then take the ASC route. If the car is to be kept for long by your friend, then don't think twice and take the advice of ASC. You just don't want to ruin the reliability of the Toyota by fitting a refurbished or locally produced item.

Yes - it is due to transmission oil leakage which went unnoticed for some reason since the car was lying idle for some time

Originally Posted by Ravindra M

Instead of refurbished gearbox, it is better to transplant with "salvaged" gearbox, say from written-off vehicle. That would be considerably reduce the risks of failures.
A brand-new gearbox for 2004 vehicle is overkill - it is too costly.

Yeah - it is actually a salvaged box that is being quoted

Originally Posted by rahulsharma2008

Is it an autobox or manual? I have experienced the same with my Santro AT. The best way out should be to go for refurbished gearbox and sell the car unless he has sentimental values attached to the car. But make sure you pay the garage guy only on completion of full work satisfactorily. These guys are experts in playing the give-up game mid-way to extract more money.

it is manual but my friend doesn't have ideas to replace the car...no sentiments though :-)

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Well, is'nt it too early for a gearbox replacement, @ 120000 kms?

Such jobs should be carried out in authorized workshops only. Not in an FNG.

Why has he been advised to carry out a replacement in the first place? Gearboxes last much more than that.

Regards to pricing, it is a bit steep. Like I said, more details will lead to a proper analysis.

More details, please.

Cheers!

It is due to transmission oil leakage as quoted above


Regards

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Ravindra M

Instead of refurbished gearbox, it is better to transplant with "salvaged" gearbox, say from written-off vehicle. That would be considerably reduce the risks of failures.
A brand-new gearbox for 2004 vehicle is overkill - it is too costly.

Good advice. Getting a salvaged gearbox from a written off vehicle will be the best way out. Just that the source should be genuine else some refurbished item may be sold on pretext of being a salvaged one.

[rahulsharma2008]

Trust me brother this is like biting a bullet either way. According to me you only have 2 options if you want complete piece of mind.

• Get it done at Toyota service center, pay the high cost and retain the car with complete peace of mind for years to come
• Get it done at FNG at a fraction of the cost, sell the car and buy a new car.

A transmission is a key component of a car and you wouldnt want any compromises with the quality and reliability of the parts. A salvaged gearbox wouldnt be easy to get in my opinion unless you have a wide network of mechanics/service centres in your area. Additionally you wont be able to check that gearbox's functionality unless you buy it and install it on your car. So its like a gamble.

Been there, done that! Believe me, you will repent in future if God forbid something goes wrong again.

[flipsyde]

It makes no sense to buy a brand new gearbox from the ASC no matter the peace of mind. The car is already a decade old. Just go with a salvaged gearbox (the best one you can find) and get it over with. I don't know how the current transmission managed to fail this early but rest assured with proper maintenance a salvaged one will last quite a while too.

[nitrous]

I don't understand this paranoia about replacing a straight forward, manual gearbox.
I've changed as well as rebuilt my gearbox with Japanese components many times.
One can't simply fabricate duplicate gearboxes. The used gearbox that is being sourced is definitely a salvaged one and the sellers provide a goodwill guarantee, mostly.
And removing and replacing gearbox is level 2 DIY.

Please do not make a big deal out of it.

[rahulsharma2008]

Originally Posted by nitrous

The used gearbox that is being sourced is definitely a salvaged one and the sellers provide a goodwill guarantee, mostly.
.

Goodwill Guarantee on salvaged gearboxes! It might be found in the western world but not sure about India. If the original box can go kaput so early in its Odo life, the chances of salvaged box going the same way are certainly higher. Since that person is using a Toyota since so long, I am sure he values and rates peace of mind and reliability high.

There is a place called the Kurla market in Mumbai where written off cars and even stolen cars are bought by these dealers by the Kilo! Then they are dismantled and individual parts are sold in the 2nd hand market usually dominated by the Taxi-wallahs and FNG's. Now the so called "salvaged gearbox" could be from a car who was involved in a fatal crash, or it could be from a stolen one or it could be a genuine one depending on your luck.

The biggest drawback is that you cannot see the gearbox in working condition since it is not fitted to any car. Even the Dealer wouldnt knw about the condition of the box since he bought the whole car as a junk without ever testing it!

Suppose you go ahead with the decision of fitting a salvaged gearbox and while installation there is some complication, your FNG guy would start whining all sorts of excuses to make some more money from you instead of falling on the so called "Goodwill Guarantee"

Whichever way, the choice is yours. You have been warned!

On a wild note, when I was in a similar condition, I even thought of burning the car down or throwing it down from a mountain so that I could atleast get the insurance amount of the car!!! (Value of a new gearbox was higher than the value of my Santro AT)

[nitrous]

I'm sorry.
I have bought used/salvaged engines, gearboxes, axles, starter motors, alternators, power steering pumps, racks and more. In India.
There is an element of risk. But, it's miniscule and its cheaper to buy TWO salvaged gearboxes than one NEW gearbox for a 10 year old toyota that just isn't worth the value of a new gearbox.

Please do not compare to a korean made autobox, especially in stick-shift land that is India.

[nitinbose]

There are two flows here:

1. Is the owner intending to keep the car? If yes, have the car serviced at Toyota workshop (authorized). This way, the owner can keep the car for a longer time, assuming nothing else gets spoiled. If not, go to 2.

2. Have the vehicle installed with refurbished/one from a written off vehicle and sell off the vehicle ASAP. Because the car has run for 120K kms, one should foresee the other repairs that could be coming, depending on the way it was driven.

[humyum]

Except if the gearbox housing has taken a massive hit and damaged there is nothing in a gearbox internal that can't be replaced. Just open it up, get the right parts and you will be on your way. Why new gearbox and used one and all, when you can rebuild your current one and have a peace of mind like it was as good as new ?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by KPGB

Local mechanic in Hyd is quoting a price of 2L for new original part and ~Rs.40000 for a refurbished replacement one that he can source from Mumbai.He'll take the one in the car for some price which effectively reduces the net price for the refurbished one to ~Rs.22000.

Going for a OEM replacement is out of the question, and fiscally foolish. 2 lakhs is about what the value of the car currently is.

I'd suggest either one of the two options:

- Rebuild the existing gearbox. This is simple tech, nothing complicated in it. Parts are available easily and effectively plug & play. What matters is the quality of labour and his attention to detail.

- If this guy is trustworthy, take him up on the offer of a salvaged gearbox. But first, compare the cost of rebuilding yours vis a vis buying a salvaged. It shouldn't be that the salvaged tranny requires an overhaul!

Personally, I'd choose to overhaul the existing gearbox. A known devil is better than an unknown angel.