2014 Archives - Page 3 of 10 - Transmission Digest
Shops Still Shy Away from Working on Hybrids

Troubleshooting takes knowledge and a great deal of hands-on experience, yet the payoff is worth it.

It’s been a busy time for hybrids in my shop. The training schedule has been hectic and the buying and selling is starting to get some movement. The Consumer Reports rating on the Prius as the best value in used cars sure hasn’t hurt either.

The ‘Just One More Job’ Challenge

I am challenging all transmission-shop owners across the country to increase production by “just one more job” a week and put an extra $104,000 in your pocket each year. There is a simple formula to success. If your shop’s average ticket is $2,000 for a transmission job and you can learn to be more efficient and increase production by one job a week, you can increase your revenue by $104,000 ($2,000 x 52). The challenge is to increase production by just one job a week – simple goal, big results. Now, this is “extra money” on top of what you are making now. That is when the shop owner makes his profit. That is a “special time” when one more job puts the most money in your pocket. Everybody else’s pockets get filled before the shop owner’s. This is your time, and you must make the most of it.

Aisin Warner 09G Electronics: Anatomy of shift controls

There has been much focus over the years on valve-body wear issues and other deficiencies of the 09G as well as the TF80/TF81 models. Once a repair had been made, shift or apply issues still existed at times, requiring more attention to the controls.

The experts at Rostra Precision Controls have devoted a substantial amount of effort to determine how all the aspects of Aisin six-speed transmissions (valve body, solenoids and TCM) work together to provide a well-functioning and durable transmission repair.

September 2014 Issue

In This Issue
4L80-E: overdrive failure after rebuild
CD4E: erratic garage shifts into reverse
62TE: sealing-ring wear

FNR5 TCC slip and/or shift solenoid E stuck off

The FNR5 transmission can be found in most Ford and Mazda front-wheel-drive vehicles and has been with us for a while. One of the most-common calls we get on this transmission in the tech center at Valve Body Pro is for a code P0741 TCC slip and/or P0771 shift solenoid E stuck off. Recently we had a 2008 Ford Fusion with this problem. Figure 1 shows the SSA (SSPCA) increasing the modulation but no drop in rpm slip.

Vacuum Testing A340E/F

From the TASC Force we reprint a series of in-depth test instructions for checking the serviceability of valve bodies. Part 2 covers Type 4, EPC Style. Type 3, EPC Style was covered in the August issue.

Serviceability Report: Toyota Highlander

Once more we will examine a new model that has just been re-engineered. Is fixing and maintaining a 2014 Toyota Highlander less difficult than fixing and maintaining the earlier model? Were technicians considered at the design stage? Let’s find out. Let’s examine the 2008 Highlander V 6 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and compare it with the current 2014 model.

Check Tire Sizes on AWD/4WD Vehicles

We have all had our ‘feel good’ moments about maximizing our customer relationships by going above and beyond when we diagnose a customer vehicle with the goal of saving them money during their visit to our shop. Minimizing their expense, getting them back on the road in a timely manner and providing a pleasant service experience influence them to sing our praises to friends and thus increase our sales revenues from “word-of-mouth” advertising. Sometimes cost-cutting measures can end up costing more in the end.

E4OD/4R100 Component Upgrade: Mix and match is not an option

E4OD/4R100 Component Upgrade: Mix and match is not an option

Technically Speaking

Author: Mike Riley, Technical Editor
Unit: E4OD/4R100
Vehicle Application: Ford trucks
Issue: Component changes

The Transmission-Repair Twilight Zone

I have written an awful lot of technical articles over the years, and I thought it might be fun to go over some of the strange events that every transmission-repair shop experiences with customer relations, strange technical issues and the feeling at times that you are in the Twilight Zone. The important issue in handling weird events is to realize you are not alone, that everyone in our business has some similar experiences. It starts with ordinary everyday activity that soon descends into strangeness. Some of these tales are created by the human behavior that we need to deal with every day, whether it involves customers or others who hold themselves out to be professionals.

Are You an Order Taker or a Salesperson?

There’s an argument going on and it’s time for me to weigh in. For years I’ve heard managers complain that their salespeople are “lazy order takers.” I’ve witnessed teammates jab at one another by delivering the lowest of all low-blow insults: “You’re nothing but an order taker.”

Employee-Turnover Damage-Control Plan

The old saying “The successful people surround themselves with successful people” is easier said than done. Recruiting and hiring is one of the most-important duties a shop owner has, because the way the owner goes about hiring employees can dramatically affect his labor costs. Everyone wants to be successful, but recruiting and hiring is a hard job that is time consuming as well as expensive. That is why a lot of busy shop owners settle for the employees they have right now and put off recruiting until someone walks off. Unfortunately, this recruiting strategy creates what I call “panic hiring” and costs the shop more than you know.