if a torque converter is bad would the car run bad all the time? my car runs good sometimes and bad other times. could this be the torque converter?

Torque converters have nothing to do with how a motor runs just with how it moves

do a complete tune up.

Details -

What year / engine / tranny -

Define what "runs bad" means? Backfire? no power? stalling? sputtering? runs better cold than hot? speed make a difference?

Need more info... although I doubt it's the torque converter...

Steve

Well...I have a 1994 V6 3.4 Camaro with 132,000 miles on it. I am driving my car with the torque converter going out on it. I was told to just let it go out and just get a new transmission because I have so many miles on my car. My problems are usually a vibration when I'm at an idle. Also, sometimes when I take off it doesn't really seem to have any gas and starts to feel like i'm taking off in 2nd gear instead of first. That's the only way I can really describe it because my car is an automatic. Lacks power..then it finally will kick in and feel like it isn't going to die on me. Usually it does this when it first starts. Sometimes it does this when it is hot..but usually more when cold. I took it to the dealer and two other places to have it test drove and have a diagnostics test done and all of them said it was the torque converter. Just thought I'd let you know what mine is doing so maybe you can compare. It's been doing this about a year and a half now, but not all the time. So...I'm just gonna drive it until it goes out. Only way I'll get my money out of it. :)

I just replaced a torque converter that was going out and it had a vibration at about 2,000 RPM regardless of the gear it was in. Didn't affect how the engine performed, just started getting a shake to it.

I suppose they can fail in a number of ways, but when they go completely you may toast the rest of your perfectly good tranny (who cares aboutt the miles) with pieces of torque converter. A simple rebuild on the tranny and a new torque converter now and you're good to go - you sure you want to wait????