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P0742 Code - should I pay for repairs or just sell the car?

Deezul_AwT

Deezul_AwT

New member
Transmission on my GP has always had some hard shifting after it's warmed up, so I know the solenoid was bad and needed to be fixed. I put it off because it was my commuter car and my commute was about 30 miles round trip. Today, while out driving, I got some stuttering/hesitating when it was shifting and the SES light came on. Stopped for some dinner and the vehicle got about a 30 minute cool down. I found an Advance Auto to get a code read on it about 5 miles away from where I ate. Read the code, P0742. I drove home, about a 45 miles drive. Code cleared itself, and shifting got really smooth. I'm not driving it again except to a shop, and I'm pretty sure it's just the solenoid. But I've also read that a P0742 often means it's too late for the cheap fix and a new tranny is in the cards.

On one hand, I still have my Impala and it works fine so I could just unload the GP on Craigslist. But I'm also switching jobs and my commute is going to be about 95 miles round trip. My GP has 125K miles on it, and when I had it checked out after I bought it (don't ask) the shop told me it was a junkyard tranny. I suspect I'm looking at $1500-$2000 for a rebuilt one, and I can probably sell the car for about that, maybe more. The car needs new rotors, brakes, and tires as well. I can see paying the $500 for a solenoid and probably another $500-$600 for the others, knowing I should be able to get another 50,000 miles out of it.

But I'd hate to drop the cash on a rebuilt tranny as well as the other stuff, and a week later, blown engine. Once I start hitting 2500-3000, I'd just assume buy another beater with 80,000 miles on it that needs minimal work.
 


i say fix the trans and keep driving it. all the other stuff is just normal expected repairs. i bought my 99 gtp for $1000 and put 800 to get it running and driving along with a few mods. my trans is on its way out and the car has 152800 miles on it. im just gonna drive it and when it goes out im gonna rebuild it.

with 125k on the motor i dont see where u will blow the engine unless its not in good health right now.
 
Yeah, my thoughts are leaning towards paying to fix it regardless, just because I won't find anything cheaper. I put about $2500 in it when I bought it two years ago, so what's another $2000? :D
 
Shop couldn't find anything out of the ordinary in the fluid, and the codes stayed away after the cleared them. I'm having them replace the PCS as the two codes it threw were specific to the PCS technical bulletin. Probably should have just told them to do that and I would have saved a few bucks. Should have the GP back tomorrow, and I can rest the Imp for my drive to Georgia next week.
 
this just happened to me as well...ive been drivin it for awhile and one shop said 1800 for rebuilt tranny and torque converter..took to another and they didnt say anything was wrong when they dropped the pan. they just changed gasket, filter, and fluid. ran good for a couple weeks and started up the same **** again. just found a transmission for $100 and im buying that, replacing what needs replaced and puttin it in my car. i have a 98 gtp with about 164000 so no point in me gettin rid of car. although after i heard the rebuilding price....i was ready lol but just look around might be able to find a totaled gp with cheap tranny. this one threw a rod in the engine at 100k so thats what im gettin.
 


Got the car back Friday, no return of the codes. PCS was replaced, and got TWO tranny fluid changes! But the car also has no problems shifting from 3rd to 4th now, so the problem is solved. Almost tempted to risk driving it to Virginia Beach...
 
Only issue with the 250 repair is you have to go to the shop and tell them that's what you want. My car was only putting out one code to my DTC reader, so it was only after they had it that the other code came up. And I'm sure that's how it is for others too. The shop I took it to charged 5 hours labor. Not much difference there, but that depends on the shop. I'm not doing backflips over what I was charged, but it was fixed and I can drive the car for a few more years, so I'm happy.
 
Ahh... resurrecting my own post. SES light on again, P0742. Really bad shutter when shifting from 3rd to 4th. Just go my tax return, so now again comes the tipping point - do I fix my car or dump it. I'll take it to a shop for sure, and see what they say. I don't know if throwing another solenoid at it will give me another 30,000 miles to put me at 200,000, but I'll be down to one car and I always like having a backup vehicle in case there are problems.
 


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