Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'98 Buick Century, Engine Needs Service Light
Q:
The engine needs service
light will not go off in my Buick Century. I took it to the dealership
and they said there is something wrong with the transmission. However,
in the service manual it says that this light only refers to problems
with the emission controls. Are they making this up? They want $800 to
look at the transmission and they could not tell me exactly what they
would be repairing.
A:
The Owner’s Manual is not telling you the whole story. The Check
Engine Light can come on with transmission problems as well. $800 to look
at a transmission and not being able to tell you what they’re planning
to repair is concerning. Someone has to have some idea of what’s
going wrong or they wouldn’t be removing the transmission. The computer
can’t always tell you what’s broken, but it can point to possibilities.
With this information and an understanding of the transmission operation
a tech has a good idea where they’re going to look and what they
might find once the transmission is disassembled. If they are not willing
to spend some time with you and provide an explanation, then you should
find a repair facility that is willing to.
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