2002 Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Transmission Digest
A Case of Hide and Seek

One of the many automotive animals that technicians have to wrestle with is finding the definitions for the ever-increasing number of diagnostic codes. And then, of course, their definitions are being represented by a seemingly endless list of acronyms associated with that code. TCC, VSS and TPS are just a few recognizable acronyms in our industry today.

Handling 6-Speed Heavyweights

The present trend toward larger and heavier-duty pickups has now brought the ZF S6-650 6-speed manual gearbox onto the scene. This 6-speed transmission was introduced in 1999 in the Ford F 250, F 350, F 450, F 550 and stripped-chassis models. It has been used behind diesel engines from 1999 to current production and behind gasoline engines starting in 2002 models. GM adopted the S6-650 transmission for use in its 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups behind both gas and diesel engines in the 2001 model year.

October 2002 Issue

In This Issue
1987-90 Acura Legend: Controller Locations

When a code is stored in 1987-90 Acura Legends, there may be confusion in locating the A/T controller to read the blinking light for codes. In many cases the technician has mistakenly located the engine controller or is trying to find and jump a diagnostic connector that doesn’t exist.

The State of the Union on Standard Transmissions

In days gone by, cars were built with manually shifted transmissions as standard equipment, and automatic transmissions were an extra-cost option. This gave rise to the term “standard” as a reference to the stick-shift transmission. Along the way, automatics have steadily gained market share and now make up about 80% of the market in the United States. In Europe the opposite is true. Automatics are slowly gaining popularity, but just a fraction of the cars on the road are self-shifting.

Part II – More 4L30 E Problems (Lots More)

Problems and Fixes for the 4L30 E transmission.

September 2002 Issue

Issue Summary:

After rebuild, 4R44/55E and 5R55E units may exhibit delayed engagement when hot.

Some full-size GM four-wheel-drive trucks may experience a “Service 4WD” indicator light that remains on.

After replacement of the turbine-speed sensor, Ford/Mazda CD4Es may experience a persistent gear-ratio error.

In Daewoo Lanos, Nubira and Leganza, there may be a variety of drivability complaints after repairs.

Technicians may encounter difficulty removing torque-converter bolts in some GM units.

Using the factory-specified fluid is essential with ZF automatic transmissions.

Driveline vibration may occur under certain condi-tions in 2000-model GM trucks with a 4L60-E.

Replaced the What?

Sometimes a problem with a vehicle requires quite a bit of diagnostic head scratching, at the end of which you finally find what is causing the problem.

A Transfer-Case Identity Crisis

So in your ever-expanding list of causes for stacked upshifts in computer-controlled transmissions, even if it is a two-wheel-drive vehicle, investigate the possibility of a four-wheel-drive-low command being the culprit otherwise known as a transfer-case identity crisis.

August 2002 Issue

Issue Summary:

A 4T80-E may exhibit suddenly firm shifts accompanies by intermittent ratio codes P0731 and P0732.

After a valve-body exchange during either a rebuild or a repair, an AX4S/AXODE exhibits a harsh upshift into 2nd gear. No codes are present, and a pressure check verifies that line pressure is within specifications.

A new drain-plug transmission kit is available to prevent leaks from the oil-pan plug on Toyota models.

Understanding Gear Technology

The transmission-repair industry is all about gears. The word transmission means transmitting or sending, and that is exactly what an automotive transmission does. The transmission sends the power produced as torque (turning force) by the engine and transmits it in a usable form to the driving wheels.

Honda & Acura – the New Generation

This has now become a very frequent question on the tech line: “Hey, what are all these solenoids, and what in the world do they do?” The questions started in the 1997 model year, when the Honda Prelude came out with the M6HA transaxle. This was one of the first vehicles to receive this new-generation 4-speed. This article, I hope, will clear up some of the questions on shift strategy, clutch-pack applications and solenoid application. After all, how can you fix something if you don’t know how it works?

4L30-Es May Drive You Crazy – Part I

If any part of your sanity were ever in question, the 4L30 E transmission might be just the thing to put you over the edge. The most-common complaints concerning the 4L30 E usually have something to do with reverse. No reverse, little or no reverse, neutraling in reverse and partial TCC-lockup apply in reverse are only a few of the many problems.