Archive for the 'Bellevue Transmission Repair' Category
My anniversary with my wife was coming up and one thing that I’d been promising to do for a while was to tune up her car, because she didn’t really know what to do with her car. When I went to go tune it up for her, I realized it need a little bit more work than I could do myself manually, so I figured I needed to take it somewhere near where we lived.
I really wanted to get her the best transmission repair Bellevue could offer, so I found a place that I could take it to and I got the car tuned up for it so that it wouldn’t have any problems anymore. It didn’t really feel like I’d done a whole lot, so I made sure to get her a few other gifts for our anniversary too! We went out to dinner in her car; it ran great!
Next to the engine itself, the most important of internal car systems is the transmission. Transmission problems have a direct impact on your car engine’s efficiency and smoothness of operation. To diagnose any problems with this crucial car system, one needs to be aware of transmission problem symptoms. That is the primary subject of discussion in this article. A glance through this Buzzle article will acquaint you with all the signs that indicate an impending transmission failure.
Without the transmission, your car would run only at a single speed. It is the transmission that makes speed variation possible using torque generated by the car engine. Now there are two types of transmission systems available. Most of modern cars have a built in automatic transmission system, where the gear changing is managed by the car itself. Otherwise, most older cars have a manual transmission.
Symptoms Indicating Transmission Issues
If you don’t want to be ripped off by car repair shops, you need to know how to carry out transmission problem diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis requires knowledge of the inner workings of the transmission. It would be a good idea to get hold of a Hayne’s manual, specific to your car model. It will provide you with an overview of automatic transmission working and also provide some maintenance tips. Here are the most common symptoms that one needs to watch out for.
Rough Shifting of Gears
One of the prime symptoms is rough shifting of gears. Instead of a smooth gear transmission, you will find that the transmission is bumpy. If you notice this happening repeatedly, it is time to get the transmission checked.
Delayed Engaging
If you notice that the gears are delayed in getting engaged and there is a latent response from the transmission, the reason might indicate a problem with the gear box. This condition may be a result of multitude of causes. One of the most likely causes might be low transmission fluid.
Murky Transmission Fluid
If you notice that the transmission fluid is looking murky, it means that a lubrication fluid replacement is on the cards. An immediate transmission fluid change is recommended.
Transmission Slipping
One of the most common problems with car transmission is recurrent slipping when changing gears. Transmission slipping can result from low levels of lubrication fluid or structural failure. This is one of the prime problems that plague an automatic transmission. This car problem needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
Transmission Fluid Leak
Checking transmission fluid should be a part if your regular car maintenance schedule. A leaking of the transmission fluid is one of the major indicators of imminent automatic and manual transmission problems. Make sure that you get the fluid replaced, as without it, the system will eventually break down. Lubrication is an essential need of every working machine part and the most essential necessity of the transmission.
Transmission Noise
Due to prolonged wear and tear of gears due to low transmission fluid levels, knocking noise may be heard. This noise is indicative of imminent transmission failure. A transmission fluid refill may take care of the problem quite easily.
At the slightest indication of any of these signs of impending transmission failure presenting themselves, you should visit Transmission Repair Seattle, as soon as possible. Delay in doing so, will ultimately result in costly car repairs. Make it a point to include car transmission checkup, in your regular car maintenance schedule. Call us at 206-624-1859.
Mercedes Benz Automatic Transmission Problems Seattle
Mercedes Benz Automatic Transmission Service and Repair
The majority of Mercedes Benz cars and SUVs coming into our shop for transmission repair service have the 722.6 automatic transmissions. These transmissions utilize 5 forward speeds and are fully computer-controlled and utilize adaptive learing. The earlier transmissions were prone to major gear train failure, resulting in a mess of damaged internal components. The most noticeable symptoms of gear train failure are loss of movement in forward or reverse and/or whining or grinding sounds when engaged in gear. The sounds can occur with or without vehicle movement. Gear train failures have been greatly reduced in later model transmissions due to a design change.
