My car has done 235,000 k and the transmission just stopped working the other day without any warning. Does not work in any of the gears. I had my mechanic check it out and he reckons that the TJ transmission is alot more expensive than the TH and much harder to come by when looking at second hand transmissions. He quoted $2100 for a second hand one fitted and $3,200 for a reco fitted. Can anyone advise if I can get it cheaper or are these realistic prices?

Is it a 4 or 5 speed auto, i'm assuming it isn't manual?
I have a 5spd auto out of a TJ Sports that's done 160,000kms. I was originally going to put it into my TH but went manual instead. I was after $150 for mine.
There is another one here in NSW that i know of that's out of a TJ VRX and has only done about 65,000kms. Not sure what he's chasing for it, i'll get him to post in this thread.

^^ as above. try get my old gearbox. 68200 kms or something on it. Never had a problem. Much cheaper option... i'm talking saving thousands to buy the gearbox and then just pay for install.

where in vic are you, talk to Mal at mits fix (MadMagna) , hes much cheaper than that

I have just had mine on a Ralliart rebuilt after only 96,000kms , It was still driveable but very harsh change from 2nd to 3rd
It broke the wave spring which is very common in magna's and bits went right through the tramsmission , They replace it with the 4cyl one as it is thicker and stronger than the standard V6 one.
Mitsubishi have know about this problem for years before and done nothing about it.
So after almost $4000 all is good , what a bunch of tossers , I'm very dissapointed only lasting this amount of time , the wife drives it 95% of the time.
I'll never buy another one

I have 4 speed auto from my car, also advance, it only done 90,000ks & its a reconditioned unit, meaning its got tougher wave spring, it was working perfectly when taken off my car (i converted to manual), its yours for $150 + freight (around $40), you wont find it cheaper, labour to install should be no more then $300-400

For starters, wondering how I respond and not be accused of being rude but why in hell pay $4k for a rebuilt trans, is not the cars fault that a transmission person has either robbed you blind OR the trans was left to go long enough for it to be seriously damaged internally, personally I would have simply replaced it with a good seconhand unit. Ralliart auto's are nothing special at all

The wave spring cannot have gone through the trans as the first port of call would be the oil pump, this being done you would have 5 more neutrals in forward mode and one in reverse, ie there would not eb any gears due to no oil pump

Now, onto the OP, what trans do you have, they state the TJ has a unique trans, what a load of bull shit, and even so, 2k for a FWD second hand transmission, agian bullshit. I can have one pretty much fitted into an AWD for not much more that that and can also supply a reco trans with revised wave spring for less than that for a FWD.

What area is the car in for starters, if you want to get a seconhand one from a member I can also fit for you, the ones offered above seem to be quite cheap, do check to see if these will come with any sort of warranty as the money you save on the trans will not be sufficient to pay for a second remove and refit if needed

edit.....Just re read your post, yo have a TJ advance, then you can fit any trans from mid TE all the way through to TJ into that car, so any 4sp auto, only difference is that some of the older ones (well upto about mid way through the TH series have an external filter, still ok to fit)

the ones offered above seem to be quite cheap, do check to see if these will come with any sort of warranty as the money you save on the trans will not be sufficient to pay for a second remove and refit if needed

Yes the one i have is cheap, for no other reason than i don't require it anymore and i'd like to get rid of it. And to save the op the trouble of asking, no there isn't any warranty with it, as there wouldn't be with the majority of the stuff sold on these forums (sponsors excluded) but you'd already know that ;)

As the op is after a 4 speed and not a 5 speed, he doesn't have to worry about fitting mine, it blowing up and then having to be charged twice for removal and installation. This would then leave the option (it seems) of buying someone elses box or giving Mal a call/pm

i would buy Andrei1984's box then, i have dealt with him and all his gear is in great condition. That's very cheap for a transmission when you have been quoted thousands of dollars !!

What area is the car in for starters, if you want to get a seconhand one from a member I can also fit for you, the ones offered above seem to be quite cheap, do check to see if these will come with any sort of warranty as the money you save on the trans will not be sufficient to pay for a second remove and refit if needed

Warranty or not, the cost is still there for the remove and refit in the event of a failure - just the initial purchase price is $400 less for boxes with no issues at all removed for purposes of manual conversion... I fail to see how a parts-only warranty is even relevant? Are you offering to do a free remove and refit for a box that fails under warranty from a third party? I know no other mechanic will...

Dean. What are you on about. I offer parts warranty for boxes insell and if you think inoffer warranty on a box someone else sells then think again. You really dont understand how the secondhand parts industry works. Most places offer a parts only warranty.

Of course if i fit a trans that i supply i will change it for no labour cost if is faulty as goodwill if nothing else same goes for an engine too if i fit it but then again i wonder how many of the dozens of transmissions i have supplied have failed thus far. Oh thats right. That would be ...............none..............

