The Karma Effect
The world is sometimes a competitive, cut-throat place. How can kindness win out? Should we quietly do good? Do we praise those who do? What about those who don’t?
Revisiting two excellent companies: Owner Must Solve Problems, Be Nice
Except maybe for me, I don’t know of anybody who enjoys bringing a car into a shop for repairs or services. I think I like it because it gives me a chance to evaluate the shop from a customer’s point of view instead of that of a consultant’s. I get to see first-hand how customers are being treated, how the facility stacks up against others, how well the problems are diagnosed and the repairs completed, and whether or not I get that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from believing that these people actually care and appreciate my business.
CVTs Are Here; You Can Profit from Them
As CVT transmissions are appearing in our shops with increasing frequency, there still seems to be a degree of hesitance for some shops to take on these jobs. Even if shops do not want to build these units in-house, there are reliable sources for remanufactured units out there that enable them to capture profit on R&R rather than sending a customer down the road to a competitor.
American Transmission Centers, Virginia Beach area
American Transmission Centers, a company with four transmission shops, capitalizes on the big metro area of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and other cities where more than 1.5 million people live.
September 2018 Issue
In This Issue
MRMA 5-speed Acura RSX: Neutralizing into fourth gear
722.9 new design valve body: 7 G-Tronic plus generation six
Extreme Stator Repair
When you are rebuilding a late model converter it is very important to have the correct stator, impeller and turbine. The computers in today’s vehicles are sophisticated enough to pick up small changes in the stall or stall torque ratio in a converter. If a change is detected by the computer it will set a code.
An ECU Dilemma
A 2009 Toyota Corolla LE with a 1.8L engine and a U341E transmission arrives to a shop with code P2757 Torque Converter Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid Performance (SLU Solenoid) Malfunction stored. The unit was removed and overhauled with a new SLU solenoid and a replacement torque converter. When it was tested, the car seemed to be working well but the Malfunction Indicator Lamp came on after reaching highway speed.
A Racing Specialty
Steve Farnsworth, founder and president of Omaha, Neb., based Midwest Transmission Supply (MTS), says that transmissions and the aftermarket is something he’s been around all his life. “My babysitters were truck mechanics,” he says. The family lived upstairs and owned a truck repair shop downstairs.
Valve body – GM Gen. 2 6T70, 6T75, 6T80 – Vacuum testing
Critical Wear Areas & Vacuum Test Locations
NOTE: OE valves are shown in rest position and should be tested in rest position unless otherwise
indicated. Test locations are pointed to with an arrow. Springs are not shown for visual clarity.
A low vacuum reading indicates wear. For specific vacuum test parameters,
refer to additional information available at www.sonnax.com.
No Shim and a Short
Lorenzo Ortiz from Phillips Transmission had a 2005 Acura TSX with the MCTA five-speed transmission come into his shop for repairs. After it was repaired and installed into the vehicle, it had a new problem. The car would not start. The immobilizer lamp was flashing and the scan tool could not communicate with the engine control module, yet all other modules would communicate.
