Zapped
There are many ways one could be “zapped” by electricity, and one way that it happened to Jesse Zacarias from Elec-Trans Diagnostics in Gilroy, Calif., goes like this. A 2003 Dodge Ram truck equipped with a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel and a 48RE transmission came into his shop with a complaint of taking off in 3rd gear. The park and neutral gear-select indicator lights were the only ones that would illuminate. With any scan tool, Jesse could retrieve a code P0700 (transmission fault present) from the engine-control module but could not communicate with the powertrain-control module for the transmission.
Water Contamination in Torque Converters
Opening up a torque converter and finding what looks like a strawberry milkshake inside is fairly common in the rebuilding industry. The strawberry-milkshake appearance is the result of ATF being contaminated by water. A small amount of water mixed with transmission fluid will change the appearance of the fluid dramatically. Since many shops have limited areas available for storing cores, some cores are open to the elements. Transporting cores in open vehicles also increases the opportunities for water contamination.
When in Doubt, Reset
If you find yourself faced with a1998-up Acura RX300 or a 2000-up Toyota RAV4 with shift-quality concerns, here are a few things you should know before you waste your time chasing wild geese.
Your Guess Is as Good as Mine!
What do your customers really think of your shop and the services you have to offer? What do they really want from you? What will make them want to come see you again and how often? What incentives, if any, are important to them? What will turn a prospect who doesn’t seem to want to buy into a customer? What will it take to keep that customer for life? Do you know, or are you just guessing on the basis of your own feelings or a few comments that a handful of customers have made to you over the years.
Worldwide Conditions and New Transmission Technology
With the technological advances of the past 100 years the world has become smaller. Fax machines, the Internet, cell phones and the globalization of industry have created a business climate that is evolving at an incredibly rapid pace.
August 2006 Issue
Issue Summary:
We provide exploded views of the Aisin Seiki 450-43LE valve body and identification of its components.
Before or after overhaul, some Volvo models equipped with the AW 55-50 SN transaxle may exhibit a neutral bang on takeoff.
Valve-Body ‘Kibbles & Bits’
In all the years of building transmissions, I think the worst thing that could happen is having the R&R guy, manager or owner come back after a road test and tell you, “It’s not working.” All of a sudden you get this knot-in-your-stomach feeling that makes you wish this were not really happening.