Oh and as fornmy comment aboutnwarranty i dont expect a private sale to come with a 3 month warranty but at least guarenteed to go when fitted helps as damage can be done when removed if not done properly

For starters, wondering how I respond and not be accused of being rude but why in hell pay $4k for a rebuilt trans, is not the cars fault that a transmission person has either robbed you blind OR the trans was left to go long enough for it to be seriously damaged internally, personally I would have simply replaced it with a good seconhand unit. Ralliart auto's are nothing special at all

The wave spring cannot have gone through the trans as the first port of call would be the oil pump, this being done you would have 5 more neutrals in forward mode and one in reverse, ie there would not eb any gears due to no oil pump

I have all the old peices and luckily none went through the oil pump . I wouldn't waste my time with a second hand one because you'd have no idea how it's been treated , it could be one the way out and you'd never know , Then I'm in the same suituation again. I rang 3 different places and they were all around the same price including Mitsubishi , they were dearer.
I have had this car from 8,00kms , and want it to last , it has had a full rebuild and I intend to run this thing into the ground ,that's why I spent the money , plus the fact that they are worth nothing
I would have to sell this + put $10,000 to get someone else's problems.
Your right , it's not the cars fault but it is Mitsubishi's fault for knowing about the problem with earlier models and being to narrow minded to fix it.

not being to narrowminded to fix, it is all about cost

Mits get xxx amount of transmissions made in one hit, they discover an issue, they cover that under warranty, if this occurs so many years later, then that is bad luck for us I guess, as sad as it is but they can ont rip apart every trans out there just in case.

Add to this, they did act as when the issue was discovered, they did start building transmissions with the revised spring, these can be found in the later TL and TW onwards as well as 380's

Like all car makers they did take their time but they did eventually get there

once good bit of insurance is a good trans cooler, my trans builer plus others that I know have a theory the issue is in part due to the huge variations of fluid temp in the transmisison causing the spring to go more brittle, a cooler can help slow this down and to be honest, those transmissions with coolers do not tend to foul the fluid anywhere near as quickly either

Thats a good point MadMagna in regards to coolers. I am going to get one fitted in next 2 weeks to my TJ VR-X 5Sp Auto.

i wonder how many of the dozens of transmissions i have supplied have failed thus far. Oh thats right. That would be ...............none..............

And the difference between the transmissions you've sold and the one i was offering,other than the the 3,4,5,6 or 7 hundred dollar price difference? And still you feel the need to point out the no warranty situation of buying 2nd hand (which judging by the quote above means little anyway due to zero failures in your experience).

And the difference between the transmissions you've sold and the one i was offering,other than the the 3,4,5,6 or 7 hundred dollar price difference? And still you feel the need to point out the no warranty situation of buying 2nd hand (which judging by the quote above means little anyway due to zero failures in your experience).

Oh ffs what is wrong with some of you people. Try reading what i say and all of what i say for a bloody change. There is nothing wrong with buying privately if you want to take a risk OR as many do and i am sure you would do, offer start up warranty.

Is clear from the messages left on a few forums that a few of you have issues with my prices and my work to the extent of even blatent lies but as always too bloody gutless to say anything to my face.

All i was doing was stating that the person had several choices and if had to pay for fitting and freight to be careful an agreement was made first. I am sure that these transmissions have never been thrashed by you guys lo and are in lerfect working order but then again no harm in checking

Oh and wtf has the cost of an item got to do with anything, i know again a few have issues with people making a living from a registered and trading business and expect me to do everything for free but even these people will grow up oneday and realise some things in life cost

Dean. What are you on about. I offer parts warranty for boxes insell and if you think inoffer warranty on a box someone else sells then think again. You really dont understand how the secondhand parts industry works. Most places offer a parts only warranty.

Of course if i fit a trans that i supply i will change it for no labour cost if is faulty as goodwill if nothing else same goes for an engine too if i fit it but then again i wonder how many of the dozens of transmissions i have supplied have failed thus far. Oh thats right. That would be ...............none..............

This is my point - You seem to be automatically assuming the OP is going to go to you to fit the box (and retain a full warranty). A parts warranty is exactly that (warranty on the parts only, not the labour). In the event on a box failure, warranty or not the OP would STILL have to pay for remove & refit. However even without warranty they would STILL be ahead as the base price is 1/3rd what wreckers (such as yourself) are charging.

