How Fortunate We Are!
Did you ever stop to think about how fortunate we are to live in a place where we can ply our trade with only minor guidelines imposed by government agencies, a place where we can get what we need so quickly that we get bent completely out of shape if we call the local parts store for a delivery and the driver doesn’t show up within 20 minutes with the exact right part in his hand? We tend to take all that for granted, but there are many places in the world where that kind of luxury just doesn’t exist.
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.
Problem or Process?: Surge may be byproduct of ‘displacement on demand’
Recently a 2006 Chevrolet Impala came into one of our retail locations with a surge complaint while cruising on the highway between 60-65 mph. I drove the vehicle with the customer to verify the concern and was able to duplicate the circumstances in which the vehicle acted up. While watching the tachometer I noted that there was a noticeable 150-200 rpm surge while TCC was applied. It felt like a typical TCC surge as a result from a leak in the TCC regulator circuit, so additional diagnostic steps were in order. We discussed this with the customer, and he authorized the additional time. At this point I was fairly convinced that we were going to need to go inside the unit.
Dodge 48RE Hydraulic Features Revealed
Dodge 48RE Hydraulic Features Revealed
TASC Force Tips
Author: Jim Dial
Units: 48RE vs. 46/47RE valve bodies
Issue: Differences in pressure curve & TCC clamping
It Ain’t All About You
I hate managers who brag on themselves to the customer. Makes me want to puke. They are absolutely missing the point. They should be bragging on the owner of the shop and the technicians who work there. That is what the customer wants to hear.
If You Built Your Team with a Fantasy Football Strategy
There are many ways for a manager to pick a “dream team” for the upcoming season, from high-risk to top-dollar and everywhere in the middle. Some of the methods are great, while others leave you with less than you started with.
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.
If You Don’t Tell Lies, You Can’t Get Caught in One
Upon arrival I noticed that all three service advisers were on the telephone. There were no other customers waiting at the counter. I could overhear their phone conversations and it didn’t sound to me like any of them were talking with customers about their vehicles, yet not one of them bothered to greet me or cut their conversations short. Standing there that way for what seemed like an eternity made me feel very out of place, but I wrote it off. After all, I’m new to the area. Maybe that’s the way they do things here.
Something ‘crazy’ causes systems to quit
“The speedometer drops off,” my friend Lee told me when he brought in a Jeep Grand Cherokee he wanted fixed. “Then the gauges quit and all the warning lights come on. This thing has been acting crazy on and off for a couple of years. Nobody can figure it out.”
October 2015 Issue
In This Issue
Volvo 5 speed takeoff glitch
Dodge Caravan Exchange Surprise
6T40 Rotating Clutch Drum Upgrades
Back to School: Do the Math
It is now back to school season and that brings to mind the difference in education standards in our society. When I went to school all of my teachers (New York City Public Schools) knew their subjects inside out. If you didn’t do it right, you did it over, and that could include being left back to do a whole year over. We learned math, English, geography, history, civics and social studies, plus very active physical training. We had very little obesity, everyone could write in script and print, and everyone read to the best of their ability.
There’s No Excuse
Great people throughout history have chalked up numerous failures before succeeding at whatever their chosen profession or goal. Is it OK to fail? Sure it is, and sometimes often and quite miserably, before finally reaching your ultimate triumphs. Business owners don’t always make it on the first try or the second or third for that matter. Inventors often try and fail hundreds of times before finding a solution. Did you know that the famous artist Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, all the rest sold after he died, but that never stopped him from painting? Henry Ford went bankrupt five times. Albert Einstein was expelled from school for being a terrible student. Winston Churchill lost every election in which he ran until he became prime minister at age 62.
