Kelly was getting ready to take a camping trip, but noticed that her 2012 Chevrolet Traverse was acting strange. It was really acting up when she would drive at higher speeds. The transmission seemed to be slipping and the vehicle was struggling to accelerate. The front end would also shake sometimes. Kelly thought it might be a transmission problem, but she wasn’t sure. That’s when she called Ralph’s Transmission in Modesto to get some expert guidance.
“The staff at Ralph’s was very professional!” Kelly says. “I had no idea if my transmission was truly the problem. They asked me some questions over the phone and then explained their process of what they did to check. When I asked how much that would cost, much to my surprise they said nothing! And if it wasn’t the transmission, they would try to steer me in the right direction.”
At Ralph’s Transmission, our initial inspections are always free. We are glad to run diagnostics, do a road test and perform a thorough external transmission inspection for anyone who has concerns about their transmission. If it is not a transmission problem, we will refer you to another local shop that we trust for specialized repairs or general automotive services. If it is likely a transmission problem, we will usually recommend a more in-depth internal transmission inspection. This requires our technicians to pull the transmission from the vehicle and open it up to see if there is any significant internal damage.
In Kelly’s case, it did turn out to be a transmission problem. The external inspection revealed that the transmission fluid was discolored and we found that the transmission was flaring when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gears. The torque converter clutch was also shuddering upon acceleration, and that’s never a good sign. Further internal inspection revealed that the torque converter had failed and there were numerous damaged components inside the transmission. Our professional recommendation was to perform a full custom transmission rebuild. This gets the transmission running like new again and is also backed by our 3 Year, 100,000 Mile Warranty!
“It ended up being the transmission and they again were very professional and explained everything they needed to do and why,” Kelly adds. “I took it in on a Tuesday and they said they’d have it back by Friday. When Friday rolled around and it was after 5pm I was a little sad I hadn’t heard from them. Then much to my surprise at 5:45pm I got a call that it was ready! They stayed late on a Friday to make sure I had my car for my camping trip! I was very impressed! It did great for the trip! Erika [Alcazar, Service Advisor] was awesome!”
Thank you, Kelly, for putting your trust in the Ralph’s Transmission team and we were glad to help you get your SUV back before your big camping trip!
For anyone in the Central Valley experiencing transmission issues, call Ralph’s Transmission today at 209.526.1909 to schedule a free transmission inspection. We even offer free towing within 30 miles of our shop in downtown Modesto. You can also schedule your service appointment online.