1998 Pontiac Sunfire What does it mean if the transmission

1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE
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JDHUB12
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Transmission problem
1998 Pontiac Sunfire Automatic

Hi, i'm looking to buy a car,, yes i know that you may not provide the correct reason and i do not hold you accountable, but i was wonder what it means if the "transmission may be slipping"/ what is it? and how much would it be to fix?? thanks so much! :)
Sep 13, 2009 at 4:59 PM
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PEAR69
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All transmissions (auto and manual) have friction plates inside of them that rotate on a shaft. These friction plates compress up against steel plates when pressure is applied to them. When this happens, power (or torque) is applied to the output shaft of the transmission - which turns the drive shaft - which turns the differential -- which turns the wheels/tires.
When a transmission "slips" these friction plates are WEARING OUT. This causes excessive heat to build up in the transmission fluid, and eventually the transmission will completely fail. My suggestion is - unless you are prepaired to put a new transmission in this car - do not buy it...These transmissions do not hold up well to rebuilding....
Sep 14, 2009 at 3:38 AM