We All Work in Customer Service
As luck would have it, the job I held next was primarily a glorified customer service representative position, except now, customers were called clients. I answered their questions, solved their problems, and provided them with statuses of projects. Although it wasn’t the right fit, I learned more about how companies interact with customers and clients, more of the inner-workings of a company, and how each role impacts another.
Intermittent No Start Camry Woes
Baffling ‘irresistible situation’ involving stalling Camry results in the wielding of detective skills.
Insurance: How Much is too Much?
There are all kinds of insurances to be had depending upon what we want or need to protect. Some of it we are told we must have because it’s the law and some we want to because we sleep better at night with the feeling that we are covered if anything should happen. Unemployment insurance and worker’s comp are examples of insurance that’s mandatory in most of the United States and for most jobs, but not all, and the lines that are drawn are not always easy to see or understand. Sometimes they depend on the number of employees and even, to an extent, the types of work being performed. That’s why it’s important to consult with an insurance expert in your own state.
Ins and Outs of Torque Converters
Plotting the pathways of the oil that enters and exits the converter is not an easy task if you are only looking at the parts of the converter. Adding a stator support and an input shaft to the converter parts makes this task somewhat easier.
Is it a Bad Computer?
A 6T40 in a 2011 Chevy Malibu comes in to R.C. Trans and Repair in failsafe with a hard code P0601: Transmission Control Module (TCM) Read Only Memory (ROM). This code is straightforward. Verifying power and grounds to the TECHM are the initial checks to make. Once verified, replacing the computer would be a safe repair. Such was the case with R.C. Trans and Repair.
When it is Broken
Planetary gear sets and their operation are unappealing for many. Know what is turning and what is holding for each gear can challenge one’s thinking. Particularly so when there are 10 speeds and 3 planetary gear sets involved. I actually enjoy pushing my mind to visualize powerflow and indeed, it can be challenging at times. But it sure does go a long way when trying to isolate a noise problem.
December 2018 Issue
In This Issue
Ford 5R55S: Avoid 1-2 harsh shifts and 2-3 flared shifts
Dodge units: Shudder during drive engagement
Blaine (Minn.) Auto Care & Transmission
Kirby Lesto is describing the issue of not enough techs for numerous vehicles waiting to be repaired. He is speaking in an easygoing manner, sizing up the issue: It’s not a crisis; it’s a decision to be made.
Meanwhile, the work at Blaine Auto Care & Transmission carries on. Kirby sets the tone in simple ways.
Friendly Rivalry Builds Success
Four years later, the results of the collaboration were two very similar (though slightly different), highly efficient, 6-speed transmissions. They boasted a 4% increase in efficiency over similar vehicles with automatic 4-speeds. Ford decided to name their models 6F50 and 6F55, while GM decided on 6T70/6T75/6T80. Ford has used their transmissions in the Edge, Taurus and Escape, to name a few; while GM has used them in the GMC Acadia and Terrain, and Chevy Impala and Traverse.
The Jeep Patriot with a really bad rolling surge
One of our shop locations had a 2011 Jeep Patriot that came in on the back of a tow truck. The customer stated that it started making noise and then quit moving. This one was an easy checkout; the vehicle didn’t move in any direction, had metallic-looking fluid, a horrendous bearing noise, and had a P0777 (secondary pressure control solenoid stuck on) code stored. Even though this one was pretty much a slam dunk in the way of diagnosis, we still needed to go through our complete evaluation procedure.
ZF8HP55 transmission
Sonnax has a set of vacuum diagrams for the ZF8HP55 transmission.
What is that Unpleasant Grinding Noise?
John Griffin confronts a 5R55E unit with oil-pan bolts wiggling such that the pan is shifted past the mating surface of the block.
