2010 Toyota Corolla Torque Converter Solenoid Issues - Please Help

[AudioPhoenix]

I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla LE with 117,214 Miles on it.

A year and a half a go my Torque Converter had a catastrophic malfunction and spewed it's innards into the gear box and this led to me having the transmission rebuilt completely. The guy who I brought it to took about 6 weeks to diagnose it, get the right parts and finally rebuild the thing. He almost never answered the phone and would never call me, I always had to call him. I was understanding about the parts because I figured it was not really his fault as he said he ordered the right parts but they sent him the wrong ones. Whatever, might have been BS or might have been legitimate. At the time it wasn't a huge deal as I didn't need the car for that time.

Flash forward a few months ago and we get this error code
"P2757 Solenoid press ctrl sol ctrl ckt perf / stuck off"

I look it up and it's really hard to find out what exactly it is. The car seemed to be shifting fine and no issues I could feel.

I bring the car in to the same guy. I figure he might have a better idea since he was the last one to work on it and maybe he'll cut me a break even though the parts are already out of warranty.

Turns out this guys is just a flake all around. It takes him a full week before he decides he needs to look at the Solenoid out and test it. So after testing the part he informs me that it isn't working. I then tell him to just replace it and again I discover that he's received the wrong parts and less than quick to respond to my phone calls. The right part is going to cost another 100 dollars. In the end he finds the right part, replaces it and 3 weeks after dropping it off I can pick up my car. It costs 750 dollars all together. That's after He took 10% off for the trouble delay, so I wasn't as pissed about it, but still pissed because it was 50 dollars more than the original quote and took 3 times as long.

The next day I go to pick the car up and we drive 4 miles down the road and once we go above about 40-45 the light comes back on just like before. Engine light on and the Traction control light blinking

I drive the car straight to auto-zone and read the code. Sure enough it's the same code as before "p2757 TCC Solenoid press ctrl sol ctrl ckt perf / stuck off"

So I guess I have a couple questions here.

1) Should I bother bringing my car back to the same mechanic? I really don't want to have the car in the shop for another 3 weeks or more when another shop might get it done faster and do it right. At the same time I don't know if I can get a refund from him because work was actually done and a part was replaced. Am I entitled to ask for my money back or a portion of my money back?

2) What could be causing this problem? If the Solenoid was replaced is there something else that could be causing this code?

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

1. Bring it to that mechanic, tell him you want the code fixed or you want a refund on the prior work done, and that he isn't getting another cent to fix it. Hopefully he actually fixes it (emphasize that you don't owe him anything else since you already paid him to fix the code, regardless if he has to order more parts or not. He screwed up so he needs to swallow the loss).

2. If the solenoid was replaced and the code is still coming up, he could have tested and replaced the wrong solenoid (automatic transmissions have more than one solenoid), or it could be a poor connection, faulty wiring, bad insulation, or a faulty PCM. More than likely ... he replaced the solenoid that wasn't throwing the code.

If he refuses to fix it or swallow the loss on his laziness, take it to another mechanic, and get the BBB involved with the solution that the mechanic reimburses you the $750 they charged you to fail.

 

[fishycomics]

I read the story, and hope you can find a better shop. Sounds like the shop is not mechanically incline to do the work, We love to hear more a positive outcome, and hope when you do get your car fixed, we will hear that story. FISH

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

AudioPhoenix - Welcome to the Corolla Forum! :thumbsup::clap::thumbup::thumbup1::balloon: :rockon:

I have been professionally employed in the auto repair/maintenance industry for close to 30 years and in my state and any state I know of, if you bring your car to an auto center for a specific problem and they diagnose the problem as a bad whatever, and you pay them to repair the bad whatever, then drive the car and the problem you brought the car in for is not rectified, then you can legally demand your money back. You are not forced to pay for a repair that you were advised would rectify the problem, but didn't, especially the second time around.

As a motorist, you legally only have to pay for a repair once, not twice. If the auto center that performed the repair made a mistake, or didn't repair the vehicle properly, that's their fault, not yours, and they need to stand behind their work. If they made a diagnosis and repair that didn't rectify the problem, then they pay for their mistake, not you.

It's tantamount to hiring a plumber who repairs a leaky pipe in the basement and wants to charge you $300 for that, but you had called them to repair the upstairs sink that was leaking, which they didn't repair. Would you pay the $300? Of course not and the same goes for auto repairs.

When the repair he performed failed, you should not have paid them one red cent more and in fact you should demand your money back and can legally do so. The Department of Motor Vehicles oversees auto repair centers in most states, so call them to find out what your rights are. You should also contact your state's Office of Consumer Affairs, (Google it), and ask them what your consumer rights are about getting your money back. They will help you!

In the meantime, I don't know if I'd take your car back to such a questionable, if not shady establishment. It sounds like you need a transmission specialist and not an auto center that just does general repairs. Check the Yellow Pages for your area under Transmission Repair and look for an establishment that employs ASE Certified automotive technicians who can get the job done right the first time.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.