Manual Transmission Replacement Cost

The transmission is the most important part of the car and the most expensive part to replace. The transmission’s job is to shift gears and control torque for the vehicle. Once the transmission starts to experience problems, you should know that you are dealing with incredibly expensive repairs and often wide-ranging problems.

The average cost of replacing a transmission is $1,800-$3,500. It can take the mechanic hours to replace the transmission, which can cost you $450-$850 for labor.

Manual Transmission Replacement Cost Comparison

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What Is Manual Transmission Replacement?

This is a complicated and time-consuming replacement, and it’s going to vary from one car to the next. How involved the process becomes depends on whether the mechanic is replacing the transmission or rebuilding it. In some cases, only a simple repair is needed, or perhaps the transmission fluid just needs to be replaced. This is why you should have a mechanic look over any transmission problems you are experiencing to make sure that the right replacement job is done and that there is no unnecessary repair work being done.

Benefits of Manual Transmission Replacement

Your car may not work very well once the transmission starts to go, so getting this issue fixed gives you a car that’s in operational order once again. You will also enjoy more reliable gear shifting. There shouldn’t be any sticking in the gears when you try to change them or any shifting between gears that the car might do on its own. Cars with transmission problems often shift to neutral at some point on their own while you are driving, and you can prevent that from happening and have better control over your car, once you get the transmission replaced or repaired.

What Is Done during Manual Transmission Replacement?

The mechanic will need to take out the entire transmission, which is usually done piece by piece. This can take hours, and how long it takes depends on what kind of car and transmission you have and what you want the mechanic to do with the transmission. If the mechanic is rebuilding the transmission, then that involves changing out the fluid and inspecting each part in turn. For a replacement, the process is more straightforward but not necessarily faster or less expensive.

Once the new transmission is in place, the mechanic will need to clear out the trouble codes and test out the vehicle on the road.

When to Get Manual Transmission Replacement

There are a number of signs that you can watch out for to tell you if your transmission is going bad. The most common may be that your gears are shifting back to neutral on their own. You may also notice a change in the transmission fluid, and if you have the car’s fluids changed out regularly, this kind of problem can be caught early on.

Other signs that your transmission is failing include a burning smell in the fluid, odd sounds when you change gears, a dragging clutch or a lagging gear change. Essentially, any time you notice something wrong with your car when you try to change gears, you can probably assume there is a transmission problem. The mechanic may not need to change out the transmission entirely in every case, but it’s a distinct possibility.

It’s best not to drive the car with a damaged transmission. You should have the vehicle towed at that point, as it can be dangerous to you to drive with a car that shifts gears on its own. You can also damage the car while driving with a malfunctioning transmission.

How to Save Money on Manual Transmission Replacement

As expensive as replacing the transmission can be, you have a few options for getting together the parts you need. You can buy a new transmission, which is obviously the most expensive way to go, or you can buy a used or refurbished transmission. How much each of these types of transmissions will cost you will depend on how severe the damage is, but in some cases, you can save over a thousand dollars buying something other than anew transmission.

You can also compare elaborate costs from one mechanic to another. They should be willing to give you quotes for such a big job, but keep in mind that the actual price can vary once the work is underway, as new problems are found, and repairs are needed.

Sample Manual Transmission Replacement Costs