Well, got it back on Saturday morning. I had called the dealer and State Farm last week to make sure that they replaced the input shaft seals on the replacement trans, so I don't have to go through getting those replaced again down the road. They did that, the trans is from a 2013 with less miles. Brand new steering rack (the old one was broken in half, they said) and a bunch of other smaller things.
When I picked it up, the bodyshop guy I had been talking to told me that they had just swapped the clutches, actuators, and TCM directly from the old trans to the new one, to keep my driving profile. Well, in theory that's great. In practice, it seems like things were just enough out of alignment the TCM didn't know what to do with the clutches. 1-2 slipped, and 2-3 was excessively firm. I immediately brought it back, and they performed a re-learn free of charge. Now it drives great.
Steering is straight and dead-on, fuel economy was great (hair over 40mpg coming back to NY, at 77mph, windows down half the way, and A/C on after Buffalo). Can't complain at all. Tracks straight and true, no unusual noises or vibrations when driving. That being said, there is noticeably more low frequency vibration in the cabin at idle, with or without A/C on. I'm guessing it's due to the new trans mount, and it's not really an issue, but it's there. So far, no complaints. It's actually in better shape than it was before it seems, since it has a brand new steering rack, brand new input shaft seals on the trans, and they replaced the damaged heatshields above the exhaust that have been damaged for a while. In the end, total damage was about $4200.
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Yeah, would love to hear an impression of the post-repair car...you write god reviews/observations on stuff.
I must say, though, that I got a chuckle out of the fact that you already had your next car picked out before you found out if this one was totalled...can't shake the 'must have a new car' thing, eh, Nick?
Well, I'd considered trading it a few times, but still plan on sticking with it another couple years before I make any changes.
