I don't get under cars. Don't have time for stuff like that and it's not my thing anyway. I pay other people to work on my cars.

I'm using my '96 S-10 as a mountain (Colorado Rockies) utility vehicle and want to stretch its life out to the max (it only has 100k on it) without sinking too much more money into it. I've done a ton of preventive maintenance on it over its life but have still sunk about $5,000 into it for unexpected repairs (including upper intake manifold gasket replacement/air conditioner replacement; the list goes on).

Anyway, last year a local mechanic diagnosed transmission fluid leaks (very minor leakage) as coming from the servo and neutral safety switch, whatever the hell those are. All I've been doing with it is dipsticking it occasionally and adding trans fluid when needed (only once in the last year).

I'm thinking I'll be okay by continuing to do this without getting seals replaced ($450).

Anybody disagree?

 

I'll cut you a deal and change them both for $225. The servo is a $.20 O-ring and takes about 5 minutes to change. As far as a neutral safety switch, I don't think there is such a thing on these. Unless he's talking about the shift shaft seal. In that case it's a pressed in seal and would require some disassembly to change out. Maybe a $1 seal but could take a little while to replace.

Unless it's leaving a puddle or excessive drips on the ground, it's not worth spending that much IMO.

 

Ha. Thanks for the offer. I'm pretty close to the Nebraska border actually.

Yeah, I agree with you. I don't want to spend any money on it. I think it'll be fine if I just keep monitoring it. The only thing I was concerned about was the potential for seals suddenly hemorrhaging fluid while on the road. Don't think that's gonna happen though.

Thank you for the input.

 

Not a big fan of driving in Colorado just yet. I've drove from Ogallala to Sterling at 40mph before. I'd rather not slow down in that part of Colorado again if I don't have to.

FYI, 40-45 is the top speed a supercharged Grand Prix can go with the shredded belt wrapped around the supercharger snout and power steering pump. When the belt breaks it also has to blow out the power steering pump seal and break the 12V wire for the dash so there are no working gauges... but only after the sun goes down(Denver is fun with no power steering or speedometer). Any faster and it can't suck enough air through the stopped rotors. However when you pull the belt off it runs just the same and gets better fuel mileage than before.

I'm done crying about my Colorado trip.