Building a Better Mousetrap
Rebuilding and remanufacturing of a host of parts have been going on almost as long as the manufacture of automobiles. It has always been economically sound policy to refurbish a used part and give it a new life, in most instances less expensively than the purchase of a new one. A good percentage of the steel being produced for new products comes from scrap, and the same is true for gold, silver, copper, aluminum etc. Production of raw materials and their transportation to the various refiners is quite expensive. and it is more economical to recycle the used parts into a usable commodity.
Allison 1000 Converters – the Next Generation
The Allison 1000 converter has evolved considerably throughout its existence. By the end of the 2007 model year there had been five different generations of this converter. The chart in Figure 1 lists the part name, stall torque ratio, part number and color ID code for the first five generations of this converter (Transmission Digest, November 2007, page 47).
Analyzing Data Helps Solve Complicated Problems
With the addition of parameter identification data (PID), we can combine data with our knowledge of the way a transmission is designed to work and use it as a form of X-ray that permits us to see inside the transmission, so to speak. Let us use the following example to illustrate this.
December 2009 Issue
Issue Summary:
The Toyota U240-E has numerous sleeves that are prone to wear, which can result in premature transmission failure (below).
Toyota vehicles equipped with U150-series five-speed transaxles may exhibit slipping upshifts and/or premature transmission failure (page 7).
Great Customer Service: The Dream and the Reality
We recently got a call on our tech line from a customer who had bought an F5A51 unit for a 2003 Kia Sedona. Their sole concerns were delayed engagements and sluggish shifting when hot. The vehicle was in a remote location several hundred miles away. After going through our trouble tree, we determined that this customer had an internal transmission issue.
Triple Play
The AS68RC is a rear-wheel-drive Aisin Seiki six-speed transmission that began its life in the U.S. with Isuzu, UD and Mitsubishi midsize trucks (Figure 1). Since the 2007 model year, it has been used in Dodge incomplete-chassis and commercial vehicles with a GCVW rating of 26,000 pounds and the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine.
RE5R05A Facts and Observations
This transmission has been on the street since 2002, when it was first used in the Infiniti Q45 with the 4.5-liter engine. Since then, Infiniti and Nissan have used this transmission in many models. There are three versions of the RE5R05A valve body…
Protect Yourself in the Clinches
Here are some rules you can follow to protect from the minor and major catastrophes that, when they happen, make you wonder why you didn’t take that nice, safe job uncle Frank wanted to get you with the highway department:
Intermittent TCM Operation Creates Diagnostic Puzzle
She said her 1999 Dodge Caravan wasn’t shifting properly and her transmission-range indicator on the dash had a malfunction, and not even the Dodge dealership could find the problem. After performing our Certi-care evaluation, which includes test-driving the vehicle, scanning for service codes and performing a visual inspection, I was unable to find anything wrong. There were no codes, shift points were good, fluid was in good condition and the range indicator was working properly.
Serviceability Report: 2010 Subaru Outback
The first Subaru Outback was a hit with consumers. Over the years, many other original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) came up with similar crossover wagons and SUVs. By the year 2000, everyone was in the game but Subaru continued to raise the bar and now has a third-generation Outback for 2010.
November 2009 Issue
Issue Summary:
VW and Audi vehicles equipped with 01M, 01N or 01P transaxles may exhibit a partial or full engine stall during engagement into Drive or Reverse (below).
VW/Audi vehicles equipped with 01M/01N/01P transaxles may exhibit an intermittent torque-converter-slip code after overhaul (page 4).
Volkswagens equipped with the JF506E may experience repeated planetary failures from lack of lubrication. The problem normally occurs after rebuild (page 5).
Any VW model equipped with the JF506E, after rebuild, may exhibit a buzzing noise that sounds as if the unit is low on fluid (page 6).
Short-Circuited
In March 2006 Dodge issued safety recall E17 for 2003-05 Dodge Ram pickups equipped with the 5.9-liter diesel and 48RE transmission. This recall addressed a safety issue that could occur if the driver parked the vehicle without placing the gear selector fully in park and left the engine running. The repair consists of a re-flash that when initiated will sound the horn, flash the headlights and cause the PRNDL display to flash if the door is opened and the driver tries to exit a running vehicle without the selector fully in Park. This re-flash can be done only with the DRB-3 scan tool and dealer software.
