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#1. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO & TRANSMISSION ABOUT FINDING A REPAIR SHOP THAT IS GOOD. Today, maintenance of vehicles can be a necessary investment. Therefore, it is very important to find a shop you can trust, to have confidence in their ethics and work. To find a reputable transmission repair shop, the best approach is to ask your friends, someone you work with, or someone in an organization you may belong to. When you arrive at a shop, use common sense and ask yourself the following questions: does the shop appear professional? Does the shop appear clean and organized? Do the employees appear to show pride in their work? (don't be afraid to go with your feelings.) When you have decided on a repair shop to try, have them do some minor repairs, or a transmission maintenance service, to see if they operate the way they should. Note whether the final bill matches the estimate. Did they keep you informed about how the work was progressing? Was the work done in a timely manner? Did they push for repairs you felt were not necessary? When you talk to the employees, do they seem knowledgeable? Concerned? Do they listen to you with the indication that they care about you as a person and not only as a potential profit? Were your questions and concerns addressed to your satisfaction? Or did you feel they were trying to intimidate you? Good transmission repair shops will want you as a long-term customer. See if they give you that impression. NOTE: GOOD SERVICE IS NOT CHEAP. BUT BAD SERVICE IS A TOTAL WASTE OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY!!!!! #2. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO ABOUT ADDITIVES. Most of the additives out there are designed for one purpose, that is, to soften rubber seals and gaskets. The problem is that only a portion of the seals in a transmission may be hardened from age and heat. Therefore, additives may soften all the seals to a point where they will not do their job. #3. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: I HAVE A TRANSMISSION LEAK. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO REPAIR IT? There are a number of places on a transmission where leaks could occur. There are cooler lines, servo covers, output seals, pump seals, kick down seals, shift seals, electrical connections, governor cover, speedometer, differential cover, filler tube, etc. Most people can see only the bottom of the transmission and they assume that the pan gasket is leaking, when it is possible that the transmission could be leaking from many places. Therefore, the vehicle should be visually inspected to find the source of the leak. Therefore, we can't tell you how much it will cost without first seeing the vehicle. #4. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: CAN I DRIVE WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT IS LEAKING? That depends on how much it is leaking. If it is a small amount, then you can drive the vehicle as long as the fluid level is not allowed to get too low. Usually a transmission will operate properly until the fluid level is one litre lower than the recommended level. If a vehicle operates with a low fluid level, it may start operating abnormally (slipping, shifting improperly). This behavior indicates that internal damage is occurring. Therefore, a slow leak, if ignored, can result in future major repairs. #5. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: MY TRANSMISSION ISN'T WORKING RIGHT. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT WILL FIX IT? It is just not that simple. Rarely can we get an accurate enough description from just talking to a customer to reach the correct conclusion. Most general technicians don't have the ability to diagnose transmission problems. The best we can do is help you to understand what may be happening and give you some possible solutions. #6. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: I HAVE A COMPUTER CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION AND IT'S NOT WORKING PROPERLY. With computer controlled transmissions, don't assume that it is the transmission. Computers get signals from many sensors. Any sensor could confuse the computer if it is not working properly. Poor ground contacts can be the problem. This must be diagnosed properly because just any general repair to the transmission may not alleviate the problem. To diagnose this, a scanner must be used to retrieve information stored in the computer to help pinpoint the problem. #7. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: WHAT IS A SCANNER? A scanner is a small hand-held computer that attaches to your vehicle and reads the various signals coming from the many sensors. The scanner can also retrieve codes from the memory of the computer. This information is helpful in diagnosing the electrical control system for your transmission. Scanners are a must to diagnose transmission problems. NOTE: PLEASE EXPECT A SMALL CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE!!!!! #8. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: MY TRANSMISSION ISN'T WORKING RIGHT. I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE FLUID AND THE FILTER MYSELF TO SEE IF THAT FIXES THE PROBLEM. Changing the fluid and the filter is a maintenance operation that rarely fixes the problem. By changing the fluid and the filter, you remove important clues to what is happening inside the transmission. So do yourself a favour and don't disturb evidence in the pan. #9. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO OVERHAUL MY TRANSMISSION? That depends on the model of the transmission. But how do you know that it needs to be overhauled? There could be other problems that prompt you to suspect the transmission. Perhaps your vehicle has a restricted exhaust system, a computer problem, a sensor problem, poor electrical grounds, a poor vacuum source, etc. We have seen many vehicles brought to our shop that had major transmission repairs, but the vehicle still did not perform properly. In these cases we often discover that the problem was not in the transmission itself and, consequently, the problem was never fixed. Sadly, this results in a waste of time and money to the consumer. #10. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: WHAT IS A SHIFT KIT? A shift kit is an aftermarket product that fixes design flaws in the transmission. In most cases, the kit improves lubrication, boosts internal pressure, and improves shift quality. NOTE: NOT ALL TRANSMISSIONS REQUIRE A SHIFT KIT!!! #11. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: SHOULD I DRIVE IN "OVERDRIVE" OR "DRIVE"? When overdrive transmissions were initially installed in vehicles, it was recommended to operate in "drive" in the city, but, generally speaking, this is no longer the case. However, when operating in hilly terrain or in towing applications, you should operate your vehicle in "drive" to avoid continuous shifting, which can be damaging to the transmission. NOTE: THIS APPLIES ESPECIALLY WHEN USING CRUISE CONTROL!!! #12. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: I'M LOOKING FOR A CHEAP OVERHAUL? A cheap overhaul is probably just that! The concerns are: Does the work recommended really need to be done? Does the shop use high quality parts? Do they have the necessary experience? Will they do the job right? Will they be around to handle any problems occurring in the warranty period? It becomes obvious that the shop has to charge enough to do a quality job. If there are shortcuts taken on parts or labour, it is going to cost more in the long run. #13. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: I FOUND A PLASTIC PIECE IN THE PAN ON MY FORD CAR. The plastic piece is a plug that is installed at the factory. It plugs the dipstick opening and when the dipstick is installed, the plug is pushed into the pan. It does no harm and can be thrown away. #14. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: I ENDED UP WITH WATER IN MY TRANSMISSION. HOW DO I GET IT OUT? There is no way to get all the water out of your transmission. The clutch plates and bands will absorb water and this will dissolve the glue that holds the lining to the plate. Also, any metal parts in the transmission will rust and contaminate the fluid. The only solution to this problem is to have the unit rebuilt. #15. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: MY CHRYSLER CAR WON'T MOVE INITIALLY IN THE MORNING. It sounds like you have a converter drain back problem. Fluid from the converter drains back into the pan overnight and it takes a few seconds for it to recharge the converter. The converter will not fully recharge until the selector is moved out of "park". This is a common problem with the torque flight transmission and there is a "shift kit" that will fix the problem. #16. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: WHAT'S BETTER FOR FUEL CONSUMPTION, AN AUTOMATIC OR A STANDARD? Automatic transmissions need a pump to provide hydraulic pressure to make the transmission work. This feature will cause a loss in fuel efficiency. Also, the torque converter is really a fluid coupling device, so it does not transmit 100% of the torque compared to a clutch in a standard transmission. Newer automatics use a lock up torque converter in the higher gears for better fuel economy. So a standard transmission is usually more fuel-efficient than an automatic. NOTE: THE SPEED AND TECHNIQUE OF YOUR DRIVING ALSO INFLUENCES FUEL MILEAGE!!! #17. ASK THE EXPERTS AT ABLE AUTO: I LIVE IN SASKATCHEWAN. WHAT TYPE OF TRANSMISSION COOLER DO YOU RECOMMEND? That's an easy one. Here in Saskatchewan, our summers can be very hot and hard on your transmission. We recommend that anytime you use your vehicle to tow something such as a boat or trailer, you should have an adequate cooler installed to help cool the transmission. However, it is a totally different story in the winter months in our climate. With temperatures reaching -40c, the transmission fluid in your cooler can gel. When the fluid gels, there is not enough flow through the cooler lines to properly lubricate the transmission. This may cause damage to the point where the transmission needs to be rebuilt. We recommend that only the "long true-cool lpd cooler" be installed. They are designed for cold weather and will flow evenly at -40c.
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