Please read!!!! I really need help!!!!!

Here is a real sob story...

I bought a '93 Camaro because it was shiny and red and all that great stuff.

Anyway, i hit a pot hole pretty hard one morning and busted something up in my transmission because when i got to work the fluid was leaking. This wouldn't be such a big deal because i could just add fluid as needed for a while. My problem is that when I am driving, the fluid hits my exhaust and smokes really bad. So bad I cannot really drive it.

I have taken the car in several times as follows:

1) They said it was the front? seal, they fixed for $320.

A week later, still leaking and smoking...

2) they said i needed a yoke (whatever that is) $199.

The very next day, still leaking and smoking...

3) they said i needed a new torque converter because it had a "groove" in it- $250

The very next day, still leaking and smoking

4) perhaps they did the seal wrong. Free of charge.

The very next day, still leaking and smoking, the people who "fixed" my car now refuse to deal with me, however one of the mechanics did admit that he saw I needed a main shaft? bearing (bearing that has something to do with the torque converter).

I called another transmission place which over the phone has told me it sounds like I need a transmission pump/something to do with a "bushing."

So, I have different guesses to what it is, have spent over $800 (not including work missed) and really don't want to pay for a diagnostic/estimate until I have done more research.

Please help!!!!!!

In summary, the car drives fine - leaks fluid - fluid smokes when it hits the exhaust (making the car not worth driving) - and since they put the new torque converter on there is a noise during acceleration (seems to come from the drivers side/front) - a mechanic friend told me the noise on acceleration is probably an exhaust leak, I'm not convinced since it only started after the torque converter, but i could be wrong.

What I am hoping to find out -

1) what you think it is

2) how much it should cost (if more than one possibility how much they would all cost)

I am at my wits end and I really need help. This problem is killing me financially and I have spent more money than I should have for a leak that is still there.

Please, please help!!!

Many thanks,
Ben

I feel for ya. That pretty well sux that you have gotten taken so far. I didn't see anywhere in your post, so this may be a dumb question, but, have you pesonaly looked under your car to try to find the leak? You should be able to narrow it down somewhat by where the leak is hitting your exhaust.By your post, I'll assume that you don't know a lot about working on cars. Put your car up on some jack stands, crawl under it with a bright light, and look for the leak. If you can't find it, try wiping everything down with a good de-greaser product ( Simple Green, etc) drive the car, and look again. If you have a digital camera, take some well lighted pics, and send them to me at [email protected]
My first thought is that you may have damaged the transmission pan gasket. If you don't want to try and find the leak yourself, I reccomend that you DO NOT take your car back to the same some. Without knowing you or them, sounds to me like you are getting shafted. Good luck to you, and hope you get it worked out!
Kevin

PS: you may also want to try and post in the Problem Diagnosis section of this forum :)

So, I have different guesses to what it is, have spent over $800 (not including work missed) and really don't want to pay for a diagnostic/estimate until I have done more research.
You shouldn't have to pay for an estimate. I went to 2 diffrent tranny shops and both gave me a free estimate. My advice is if they can't be bothered go somewhere else that is more "customer friendly". Good Luck

the place who has done the work thus far is incompetant, and has been guessing at your expence, take it back, tell them to fix it, or youre getting a lawer, because they have been ripping you off. Or if you just dont want to deal with it, take it to somewhere you trust that has done good work in the past.

if its hitting your exhaust it almost sounds like you broke your trans cooler lines. i dont know why they immediatly went to internal problems when they were diagnosing it. seems kinda odd to me. like i said, i just dont think they have a clue how to tell a monkey wrench from their sisters titty.

89Iroc, what can he get a lawyer for? What basis would he sue?

89Iroc, what can he get a lawyer for? What basis would he sue?
Charging him for parts & labor that wasn't needed. Charging him for fixing the car when they didn't fix it.

>_> Do it! Get your money back if its still broke. And if they wont deal with you that shows they never had any idea what they were trying to fix anyways.

I'm sorry to hear that. You could have a case in court, call some lawyers and see if they will take the case. They ripped you off big time, the kicker that will really help in court is the fact that they refuse to help you now.

If it's leaking fast enough to cause smoke from the exhaust pipe, the leak should be relatively easy to locate. Find a real mechanic.

Man, Sorry to hear that you’ve been put through a wringer!
I have to agree with everyone. Get them bastards! Maybe this way, they’ll stop ripping people off.

You’re doing the right thing by trying to get advise from the Forum. I’ve learned a lot from these guys. Some of them are actually pretty smart!

When you wrote that you bottomed out, I also thought that you might have damaged the transmission pan gasket or the fluid lines. It has to be pretty easy to identify if you clean it up real good and put the car on stands and look for anything that might leak. Sometimes the metal tube that carries the fluid into the transmission loosens the seal and it leaks from there. Also check the transmission housing. It may have a fracture from the hard hit.

They fooled you once, shame on them, if they fool you twice, shame on You!

Best of Luck to You.

Yeah the sue would really help get back the money and putting it on any other things that might be wrong with the car, or making it better after getting rid of the problem.

Dude hope you get your money back. I don't know if you have the time but with some elbow grease and a manual a lot can be accomplished.

Best of luck I hope you fry them