Craig Van Batenburg, Author at Transmission Digest - Page 2 of 4
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GM’s Silverado: Did Redesign Make the Truck More Tech-Friendly?

This month I will take a second look at the Silverado. If you have been a reader for a long time you may remember that nine years ago I reviewed the 2003 Silverado. We compared it with the 1996 model.

This time, we compare a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT with 5.3L V 8 and automatic transmission with a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT with 5.3L V 8 and automatic transmission. Starting in 2014, the Silverado has joined other brands to include electric power steering as standard equipment.

Serviceability Report: Mitsubishi Outlander

Recently Deb, my wife and partner at ACDC, pointed out that I had not covered Mitsubishi in this column. Was it because of the 1985 Galant that sat on my used-car lot for months and then after it was sold the transmission let go during the warranty? Or maybe it was because the Mirage had broken jet valves we hated to service?

I have never been a big fan of this Japanese automaker, but things do change over time. Just look at Ford as it improved and changed its ways over the past 10 years. This time I will break with tradition and compare not the best-selling but the top-of-the-line 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander GT with the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS. I will try to be fair and let go of the past, but some cars do get on your list.

Serviceability Report: Chevrolet Impala

Tech to Tech Author: Craig Van Batenburg Subject Matter: Serviceability Vehicle Application: 2014 Chevy Impala Issue: Service comparison After GM went through a public bankruptcy, did its cars get better to service? This month, we focus on the Chevy Impala for the second time. Back in 2005 I compared the 3.8 four-door sedan with a

Nissan Versa Vies for Title of ‘America’s Least-Expensive Car’

The Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent have been battling it out for the title of “America’s Least-Expensive Car” for a while. Hyundai retired from that race for 2012, leaving Nissan as the low-cost champion. But is the Nissan Versa a car you would actually want to fix or is it too cheap to bother with?

Ram: A New Era of Trucks

The Dodge name has been around as long as any technician can remember. Chrysler Corp., as you know, was bailed out by the U.S. government and then a buyer was sought. When Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat, made the best offer in 2008, Fiat was given the keys to Chrysler. The automaker was in the throes of a financial meltdown and Marchionne had already rescued the Italian automaker and turned it into one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, so Fiat looked like it could save Chrysler.

Serviceability Report: Audi A6

Serviceability Report: Audi A6

Tech to Tech

Subject: Serviceability report
Vehicle Application: 2012 Audi A6 Quattro 3.0-liter
Essential Reading: Diagnostician, R & R
Author: Craig Van Batenburg

Do the German-model engineers care about their technicians?

Trusty Accord Gets Better with Time

Honda revamps 2012 model; it’s better than ever

This time, let’s focus on the Honda Accord and compare the current 2012 LX with the 1997 model.

Serviceability Report: Chevy Cruze

This is another in a series of reports that asks a simple question: Do the automotive engineers look at “ease of service” when designing a new car?

Serviceability Report: Ford Focus Revisited

In the July 2006 issue of AutoInc., I compared the 2006 Focus to the 2000 model. Well, let’s look at the next generation and see if Ford took heed of our suggestions.
Ford had a hit when it introduced the 2000 Ford Focus in 1999; it sold more than 286,000 units the first year. Sales settled down to around 175,000 for the other years, but the 2012 model may change that for the better.

A New Look: 2012 Fiat 500

Long time no see! Fiat 500s are making their way across the Atlantic and into U.S. bays

“Fix It Again Tony” was the joke from the last adventure Fiat had in America. Well, thanks to Chrysler Motor Co. looking to the taxpayers for money, a deal was struck with Fiat to take it over and pay us all back. So far, so good. One benefit for Fiat is an instant dealer network that is now selling a small retro version of an Italian mini-car sold back in the ’50s. Is it any good? Or, more important, can the typical technician in the U.S. service this little vehicle, or should they stay away?

Serviceability Report: Dodge Dakota – Easy to Fix?

In 2000 the Dakota hit sales of more than 175,000 units, but last year it was a dismal 13,000. The V-6 is the best-selling engine because the RAM1500 gets about the same gas mileage as a Dakota with a V-8. Why write an article about a truck that appears to be dying? If Fiat can save Chrysler it will happen only if they sell vehicles, lots of them, so I think that if this truck stacks up well to the competition we should recommend it to our customers. We will compare the 2004 Dakota V-6 automatic 4WD to the 2011 model.

Corvettes: Easy to Service?

I have been reporting on serviceability of motor vehicles from the viewpoint of a technician for many years now. I normally pick a car, truck, van or SUV that sells 100,000 or more units per year – cars you will almost certainly see in your service bay.

Corvette is not in that category, but every boy or girl growing up after WWII remembers a Corvette as the coolest car in the world. They certainly have a mystique about them that made many of us, at some point in our lives, want to buy or at least get behind the wheel of one. But when they need service or repairs, do the technicians love ’em or hate ’em?