Drawing the line on repair vs. replace

Expert needed on engines and transmissions

For a lot of automotive jobs, this decision is already made even before a diagnosis is complete. Yes, it’s pretty much a remove-and-replacement world when it comes to the majority of things that can go wrong with your ride.

With both shops and technicians pushing for more efficiency (read: more money), and customers demanding more repair warranty for every dollar spent, almost no mechanic ever repairs or rebuilds components that were once commonly overhauled. From brake calipers to steering gears and more, there seems to be a factory or aftermarket remanufactured unit for many routine jobs. This not only brings the capability of shops to turn over more jobs per shift but gives customers the benefits of comprehensive warranties.

But what about the big two items, engines and transmissions? When is it time to draw the line between repairing and replacing?

The first battle is finding a shop/tech that can do both. Engine rebuild specialists for mainstream vehicles seem to be an endangered species. Fortunately for automatic transmissions, the situation isn’t nearly as dire, but few small independent shops have the tools and technician skills to complete gearbox overhauls. With either component, a removal and disassembly is required to determine what needs to be done. And that’s where common sense comes in.

If an engine is pounding away with a raucous noise, usually a cursory inspection involving removing either the oil pan or valve cover is all it takes to determine if a repair is possible. As well, inspection cameras can allow techs to take a quick — and therefore cheap — peek inside. Remember, every hour a tech spends tearing down anything is costing you.

Transmission inspections are quite different as, on average, most of these wonders are repairable unless there’s a hole in the case, and it takes a complete removal and disassembly to determine what’s needed. Be warned, once you give a shop an approval to do this, you’re pretty much committed to the repair.

Most warranty companies (automaker and aftermarket alike) use the 75 per cent rule on repairing or replacing. This means if the cost of a repair approaches 75 per cent of the replacement dollars, they will approve the latter.

On warranties, the risk with repair over replacement comes when an original part (that wasn’t replaced during the repair) fails; you might be on the hook for another expensive go-round. So ask questions up front.

And don’t settle for a cheesy minimum 90-day warranty. Most remanufactured assemblies come with multiyear coverages and some without distance limitations. Even salvage yards offer oneyear warranties on used engines and transmissions.