Transmission Computer Electrical Problems
All 722.6 Mercedes transmissions experience many electronic problems; however, there are major differences between the earlier and later 722.6 transmission models. These differences play a big role in the probability of cause of failure as well as the cost of repair. Electronic problems are still very prevalent even in the late model units, but these issues are relatively inexpensive to repair, because they can be addressed without removing and disassembling the transmission. The three electronic problems mentioned below account for 85% of the electronic problems we see in Mercedes-Benz transmissions.
Electrical Valve Body Conductor Plate Sensors
A defective transmission conductor plate is generally diagnosed by the speed sensor codes it produces when it has failed. This conductor plate is located on top of the transmission valve body, which can be accessed from under the vehicle. Repair of this component is not feasible, so the part must be replaced with a new one produced by the manufacturer, available from the Mercedes dealership. The replacement of the conductor plate requires removal of the transmission valve body. When the health body is removed, the conductor plug must also be removed, and should always be replaced with a new one.
Conductor Plug Leaking Fluid into Wiring Harness and Computer
The conductor plug often leaks fluid to the external wiring harness which is attached to it. When this occurs, the leaking fluid can get drawn up through the wiring harness and can accumulate in the transmission control module. Oils, including transmission fluid, are not good conductors of electricity; however they can wreak havoc when introduced into sensitive electronic equipment, such as microprocessors. To correct this problem, the conductor plug must be replaced, the wiring harness must be cleaned of excess transmission fluid, and the transmission control module should be disassembled and sprayed clean with electrical contact cleaner. In most cases the transmission control module will revert back to proper operation, but in some cases it must be replaced.
TRRS Shifter Switch Electrical Malfunction
The gear shift selector located in the center console of Mercedes Benz automobiles is coupled with a complex switch that sends electrical signals to the transmission computer controller. This switch is not adequately protected against conductive water based liquids that may enter through the center console area. Spilling your favorite beverage or leaving the sunroof open during a cloudburst can ruin the TRRS shifter switch, usually resulting in transmission malfunctions. This occurs because unlike oil based liquids and materials which do an adequate job of insulating electrical current, water based liquids are highly conductive. This is why the insulation on electrical wires is made of plastic, a petroleum oil based material. The TRRS switch cannot be repaired or bypassed, so replacing the switch will is required to restore proper function, allowing the correct signals to reach the Mercedes transmission computer controller through the wiring harness.
If your located in the Seattle area feel free to bring it by Seattle Transmission Repair for a free diagnostic service.
Building a strong transmission starts with internal gear train. The weakest link in the 4L60 transmission gear train is the sun gear shell. We recommend you upgrade this shell even if you are doing a simple stock overhaul. The sun gear shell has a tendency to strip out or completely break off at the splinted area. The factory recognized a problem with this shell and attempted to correct the issue by heat treating the splinted area of the shell and replacing the thrust washer with a thrust bearing. As many factory technicians have discovered this did not work. The aftermarket company SPX offers a replacement shell nicknamed “the beast”. This shell has a much thicker splinted area and can be used with either the thrust washer or the updated thrust bearing hub. The SPX “beast” shell is an excellent choice for stock to moderately modified applications. Recently, the aftermarket company Sonnax put on the market an improved beast type sun gear shell. Sonnax named this shell system “The Smart Shell”. Sonnax determined that by controlling the height of the low roller support inner race, reinforcing the spline area of the beast type shell with a precision steel collar and adding a thrust bearing between the low roller race and shell, the thrust load can be directed away from the captive planet bearing and sun gear. This rerouted thrust load is directed to the rear planet carrier protecting the more vulnerable captive bearing and sun gear. This design also benefits by preventing thrust load flexing which causes breakage at the spline area of the shell. We recommend this shell system in any 4L60 transmission applications but especially in applications where engine torque can exceed 400 ft lbs.
