Frequently Asked Questions
about Transmission Repair services in Queens, New York.
My car stopped working. Can you pick it up?
Yes we can dispatch our tow truck to pick your vehicle at home or any location in our service area. Call our office at 718-355-8643 at arrange an appointment when we can tow your vehicle.
How much do you charge for a consultation and repair estimate?
Both are free. We will inspect your car in our transmission shop for free in order to give you repair estimate.
In Queens, New York? Need help financing your transmission
repairs?
We have 2 financing plans available. We offer 6 months of financing at 0% interest
which is available through Car Care from GE Capital. We also offer No Credit Check Financing through ARCNET. Apply today.
Why is it so expensive to have my automatic transmission
repaired?
Repairing an automatic transmission is not as simple
as changing the spark plugs or adjusting the carburetor. Today’s
automatic transmissions--particularly those with front wheel drive
technology or computerized systems--are extremely complicated
units.
On average there are over three thousand parts in a modern automatic transmission. And the parts for some late model imports
can cost ten times as much as parts for older, larger cars.
Just getting to the parts you need to see to find out
what's wrong often calls for major work, especially in smaller
cars where the manufacturer has tightly packed different mechanical
systems on top of and around each other.
With such complex units, preventive maintenance is
the key to keeping repair costs down. To help head off major problems,
have your transmission serviced at least every 12,000 miles.
Can you tell me what it's going to cost
to repair/rebuild my transmission without taking it apart first?
Many people want us to diagnose their transmission
problems over the phone. Aside from the fact that a consumer might
easily miss a symptom a trained mechanic would see or hear when
the vehicle is brought in, can you tell the difference between
a rattle, buzz, grind, whine and a slip? And do you mean the same
thing by those words as we do?
The plain truth is: we simply can't be sure of
what's wrong with your transmission until we take a look inside.
Nobody can.
Symptoms which can be observed externally--like noises,
leaks or vibrations--can signal a wide range of possible problems,
not necessarily a single malfunction in your transmission. Also,
many malfunctions that can occur with today’s transmissions may
be caused by a component outside the transmission like a Throttle
Position Sensor, a MAP sensor, or even a simple fuse. We've got
to give your transmission a thorough checkup to really know what's
causing the symptom.
If anyone ever tells you he can accurately diagnose
what's wrong with your transmission without a thorough diagnosis
(which may include looking inside), you'd better get a second
opinion.
How do I know I'm not getting ripped-off?
There are several things you can do to protect yourself
from dishonest transmission repair shops.
First, you can ask your regular automotive mechanic
to recommend a transmission shop to you. You can then check with
your local Better Business Bureau to see if that shop has had
any complaints filed against it. And you should always ask to
see your transmission once it comes apart and insist that your
old parts be returned to you.
But there's even a simpler way to protect yourself:
have your automatic transmission repairs done by a member of ATRA-The
Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association.
What is ATRA?
ATRA is a nonprofit professional organization for the
automatic transmission repair industry. Its members comprise the
world’s oldest and largest network of independent transmission
rebuilding firms, with over 2000 members in the U.S. and Canada
alone.
One of the reasons ATRA exists is to protect its members
and the public from dishonest or incompetent transmission repair
shops.
How does ATRA take the worry out of automatic
transmission repair?
1. ATRA requires its member to employ experienced
personnel whose skills have been tested and certified by the Association.
To make sure they stay up to date on the latest automatic transmission
models, ATRA also requires Association members to attend annual
transmission training seminars. When you take your transmission
to an ATRA member's shop, you can be confident your dealing with
technicians who know how to repair or rebuild your automatic transmission.
2. ATRA requires its members to conduct business
in an ethical manner. Applicants for membership are not allowed
to have unanswered Better Business Bureau complaints against them,
nor may they ever have had more than five business-related suits
filed against them, nor may they have been found guilty of any
business related crime or violation within the previous two years.
When you take your transmission to an ATRA member's shop, you
can be confident that you are dealing with someone who treats customers
fairly and honestly.
3. When you have your automatic transmission rebuilt
by an ATRA member, you can be protected by the Association's "Golden
Rule Warranty Plan." This Plan is an inter-member warranty program
sponsored by ATRA in which your rebuilt automatic transmission
would be fixed for free by an ATRA member's shop should something
go wrong with it within up to one year or 12,000 miles of the
original repair. (It's important that you understand your warranty.
Talk to your local ATRA member for the specific conditions of
this program and how it applies to the work you need done on your
automatic transmission.)
Yes, we know it's not any fun when something goes wrong
with your automatic transmission. But you can be confident you
will be treated fairly and competently when you take your automatic
transmission to an ATRA member for repairs.
If you want to speak to a trained mechanic about your car you can call us directly at 718-355-8643 or fill out the form below:
