Okay, I have a dilemma. My 2005 MC 3.4 has 199k miles on it. I've had it since 2009 and it has served me well. I'm at the stage with it now where I'm pondering whether I should invest the necessary cash into it to bring it back to life or if I should let it go. He is a short summary what's happening with it:

- transmission sometimes bangs into gear while driving
- acceleration from lights, stop signs is really slow and drags; almost impossible to pass someone on the highway
- gas milage is horrible (BARELY get 250 miles on a full tank)
- power steering fluid is leaking onto the alternator
-temp gauge is stuck at overheating level
- paint on rear is peeling

I'm not a mechanic, so I don't necessarily know the seriousness of the listed problems from a mechanical perspective, except maybe the transmission issue. I would appreciate any insight in regards to what is possible causing these issues, what it would take to fix these and if it's even worth it. Is I could get another 3-4 years or 50k miles out of it I would seriously consider investing the money to get it back up to par.

Thanks in advance!

 

I assume you mean 199K miles on it, not 199 lol.

The transmission is probably the worst issue you have. Looking at your list, here is what I suspect.

- transmission sometimes bangs into gear while driving - again, worst issue, this is best addressed by a transmission specialist. At that mileage, I suspect the need for a rebuild. The best source of a rebuild (even for a stock car) from what I have read is Triple Edge Performance. Or source a donor trans.
- acceleration from lights, stop signs is really slow and drags; almost impossible to pass someone on the highway - could be a clogged cat, could be worn out plugs and wires. Plugs/wires are easy and cheap to do yourself, a clogged cat can be difficult depending on rust on the car.
- gas milage is horrible (BARELY get 250 miles on a full tank) - could be a clogged cat, could be worn out plugs and wires. Plugs/wires are easy and cheap to do yourself, a clogged cat can be difficult depending on rust on the car.
- power steering fluid is leaking onto the alternator - Probably an issue with a power steering line. Not good to let it leak on the alt, that can cause many problems, possibly a fire.
-temp gauge is stuck at overheating level - Odds are you have a bad stepper motor in the cluster. If you can work a soldering iron, cheap and easy fix.
- paint on rear is peeling - Unless you can do body work, you'll have to get prices from a body shop.

Here are some helpful links:
https://montecarloforum.com/forum/fw...0-miles-46078/
https://montecarloforum.com/forum/fw...lutions-30154/
https://montecarloforum.com/forum/fw...hlight=stepper

As far as if the car is worth repairing, generically, I am going to say you are probably better investing the money into a newer car. If the body is still sold/rust free, it might be worth it, but you are also going to have a bunch of other items wearing out (such as struts and various other suspension parts).
If you really love the car, it's a solid car and you can do some/most of the work yourself, then the call is yours (how much time and money are you willing to put into it).
The trans is the worst part of that list. I believe a local shop near me quoted a friend $1700-$1800 about 5+ years ago to rebuild a 4t65e trans (which is what you have). That money for the trans is probably a large part of what your Monte is currently worth. If you fix the trans and then go to sell the Monte later, you are not going to get money back for having the trans rebuilt (that get tossed in as part of the cost of ownership).

Food for thought. I hope this helped some.

 

transmission sometimes bangs into gear while driving ( Do you recall when you had the Trans Fluid changed last? The Color of the Fluid maybe Brown). Should change every 30K to 50K.
Drive in town in Drive and not in the Overdrive gear. I have been told that they will shift some where between 45 and 50 if this is where the travel speed limit is you could be shifting a lot. After you have the fluid changed try some Lucas oil Transmission additive.


- acceleration from lights, stop signs is really slow and drags; almost impossible to pass someone on the highway As the maniac indicated probably the Catalectic Converter, However if you haven't changed the fuel filter in the car you may want to do that, every 15 to 25K.

- gas milage is horrible (BARELY get 250 miles on a full tank)
a good gas mileage car will wrap out at less than 2K on the tach at 75 miles per hour and would get around 25 to 30 miles per gal.
fuel system cleaner every 5K and a new set of plugs and wires may help, when is the last time you changed the Air filter?? I Change mine or clean it every 5K.
- power steering fluid is leaking onto the alternator
the seals maybe out on the power steering pump, if you steer it without the engine running this can occur. Also does the Pump Growl (high pitch squeal)


-temp gauge is stuck at overheating level
This might be a relay or if your upper or lower intake manifold gasket is bad this can create an overheat issue. I didn't recall what type engine you have??


Paint issues usually arise from the car not being Garaged.


I used to travel 60 to 80K per year and always did the maintenance on the car, They lasted along time, 390K on a GM 3800 motor, Trans would clunk sometimes, but never went bad.
The Cat went out and was plugged and it wouldn't pull the hat off your head.


If you just want transportation then it might be smart just to get a different ride.

 

IMO, no car is worth dumping significant money into at 200k+ miles.

 

>Ditto< I suggest moving on & enjoying your past good memories of your Monte Carlo.

"Life and Monte's go on until they don't"

 

It's a question about Love! And money.

As long as the corrosion hasn't eaten the car, any car can go for a million miles if you're willing to keep throwing money at it. But do you want to? Or is there other cars out there you have your eye on?

I personally will not give up on my Monte. To me, it's a throwback to a time when I really enjoyed NASCAR racing. I took it on many adventures and I feel like we (my Monte and me) have grown together over that last 9 years. It is certainly a part of my identity, and not just on the internet. It is also the greatest token of affection from my wife, as my car was a gift from her. Long story made kind of short: That's how she "bagged" me.

I can't find these reasons to own any other car. To a fault, I get attached to things. But these are pretty good reasons, right?

If you can find similar reasons, spend the money. You don't want to regret abandoning true love (whoa... gettin' deep now). But not many can justify the expense of a 10+ year old car. It's not going to get cheaper to own and even once you've fixed everything on your list more stuff will break.

It's worth it to me. Is it worth it to you?

 

Thanks for all the feedback. My Monte Carlo hit 200k miles yesterday. I'm truly torn on what to do with it. Would it even be safe to do a drain and refill of the transmission fluid at this point?

 

That would be another question of opinion.

Lots of people believe changing the fluid at this point would mess up the transmission.

The engineering says that replenishing the deteriorated fluid will better help facilitate gear shifts, cool the transmission and lubricate moving parts optimally.

A solid case can be made either way. Personally, I think if you change the fluid and then the transmission fails that it would be a likely coincidence. If the transmission is going to fail, it will, with or without the fluid change. It's probably still a good idea to change the fluid. Use Dex6

 

I don't believe anyone on the Internet can truly answer if it would be safe to change the fluid at this junction.

I believe I stated earlier, you are running a gamble. You have 200K on a trans known to have issues, so you have gotten a good run on it compared to some others. Changing the fluid/filter *might* make it worse and it *might* make it better and it *might* do nothing.

I would advise finding a trusted trans shop (one you know people have done business with and felt the shop did right by them). Get a professional opinion, decide from there.

I personally think it comes down to are you able to or willing to replace the car or replace/rebuild the trans (keep in mind, 200K is a LOT of miles on the car all together, what else might be coming up). Food for thought.