does anyone think it's a good idea for me to buy a 1996 grand marquis if the seller says the transmission won't shift to 2nd gear? he wants to sell it to me for 500 bucks but i'm not sure i can afford to fix it... i don't know anything about cars ... i don't know if this fix would be 100$ or 1000$... please help
thanks!!!

 

It's hard to say. With luck it could be something as simple as low on transmission fluid which is easy to check. On the other hand, a 14 year old car would be more likely something more serious. An overhaul would probably be between $1000-$1500.

A 1996 MMG in good condition is only worth about $2100. Unless it is in very good condition otherwise, I would pass, as you probably will only break even at best. Then there is still the question of the condition of the engine & drive train like the rear axle. If they need repairs, you would be over what the car is worth.

 

well the seller did say that there's only 61,000 miles on it. that was a huge reason why i wanted to buy it but could low mileage be a hint that it's just a minor problem?

 

The first thing I would do is check the transmission fluid, not only the level, but is it in good condition & not brownish with burn't smell to it. If it has is brownish with a burn't smell that would indicate slipping clutches. Good transmission fluid is usually a clear reddish color. It is possible that it could be a simple problem. If the car looks like it has had good care, & the fluid doesn't have a burn't smell to it, it may be worth the gamble.

In test driving the the car, try to shift it manually into second, it should shift to second immediately & stay in second. If you put it in second while stopped, it should take off in second. This is easy to tell because the car is very sluggish taking off in second, but highly useful when on slippery surfaces like snow & ice.

If it does shift to second manually, that indicates problems in the automatic shifting. I don't know if the 96 transmission is mechanical or electronic, but either way, that should be a relatively minor fix that could be fixed with the transmission in the car.

 

Skip this car. Walk (no run) away from this car.

All of the answers above are good and valid.

It could be something simple. But then if it was, why wouldn't the seller get this inexpensive and simple repair done himself/herself?

Prices/cost vary from region to region. But here a rebuilt transmission is around $2,200.00. Some dealers state 3 grand. And most do not replace the electronics on the transmission when they do put in a rebuilt. You have to ask for this and it costs more. Most will tell you that this is not needed as they are too lazy to replace this component.

Changing the transmission fluid when the car is young is vital to the life of an automatic transmission. Specially if multiple drivers/owners. Yes, you can buy a new car and never change the transmission fluid if you drive normally and transmission may last a long time.

Be wary of Transmission repair facilities. Some are real honest and some leave a lot to be desired.

Most Transmission places do not rebuild your transmission. They buy rebuilt automatic transmissions from larger places that do this. And the quality varies from vendor to vendor. We have one facility in my town that just rebuilds transmission. And they are being sued at least once or twice a week from unsatisfied customers.

There are too many good used cars out there. I do not suggest buying one that needs work. Pay a little more for one that has no problems.