Kizashi Club

108,000 miles SLS.
This car has been good to me, but the past few days it started shifting hard and now it won't get out of first or second gear and when I open the hood it's smoking. The engine light comes on but no codes pop up. Right when it started happening I took it to aamco and the guy said it didn't have any errors but it had an oil leak. I wish I would have waited to take it to aamco after it didn;t shift. Should I buy a new transmission and fix the leak or get a new car? If I get a new car it would have to be under $12k financed.

Please help me. A lot of stuff going on in life. Can't get anywhere. At the end of my rope.

Let's get some more details.
First, you mentioned gears but are we talking about the automatic transmission or a manual?
Where is the oil leak coming from?
Lastly, where are you located?

automatic
I don't know. There is oil all over the engine.
I'm in Charlotte NC

This car is very fixable, and in my opinion wouldn't cost that much. How far are you away from Northwest Pennsylvania.


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noname2020x wrote:automatic
I don't know. There is oil all over the engine.
I'm in Charlotte NC

If you can get this towed to Linesville Pa ( about 8 hrs ) I'll have your transmission fixed and upgraded,and your engine oil leak fixed within 2 days at a cost of $2k


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That seems sorta risky, right? How can I be sure it will cost that much if I don't know what'd wrong?

Any idea who I could take it to down my way more to get a reasonable quote. The guy at aamco said they would just get a new transmission.

noname2020x wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 9:45 pm That seems sorta risky, right? How can I be sure it will cost that much if I don't know what'd wrong?

Old Tech is a professional independent mechanic in PA that has a ton of experience repairing Kizashis. There are quite a few members here who have personally met him and had their Kizashis repaired or modified by him. It's clear you experienced an oil leak from the engine and a transmission failure of the CVT. While NC is not close to PA, he's your best bet at getting the car fixed properly the first time instead of dealing with mechanics who don't know the car. Also, what he's offering isn't just to fix the acute problem, but to keep the car running for the next 100,000 miles due to a known issue with the CVT design (the automatic transmission). There is plenty of info on this forum on the matter if you search.

Do you have any indication where the oil is leaking from? Is it covering the top of the engine? More info/photos could help figuring out what the actual issue is with the oil leak.

At 108K miles, your Kizashi has a lot of life left if repaired properly.

Use my quote for price comparison. I deal with the Kizashi's daily. Your primary pulley is jamming . Transmission needs overhauled . Oil leak is oil pressure sensor , valve cover gasket , front crank seal, and or vvt solenoid. I would be replacing what was necessary one or all if needed and combining with the large transmission job for a deal and with a year warranty . All needed parts on hand here . I think Ammco will be over twice my quote and take 2 weeks or more due to parts .You seemed desperate and I'm trying to give you something to go off of . There is a chance that it's a stepper motor but not likely. A quick look into the pan would tell us a lot. I know that you're a long way away, but wanted to make it worth your while if you are willing to make the trip.


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Thank you both for this info and help. It seems like a reasonable price and I'm really gonna think about it. I love my kizashi, but I am hurting from good old medical bills. So, there's no chance it could be more than that if something else were the issue?

Also, I'm not sure where the oil leak is coming from. I can send pics if that would help.

Some pics would be helpful. When engine light was on and codes read, I think tech didnt check for tranny codes. With engine light on, there is definitely a trouble code. On the question of oil leak causes, The list I mentioned is basically all the possibilities under normal use I have ever seen. If there is damage from prior work like a cracked front cover, however unlikely that would be, that would be extra. You are welcome to give me a call. Ill pm you.