I am at 165k on my 89 SE and original auto transmission. Just curious on what to start looking for as far as the tranny going bad and how much would I expect to have to spend to have it fixed.
Thanks

If your tranny fluid is brownish or smells burned, it is a pretty good sign. Floor it (you may need to get on a freeway for higher gears)and see if your tranny slips in any of the gears. If it slips then it's only a matter of time. You can try flushing and adding quality tranny fluid, this should help it last longer and you may notice improvement... but some people say high mileage cars arent recommended for flushing. What some other people do is drain and fill x number of times till the fluid is virtually new. Rebuilds are about ~1200$, more or less depending on where you take it.

There is really nothing you can do except check the tranny fluid. You will know when your transmission is dying, and until then just keep a reserve for that day when you need a new transmission. Other than that don't worry about it man.