i see, that would definitely make sense. thanks for the explanation, i really appreciate it (:

Also, I drove the car for 5 months afterwards with no issues until yesterday, so Im still not sure if the first shop can be trusted. I don’t think I would have drove that long had my timing chain been on its last limbs lol.

Ive heard a few people on other posts mention the torque converter solenoid. That being said I have no idea what that is, lol. I’ll look into it, thanks!!

Yes I keep oil with me and check it everytime I get gas.

Yes, I keep oil with me at all times and top it off when needed.

I don’t remember all that he said, but I remember one of the things was the timing chain. He told me I needed around $7000 in repairs. The next shop said the timing chain looked fine, and they couldn’t find any other issues. So I’m not sure if the first shop was just trying to scam me or what, but I do know that the second shop I visited is highly reputable. My brother in law (a mechanic in the military) agreed that it wasn’t the timing chain or anything else the first shop recommended.