# Possible Automatic Transmission/differential problem



## ToyotaDIY88 (Mar 2, 2014)

Ok so in short my car was towed illegally from fremont by all ways towing in hayward(completely incompetent crooks).. And they caused severe damage to several areas of my 1991 Toyota Corolla DX. But the main concern right now is while im driving a crazy sound occurs and its hard to describe ..like rubber rubbing hard and metal Clicking clacking and this sound worsened as the car was driven.. While cold i heard nuthing then as it warmed up it came back with a vengeance.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Take it to a shop and have them look at it. As for illegally towed, the question comes to mind, did you owe parking fines, did you park in the wrong place.

If you think something is wrong with it, a reputable shop will tell you. As for the liability of the tow company, they do not care, and will not owe you anything for repairs. You can try and take them to court after you settle the reason why you were towed.

You may find that fighting a tow company, is like filling a Sieve with Water and trying to get a drink of water.


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## Anti-wingnut (Oct 18, 2009)

1991 Corolla? Sue them for the full value of the car, all $200


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

In Calif, it really doesn't matter why he was towed, only that he was towed by that firm. *IF* they damaged it, they are responsible. But, proving that they (and only them) are responsible for the damaged transaxle (in a 23 year old car) will be very difficult.

Small claims court judges are very good about sorting out the vindictive claims of tow-a-ways, from legitimate damage claims.


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## ToyotaDIY88 (Mar 2, 2014)

gregzoll said:


> Take it to a shop and have them look at it. As for illegally towed, the question comes to mind, did you owe parking fines, did you park in the wrong place.
> 
> If you think something is wrong with it, a reputable shop will tell you. As for the liability of the tow company, they do not care, and will not owe you anything for repairs. You can try and take them to court after you settle the reason why you were towed.
> 
> You may find that fighting a tow company, is like filling a Sieve with Water and trying to get a drink of water.



ok i apologize everyone lemme add a few extra details that might clarify things a bit...... first off this 91 corolla belonged to my grandma RIP and then handed down to my mother(still with us  ) then to me and lemme tell u this car had been neglected pretty bad but in the last couple years i replaced the engine (4a-fe) 1.6L ..aftermarket K&N cone style intake...brand new radiator (twice)...overhauled the hub assembly, calipers, rotors and put new pads in, alllll fluids have been drained flushed and replaced (transmission fluid had NOT been drained and replaced in near 17 years..)!!! ...alll belts replaced as well as most hoses....new valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube seals...new spark plugs, new fuel filter...new oil filter.. brand new carpeting and repainted all interior plastic part..etc..etc so i kno this car isnt worth much cabbage wise but it has an imense amount of sentimental value due to its longevity in my family and amount of work, time and money i have placed in it.. its my baby and i plan on keeping her forever nomatter what. anyyyways the tow truck company towed me from my apartment complex because i parked backwards...so that when i start up the car i just drive out instead of reverse out, shift to drive and ride off...like u would for convienience..and llittlle did i kno it was against the ruiles there but then again everything is against the rules here..u cant even work on ur car here (not even to charge your battery).they left 3 warnings over 3 days and it was gone(i had no knowledge of the warnings due to getting a ride those days) (since car was out of gas) i have 3 jobs and im in training to be a Quality Assurance analyst..so obviously life is a bit stressful at this time but it didnt help at all that when they towed it they dragged the car for over a car length using a flatbed tow-truck...(did NOT use Skates!!!)..when i got to the tow yard to pay the 330 bucks (i was quoted 319) that's strike 1..i noticed my car had looked like it was in a hurricane at the city dumps for a month and it had been 1 day...the oil pan was caved in and cracked leaking...the car wobbles at 55-65 mph, the passenger window had been pulled down with such force they broke the mechanism and now theres 4 inches of play(nice cllleaaannn fingerprints on the glass !!!(thats how i know they pulled it down) and my doors were unlocked! ..when i asked them how the hell they unlocked my car i suggested they used a slim jim and he replied "yea they used a slim jim"..when i called in later that day much angrier due to the fact i was discovering more and more damages to the car like 5 new dents all the same shape, depth, width etc i again said and u guys broke into my car and screwed up my window and he replies "you must have left your doors unlocked, we didnt unlock ur car we have no need to unlock your car to tow it.." pretty much called me a liar and thats when i said ok well if u dunt need to open my car then why the **** did ur other employee say u did???.....i got nowhere with him... when i was bout to take my car home my tire was flat(one thing that was not their fault actually due to a patch job that decided to tear..) their driver didnt even check the tire for the PSI rating..... he just kept pumping it up... my 185/65 r 14 is rated at 35psi...i checked his work on the spot with my guage and it read 53 psi...i was lucky it didnt blow...i mean seriously if u cannnt even do that right.....my favorite part was a fremont police officer i met the other day in tracy where i live told me he arrested one of their employees for breaking into the cars lol...yea im sorry about the ramble but realllly im not looking for any advice on what rights i have with the tow company or if i was wrong for parking where and liability i juuust want to kno based on what ive said here if anyone has an idea as to what was damaged..because every book and person keeps telling me take it to a mechanic or transmission specialist to diagnose it due to the complexity of the automatic transmission..can i get a better answer than that? ty .


