Unstang

iTrader: (26)

Looking for some help on this thing...I worked at a Saturn body shop for a while & know that these transmissions are known to have problems.

I'm working on a claim @ work, they are claiming damage to the trans from a minor impact to the vehicle.

It is a '04 Saturn Vue w/ 90k on it, it was hit in the front bumper while parked, minor damage to the bumper cover only, no bumper support or inner structure damage.

There are a few teeth broken off of a spider gear that goes to an axle, the parking pawl is not damaged.

I don't have a full understanding of the workings of the transmission/driveline, it doesn't make sense to us though.
I am trying to understand how the the spider gear broke, if the vehicle wasn't hit very hard and didn't pop out of park. ?

I have a pic of the gear, but I'd have to email it, no way to host it or upload it from here at work.

Any input is appreciated!


Jason

382ssz28

iTrader: (24)

Is the pin the gears ride on galled? These trannies like Chrysler's 604, and a few others that use trans fluid for gear lube are prone to gall the shaft when one tire spins from leaving a corner hard or spinning on gravel. We see a ton of this with the snow, usually ending up with a hole in the case. The ATF is litterally whipped off the gears and there is insufficient lube so the gear and pin try to weld itself together, or gall. My piont being, if the gears were loose, they might have tried to climb over another gear at the point of impact and snapped a few teeth off. Or, it's possible the person in a panic, threw the car in reverse while still driving forward at the point of impact and snapped a few teeth off. We are reaching here, but only the customer can say what happened. I have a hard time believing the "bump" broke the hardened gears. I've seen set-ups where a customer found his/her trans bad and went out and tried to cause a problem to get it fixed by the insurance company. Just an opinion. Good Luck.