Also have another question - You say the TL/TW transmission was revised to correct the wave spring issue - Why is this guy's 05 KW wave spring gone then? http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88188

No one assumed shit dean. That is the issue here as too many assume

I know they had it as i often send good transmissions in to get the revised spring prior tonsale ans all the late ones have them but they can still break

Also trybreading my ****ing posts as i at no time offered or assumed i would fit

Againlearn your math. Most places charge 400 ish to fit add freight and double this and is same as a retail trans

You want to know why many of us offer parts only it is because of the idiots who fit these in the gutter, **** it up and then try and claim warranty. Only this week a workshop tried to return a trand they destroyed the oil pump in when they forced the torque converter in and these guys are pros. When i showed them they realised and again as are pros accepted their screw up. With certain people here on these forums they woukd go to another forum, accuse me of selling broken stuff all because they are too tight and stupid to get done professionally and then also accuse me or the seller of destroying their engine while at it. This is why we offer parts only dean

And please forgive the iphone typing :)

And please forgive the iphone typing :)

I was just reading this thread and it would look good on autocorrect.com :)
But honestly let's move on before those mods get involved.

My 2003 TJ auto failed at 65K. Mitsubishi contributed to a reco unit after a bit of a chat. It just failed again at 130K. Fair enough it is an older car and has a few kilometres on the clock, but disappointing that the reco unit had the same flaw as the new model. Warning to anyone getting a used trans, the problem does not seem to be random bad luck.

Are the recon boxes with the upgraded wave spring marked in any way to show the box has been reconditioned and a new spring fitted? I only ask because I have a TJ at 114,000 km and have no idea as to the service history of the car up to 110,000 km. Spark plugs look new and the trans oil is fresh, so the 90,000 km was done AFAIK , but the timing belt was original.

My 2003 TJ auto failed at 65K. Mitsubishi contributed to a reco unit after a bit of a chat. It just failed again at 130K. Fair enough it is an older car and has a few kilometres on the clock, but disappointing that the reco unit had the same flaw as the new model. Warning to anyone getting a used trans, the problem does not seem to be random bad luck.

Must have been abit of bad luck mate, my 4spd had 50k kms on it when I bought it, had a well serviced life and when I replaced it at 130k kms (only because I went manual, it worked fine prior) was still going strong. I've now done 10-15k kms on a 5spd which had 60k kms on it and still going strong.

did you ever get that transmission fixed?

Watch me de-rail this thread...


they (Mitsubishi) did start building transmissions with the revised spring, these can be found in the later TL and TW onwards as well as 380's

So, if my 4spd ever packs it in I'm better off chasing a second hand unit from a late TL or TW? Or is there a difference after TJ in the 4spd's?

Note; if my transmission dies again, I'm going for full reco. But, if I've sold my spare kidney by then and need a cheap replacement knowing which Magna had the strongest 4spd would be handy to know.

so for my first post here I need to ask, are these transmissions just weak or are some of you just having plain bad luck? Im about to pick up either a 01 solara 4spd or a 02 sports 5spd auto and really dont need to buy into more probelms from what Im getting rid of. Any advice tonight would be great cos Im buying tomorrow!

If they are maintained well and the right oil is used there is no reason for them to break. Also good ownership with gearbox is essential i.e. Not selecting reverse when the car is still rolling forward or balancing the car on the torque converter on hills etc etc

thanks for that, pretty standard auto tech. Itl be interesting tomorrow to see what I come up with! Sorry for the thread drift!

There is a weak part in the transmission of most 3rd gen auto boxes (not sure of the exceptions), when it goes it breaks various parts of the gearbox and can require a full overhaul. Does anyone know of any reasonable estimation of the failure rate? Talking a published figure, or maybe from mal's experience? It's certainly very common (as magna factory faults go) and provides plenty of work for the auto trans specialists I've talked to.

Edit: Not disagreeing with Dave's post, just letting you know the issue. I wouldn't buy another auto magna without knowing it had a reco'd box (having one put in my TJ in the next week or two).

There is a weak part in the transmission of most 3rd gen auto boxes (not sure of the exceptions), when it goes it breaks various parts of the gearbox and can require a full overhaul. Does anyone know of any reasonable estimation of the failure rate? Talking a published figure, or maybe from mal's experience? It's certainly very common (as magna factory faults go) and provides plenty of work for the auto trans specialists I've talked to.

Edit: Not disagreeing with Dave's post, just letting you know the issue. I wouldn't buy another auto magna without knowing it had a reco'd box (having one put in my TJ in the next week or two).

As mal has said many times, a tran cooler can go a very long way in preventing the wave spring failure from occuring in the auto box (a theory of his where the extreme differences in temp in the box causes the spring to go brittle).
and from wat i'm seeing in these forums, its more prevalent in the tj series of magna's than any other. tf/kf/th/kh/te/ke seem to be not as affected.

oo 30 posts, and what happen to the OP? bought diff car? :)

oo 30 posts, and what happen to the OP? bought diff car? :)

prob so f$#n pisd with his car that he cant be bothered talkin anymore

Wouldn't blame him, our magna has been off the road for almost 4 weeks. We bought another car in the time being lol.

my trans just stoped working the other day in my tj 2001 magna any cheap places to get a auto or manual trans?

I lost all my gears today for no reason (magna 2000 TJ) as well, could it be a electronic fault?