Transmission died on me yesterday

[1996Z15]

So for the past week or two the "O/D Off" light has been flashing on my dash and the transmission wasn't going into Overdrive 97% of the time. I knew I had to get it checked out but, I had to go away on business and then got sick so it got delayed.

Yesterday, while driving on the highway, I noticed the transmission slip when going into 3rd gear, something new. I was heading to a local casino to purchase something at one of the shops and had to use the parking garage. The transmission was slipping quite a bit going up the inclines in the garage.

As I leave the garage the car started off okay until I got to the main road where the car was now barely moving. I could step on the gas, the engine would rev but, the car would hardly move.

AAA came to tow the truck to my house and, before loading onto the flat bed he got in, started the truck and it moved forward like nothing was wrong.

I know it's difficult, maybe impossible, to diagnose something like this through the internet but, what do you guys think I am in for as far as repair costs? Am I looking at a new torque converter or a complete transmission? The car has 208,000+ miles on it at the moment.

If the repair estimate is too much I will probably just sell it as is.

 

[drdoom]

Around here that would cost up to $3800.00 USD, might get it done for 2K. What you have is likely torque converter clutch system failure. The converter starts to chew itself up, which does a nasty job of contaminating the entire hydraulic system via the fluid. The filter can then clog during operation, and then settle down into the pan when you shut down. Then it can run for a bit more, until it clogs again. My truck went up in flames when my converter went, had to bust out an industrial fire extinguisher...then I drove it right up on my bro's trailer!

 

[PAExplorerXLT]

Read my post in another tranny thread. My advice? Don’t go down this road. There will be other fixes needed. My fear is that I might have to junk the truck, this time with a new transmission.