Wanted: Anyone in NJ/NYC area who can lend an eye

Carminooch615

Active member
I recently made an ill-decided purchase of a 2006 dodge 2500. Ultimately, I was taken for a ride. I have technical aptitude however I am completely new to sprinters and my shortfalls have become painfully evident. I may need a hand here.

The transmission just started slipping, dropped the pan and there are brass chunks scattered inside the pan among all sorts of other metal bits and shavings. The trans fluid appeared to have never been changed, despite the previous owner telling me that it was regularly serviced (a lie). Also said it was never in an accident (a lie) and that I could get in it and drive it to alaska without issues (a lie).

I know about some of the surrounding shops here, but before I reach out to the local shops that I utilized the search for, I wanted to know if there was anybody who could meet me in the Central/North New Jersey / NYC area and do a once over on my van. I'm having a hard time deciding if my very-pretty-from-a-distance and relatively low-mile van is worth having the transmission sorted out or replaced. Or if due to the random body issues (the roof has seam rust and the rear doors are very misaligned), it cannot be feasible salvaged.

I'm always eager to pay someone cash directly than to take it to a dealership or large shop and this is one of those moments. Forgive me if this isn't the right place in the forum to ask for this help, I'm open to any kind of guidance or to someones very trusted friend-of-a-friend technician.


I am also aware that I could have avoided this situation by doing this prior to purchasing the van, it's evident that I was taken advantage of and the seller was obviously trying to pass this pretty looking basket case off into someone else's hands.

-Carmine
 

Carminooch615

Active member
The van does run and drive, the transmission is on it's way out so if I have to travel a bit to meet halfway, I also don't mind that.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
In Ye Olden Daze of mechanical transmissions (specifically the 4-speeds on air-cooled VWs), finding brass chunks in the oil (there was no "pan") meant that the syncros (conical brass rings that guided the shifting dogs into line with the steel gear teeth) had split (no longer rings, merely short arced pieces of brass (or bronze))

Since the syncros were "optional" (if you were willing to learn how to double-clutch), their loss was a (noisy) inconvenience instead of a "must stop now" item... after all, the steel gears (usually) had no problem chewing the brass to dust during normal operations...
(and it made the draining oil look like a flow of liquid gold :rolleyes:)

I wouldn't apply that "logic" to the Sprinter's NAG1 automatic transmission....

--dick
 

Carminooch615

Active member
Those westfalia’s are something! That was my first choice but I needed something bigger. Not a fan of the wasserboxer. I’m pretty eager to see what the diagnosis of my van is. Last resort I’ll bring it to a shop and see what the deal is
 

jjjppplll

Member
Hi Carminooch, sorry for your trans troubles. Can you post some pics of the brass parts in the transmission? I pulled out the transmission in my 140" high roof 2006 for similar problems, and after examining the internal parts, the only brass-colored things I can think of are the sprag clutches in the front and rear of the trans. F1, the front one, is pretty easy to replace. I don't mean to offer false hope, since reading your other post emphasizes the uncertain condition of the trans overall, but repair may be simpler than you think.

In my opinion, human psychology tends to assess events in comparison to our expectations or circumstances. From reading your other post, you were stoked to have a seemingly ideal T1N for fun trips. Instead, the trans has turned this happy event into a scary, daunting setback. Maybe not all is lost. A new trans and torque converter is probably $2500. Servicing your trans could cost a lot less.

I flew from Oakland, CA to Seattle, WA to buy my sprinter, virtually sight unseen. After getting home, I found that the front bumper and tow hook were damaged from a crash. I felt bad, but the car is still otherwise good and has since created many happy experiences for me. My disgust about being taken for a ride by the seller faded away with time. I hope it will for you too.

Don't give up yet. Good luck. PM me if you have any questions about the transmission service.


Jeff
 

expcourier

expeditious
I won't comment on the transmission except to say that a complete fluid and filter change and also draining the torque converter has worked wonders for many, including myself and the purchase of my most recent acquisition, a 2003 sprinter passenger. The transmission fluid also looked as if it had never been changed and the transmission was shuddering and not shifting properly.

Don't despair over the roof seam leaks and rust. A dremel tool and a tube of automotive seam sealer are your best friends and will solve those problems. A ladder helps also.

Good luck and don't despair. I'm on my third sprinter in 15 years. I will say that either you have the money for others to do your work or you get in there with help from everyone on this forum to work through the issues we all face everyday with these vehicles. Get in there and get your hands dirty after reading all our posts.
 

Carminooch615

Active member
jjjppplll: I really wish I took photos of the bits and pieces in the pan. I didn't think to save them :frown:

It literally looked like the transmission threw up in the pan, the amount of metal shavings, brass pieces the size of my thumb nail, and metallic chunks smaller than my finger nail were alarming.

I'm feeling better with time and some very very kind and sneaky friends unbeknownst to me, set up a gofundme to help with the cost of the repairs. My next hope is to find a shop or individual thats trusted in northern New Jersey, central New Jersey, or the NYC area to have this diagnosed and taken care of. Preferably someone to do an entire once-over.

Its a tough feeling, being taken advantage of, but I'm relieved to read that your experience turned out to be positive in the end!

expcourier: The trans service I did with the proper stealership fluid and filter seems to have not really made any difference in regards to the slipping and difficulty downshifting.

The roof is dented inwards and slathered with inches of silicone. I'm currently trying to figure out the extent of the body work required to resolve this. Insulating the interior and the roof with it bowed in, would cause my ceiling to bow in, so it needs to be taken care of. I'm afraid whacking it out would cause the roof to be in even worse shape.


This forum is such a wealth of knowledge and I'm so happy to have so much information and so many helpful folks here! I'm eager to know more and be more of an asset to others facing similar challenges.



I had done some searching, found some information, but I'm still hoping to hear some accord as to local trusted shops or folks looking to make some extra cash to give me a hand and provide their expert opinion in the northern NJ area (I can also travel). :bow:
 

Carminooch615

Active member
Has anyone ever been to KDM Car Clinic LLC in metuchen NJ? They got some very good reviews online and seem to be a sprinter-friendly repair shop.
 

Dougflas

DAD OWNER
If you are planning to keep your Sprinter, consider a remanned Trans from Silver Star Transmission in Ok. also if you think your Sprinter could make a 800 mile trip, Dr. A in Clemson, SC is the guy you need.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
There is another member who just mentioned that he'll be dumping his T1N Sprinter... the engine blew, but the tranny is in good shape. (body rusty)
I forget (precisely) who, but their avatar (the photo over <<--- there) is a white Sprinter towing a white trailer.

--dick
 

etandrews

New member
My brother and I have had transmissions done by Trans Specialties in Wayne NJ. I asked if they repaired sprinter vans and he said yes. The were very reasonable. Neither of the transmissions we had done were sprinter vans, but they did excellent work. My brothers dodge pickup was done about 80,000 miles ago and has had no problems since.
 

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