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## ToyotaDIY88 (Mar 2, 2014)

ooo i forgot to mention i took looots of pictures of evverything even the tire marks they left from my car also i have whitneses who will say they heard them admit to unlocking my doors and recanting it...as well as i have the security guard from the apartments who also whitnessed and took pictures of the events that took place..i documented evvverythinggg..do i have a case?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

I did not even bother to read the whole run on sentence. I will only state this once. We are not lawyers. We are not the jury.

I would suggest that you pull a copy of your signed lease, look at it for any details regarding how you can park, your assigned parking space, any rules about parking in your assigned space if there is one, for an extended length of time.

Then you need to take that copy of the lease and go to the party(s) that own the complex or building you live in and ask them for a copy of their contract with the towing company.

If the owners or management is not able to produce anything, stating their rules regarding parking, or a contract with the towing company, then you need to consult with an attorney where you live.

If there is a large university that has a law program, see if the law department does any type of free consultations, so you can see if you even have a case.

I will also state that once you open this very large can of worms, I would start looking for someplace else to reside, like yesterday, not next week.

Also may want to go knock on some doors of fellow neighbors and see if they have had any issues with management requesting their vehicles being towed, or having issues with the towing company.

Go to City hall and file a complaint against the towing company if you do find that you have a case.

We had an issue in my town, that one of the towing companies went around during a downtown festival and towed multiple vehicles from lots, that were supposed to be open parking for the festival. The company requested cash only up front, and large fees for towing.

In turn the city over turned the tickets for those that got ticketed, and also made the towing company refund every single dollar that was collected for illegally towing vehicles during that festival.


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## ToyotaDIY88 (Mar 2, 2014)

gregzoll said:


> I did not even bother to read the whole run on sentence. I will only state this once. We are not lawyers. We are not the jury.
> 
> I would suggest that you pull a copy of your signed lease, look at it for any details regarding how you can park, your assigned parking space, any rules about parking in your assigned space if there is one, for an extended length of time.
> 
> ...



like i said i apologize for that ramble but if u had read it or atleast the end part i said i do not wish nor ever asked for any legal advice or needed insight on how to handle my issue with the towing company...my initial question is based on what ive said do u or anyone else have an idea as to what my damages might be? i probably should have just asked in a simpler way but i expounded on the details of what they did because u put more focus into how i was at fault for the towing rather than my concern over the transmission...i just wish for a better answer than take it to a shop...this iiss a DIY forum afterall  

just so im clear i do not in any way mean any negetive tone, sarcasm or rudeness by my answer text can easily be taken out of context i really would appreciate your input regarding POSSIBLE issues regarding thew sound im getting.. its like a rubber belt riding harrdd on metal and and it isnt the tires...


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Stop driving the vehicle. You are just doing further damage to it. You should have taken it to a shop that specializes in transmissions, at the first sign that you suspected possible damage.

Now that you have driven it around for a while, there is no Suspicion of guilt that the guy or gal that towed away your vehicle, caused the damage.

As also was stated, that vehicle is over 20 years old, so really at this point, it would come down to normal wear and tear, poor maintenance on the vehicle, so I really doubt that a judge would award any monies towards damage to the vehicle.

The only thing you can do at this point, is go and read your lease agreement with the party that you rent your apartment from to see what it states about how you should park, where you can park, how long they consider the vehicle as abandoned, before they contact the tow company.

It could be that the tow company was cruising the lot, and their record of vehicles belonging to those who live there, did not show your car as being yours. For all they knew was that vehicle was not owned by anyone there, and possibly that it had been sitting for some time in that spot.

Get with a lawyer or Paralegal and see what your rights are. Then go from there.


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