Ford 6R60/6R80 Component Upgrades, Part 1
Ford released the “kissin’ cousin” to the ZF6HP26 a decade ago and like the 6HP, changes have certainly occurred to the 6R60 family of transmissions during that time. Although as part of the agreement with ZF, Ford did use the actual 6HP for a short time, but the game plan from the start was to produce a home-grown unit, which Ford did in 2006.
Ford 6F50 – The Other Six-Speed Transmission
When GM and Ford collaborated to develop the new FWD six-speed transmission family, the results differed due to design and suppliers used, and each company subsequently made different modifications.
Ford 6F50 – The Other Six-Speed Transmission
When Ford and GM got together to jointly develop the new FWD six-speed transmission family, they apparently agreed upon the basic architecture and operation allowing for the unique requirements of both companies. As they say, however, the devil is in the details. While many of the components of the 6F50 and 6T70 are the same, there are certainly differences due to design or the suppliers used. Although GM decided to designate some of the most noticeable changes to the 6T70 as GEN 1 or Gen 2, the Ford changes are mainly designated by the month and year that they occur. Before ordering replacement components for either transmission family, make sure to specify the precise application.
Cadillac CTS No Movement Condition (The Fix Requires More Than One Item)
The owner of a 2010 Cadillac CTS started to notice a clicking sound when placing the transmission into drive or reverse. Due to a busy schedule, the owner chose to delay bringing the vehicle in for an inspection, until one morning that the transmission failed to make any noise. The noise was gone, replaced by a no-movement condition that brought the busy schedule to a screeching halt.
Hyundai 5-Speed Transmission Variations (No longer a Mitsubishi clone)
For a lot of years Hyundai, in order to avoid development cost, utilized Mitsubishi for their automatic-transmission needs. All that changed in the early ’90s when Hyundai decided to get into the research and development end of the business by releasing their version of the old Mitsubishi KM series of automatic transmissions. The Hyundai A4A/A4B series of transmissions was launched in 1993, which did have some noticeable differences from Mitsubishi, especially in 2000 when the F3 model was released utilizing six solenoids. Even the case configuration was different from Mitsubishi.
GM 8L90 – The Other 8 Speed Automatic: Part 2
By 2014 GM released the 8L90 in the Cadillac ATS. A year later, the 8L transmission series had spread out to the Corvette and trucks such as the Silverado and Yukon. Currently, GM offers two models of eight-speed transmissions, the light-duty 8L45 and heavy-duty 8L90. When GM developed the 6L80/6L90 transmission series, they were loosely based upon the ZF 6HP family of transmissions. The 8L90 also has a ZF thumbprint on it, though somewhat less than the previous six speeds. One welcomed departure from ZF was the absence of an internal TCM in the GM units.
GM 8L90 – The Other 8 Speed Automatic: Part 1
One example of how time flies by is the fact that there has been an eight-speed automatic transmission on the road since 2007. The Aisin Corp. beat everyone to the punch when they developed the AA80E for use by Lexus. The next eight-speed automatic to hit the streets came from ZF in late 2009 and was used by Audi and BMW. Even Hyundai got into the mix by releasing the A8LR1 and A8TR1 in 2011.
Hyundai/Kia 6-Speeds: Key Components (One Size Does Not Fit All)
The series of six-speed transmissions Hyundai released in 2009 has three basic levels or sizes that can overlap vehicle models and engine displacements. As a result, technicians must verify the specific model before ordering any replacement components.
Hyundai/Kia 6-Speed Automatic Transmissions: Part 1
Although Hyundai was not the first manufacturer to offer a six-speed automatic transmission, they ultimately made up for lost time. In 2009 the car company released a series of six-speed transmissions to accommodate a wide range of Hyundai and Kia applications. The transmissions can be FWD or AWD and are rather compact in design. There are three basic levels or sizes that can overlap vehicle models and engine displacements.
Toyota Camry U250E Harsh Coast Down
Although the transmission upshifted well and had a good lockup apply, at times when the vehicle came to a stop a bump would occur that felt like a rear end collision. The speed at which it came to a stop would dictate whether the transmission would downshift smooth or harsh. Normally, when coming to a regular stop, everything functioned well; however, coming to a quick stop was a different matter.
CD4E Failure Reveals Upgrade (Some Things Never Change – Some Do)
The CD4E was launched in 1994 by Ford and Mazda in the Probe and 626, followed by the Contour/Mystique in 1995. Later on, there were other vehicles that came equipped with the CD4E, more important the 2001-up Ford Escape.
ZF9HP48 FWD Nine Speed, Part 2
ZFhas outpaced other transmission manufacturers with the nine-speed ZF9HP48 (Chrysler 948TE) FWD. The unit is extremely compact, considering what it does. Unlike the 8HP family, the 9HP is not a mechatronic design. The 9HP uses a torque converter; however, a hybrid version, the 9P48H, will utilize an electric motor instead. The unit, which weighs in at nearly 200 lbs., can be equipped with a mechanical or electronic pack arrangement.
