The Pontiac of that era was not very reliable and prone to all sorts of failure. There are endless complaints about premature failures in every part of the car including the transmissions.
Probably a simple leaky gasket caused it to leak and killed it. There was a leak somewhere, where else did the fluid go? And how did it go unnoticed long enough to leak that much? It had to be leaving puddles somewhere unless a huge leak developed suddenly from a hose.
It would be better financially to just move on. Either that or face endless repair bills that exceed the value of the car.
Sounds like ALOT of regular maintenance has been skipped on that car.
If it ran out of fluid, then that means it has been leaking for a long time and nobody was checking it regularly. If it was driven to the point the transmission was slipping and will no longer drive in most gears, then that usually means the transmission is toast.
If that is the case, judging from the fact it is old enough to be dripping fluids, it will likely be cheaper/ more economical to replace the car than the transmission. Not sure since there is no mentioning of the car year or make.
Worn out transmission gears due to lack of or insufficient lubrication.
Unfortunately, permanent damage already occurred before you tried to be on the safe zone.
Stay away from those shops who said they don't know. They either lack the skill and knowledge to fix your car, or simply they don't want to.
Options:
Rebuild the transmission.
Replace with a used transmission.
Part out with the car, or part out the car itself.
Get a new/newer car.
Most likely you destroyed your transmission. That and the engine are two components of a car that 1) you usually can't "repair", you have to either rebuild it, or get a new one, and 2) $$$$$. You have to decide if it's worth fixing the car, or just junking it.
Sounds like you fried it - try some miracle spring water.
My car was running low on transmission fluid before i knew it, it stopped driving while i was on the highway. I filled it with enough fluids to be in the safe zone, but now it will only drive in gear 2 and reverse. If i put it in drive it just sit still. Can anyone tell me some opinions on what they think maybe wrong. Some car shops seem to say they dont know.
