A guide to common GM, Ford and Nissan programming issues
One of the most common complaints I hear from shops when trying to install a new GM TCM is, “The module will not communicate.” While that might be partially true, by design they won’t communicate until they are programmed. If programming fails, there will be an “E” code set which will help you get to
Going the extra mile: Proving your transmission repair suspicions
A 2003 Honda Pilot with a five-speed three-shaft transmission came into our shop with a customer concern that the vehicle had no power, and the “D” light was flashing. I first did a scan for codes to see what it came up with, and the scan tool returned four DTCs: P1298 (ELD voltage high), P0135 (H02S
Hidden problems: Three tales of electrical issues
In this article, I will discuss some vehicles with electrical issues. These issues were previously addressed by a different shop/tech, but the improper or incomplete repair resulted in these hidden problems that would appear later. The first case was on an early 2004 Chevrolet Venture FWD, with a 4T70 transmission. This van was setting solenoid
How reading through service bulletins can turn a technician into the customer’s hero
Over the last 28 years of being a technician, I have developed the habit of checking for and reading technical service bulletins at the forefront of the diagnostic process, especially when an unfamiliar vehicle exhibiting blatant or straightforward concerns comes into the shop. I have found many valuable nuggets of information while reading over these
Looking deeper: Telling apart electrical issues and parts issues
We see such a variety of transmission problems these days, and all the electronics involved today certainly have added a whole new crop of potential issues. Even though a significant part of our diagnostic process is geared towards electrical issues, there are still times when the problem is simple and not related to electronics at
The importance of the follow-up road test after transmission replacement
A 2002 Lexus RX300 equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 engine and U140F transmission was brought into our facility with a few concerns. The customer said that “it has a leak, a grinding noise when taking off from a stop, and it just doesn’t seem to shift right.” They went on to tell us that this
Dealing with the increasingly common pin-fit problem
I want to talk a little bit about a common diagnostic misstep or overlooked problem that is prevalent in the automotive repair industry and seems to be on the rise. Pin-fit or tension can deal us a fit sometimes (pun intended), especially if we do not have the proper tools to determine if this mode
Back to square one: When a transmission replacement doesn’t fix the problem
The subject of this article is a 2002 Ford Ranger with a 3.0L V6 engine and 5R44E transmission. There were 191,622 miles on the vehicle when it arrived at our shop. The owner said that the transmission was not shifting correctly and the OD lamp was flashing. I performed the initial evaluation and road test,
The technician’s duty to the customer
I want to talk about some of the recent trends of particular cars and trucks that we see showing up at repair shops for work to be done. It seems to be a perfect storm of high used car prices, lack of new car inventory, and a bit of economic uncertainty that brings us to
Diving into electrical testing and wiring with the 948TE
We had a 2014 Jeep Cherokee come into our Bellevue, Neb. facility with a transmission that would not shift. This all-wheel drive vehicle was equipped with a 3.2L engine and a 948TE nine-speed transmission. I was informed when the vehicle was dropped off that they previously brought it to a different shop for this same
Potential causes of an overheated transmission: It’s not always what you think
If a transmission starts overheating, the root cause must be something to do with the transmission itself, right? Not always. The following are a few examples where the transmission was not to blame. Exhibit A: GM 6L80/90 The first overheating case comes from GM 6L80 and 6L90 transmissions equipped with a thermal bypass valve in
A mysterious shudder: Locating a problem with no fault codes
It was a dark stormy night… well, not really; it was just an ordinary Tuesday. On that ordinary Tuesday, a customer came into our store very distraught. He had been to several shops with concern of feeling a shudder while driving his vehicle uphill. None of the other shops or the Toyota dealership could give