The planetary gear carriers are the next area to be addressed in high performance build applications. The factory 4 pinion gear carriers can withstand up to 400 ft lbs of engine torque. General Motors now manufactures a 5 pinion planetary set that can be retrofitted to the early 4L60E and 700R4 transmissions. The addition of the one extra planet gear increases the torque handling capability. There are aftermarket 5 pinion planet carriers available but we at Seatac Transmissions do not recommend these carriers. It has been our experience a new factory 4 pinion planet set is stronger than the aftermarket 5 pinion sets. The factory 5 pinion carriers are a drop in replacement and can be used with the original ring gears. As standard repair practice, a new ring gear should be used with a new planetary gear carrier. The factory 5 pinion input planetary carrier requires that you update the input hub with the improved bearing type hub. This input hub and bearing are included as a set with the 5 pinion input carrier from ACDelco.
In high torque or nitrous applications the factory input drum can fail. The failure usually occurs at the spline area of the drum where it messes with the input shaft. Under high torque the drum gives way and breaks away from the shaft. The aftermarket company Sonnax offers a reinforcement steel ring that is pressed over the overrun piston seal area of the drum reinforcing this spline area. Sonnax includes a modified aluminum overrun piston to work with this reinforcement ring. Sonnax also offers a reinforced drum kit for transmissions using 300mm converters. This kit starts with a brand new reluctor type input shaft drum and strengthens it with their reinforcement ring kit. These factory reluctor type input shafts were improved by the factory and can withstand higher torque loads than the original 300mm shafts. Sonnax includes a custom stator shaft to retrofit this drum to early 300mm converter transmissions. Sonnax does not offer this drum kit for 298mm converter transmissions. If your engine torque is higher than 400 ft lbs or you have installed a nitrous kit we recommend you use one of these two Sonnax kits.
Whenever something in my car breaks down my first thought is, “Oh boy, how much is this going to cost?” I bought my vehicle used so I have to weigh the costs closely. I only paid $8,000 for the car three years ago, so anything that’s going to cost a couple grand to fix really isn’t worth it.
Transmission repairs can be particularly costly. That’s why when I noticed issues with my transmission I immediately took it over to my trusty King’s Bellevue transmission repair. My regular mechanic always gives me a quote and goes over the options before he does any repairs. The cost wasn’t too high and the work was phenomenal, per usual.
My husband likes to think of himself as a Mr. Fix-It. Most of the time his projects fall to the wayside or if they are completed they don’t stand up to the test of time. He recently diagnosed a problem with our car’s automatic transmission, despite having no background in car mechanics.
He really wanted to purchase an automatic transmission rebuilding kit and do the repairs himself. I put my foot down and told him in no uncertain terms that he was not fooling with the car that I need to get to and from my job each day. Instead we took the car into King’s Bellevue automatic transmission repair shop. They fixed up our car (turns out it wasn’t a transmission problem) while we got a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant.
When you are looking for automotive repair you look for the best price available. Not only do you want the best price but customer service is important as well. Nowadays, people are so accustomed to wanting the best price, but they forget about customer service. This goes for everything that pertains to all stores, even mechanics as well.
Automatic transmission repair Bellevue has the best customer service. The people are so friendly and really listen to what you have to say. Customer service is truly an art form. When you take your car into a place it can be very stressful, especially when you aren’t sure what to expect. Having a smiling face welcoming you makes all the difference in the world.
It’s realty hard to find a trustworthy mechanic. It’s important for people to feel like they aren’t going to get robbed. It’s especially hard when you’re a woman. The stereotype is that women don’t know anything about cars. Therefore, it’s pretty easy for women to get taken advantage of.
It’s not the case if you do your research ahead of time. For example, if you lived in Bellevue and your transmission goes out, you might want to do research for Bellevue transmission repair shops. Find out how long they’ve been in business, look up client testimonials. All this will help you not to get taken advantage of in the long run.
I spend a lot of time in my car commuting to and from work. After a while you grow accustomed to the quirks of your vehicle. Last week I noticed that the car was making funny noises and shifting roughly whenever I pressed on the accelerator. I took my car into the shop so they could have a look at my automatic transmission.
Thankfully, the mechanics at the Bellevue automatic transmission repair shop I took my vehicle to were incredibly knowledgeable. They thoroughly examined my vehicle and let me know that I was long overdue for maintenance. With my permission, they drained and replaced the transmission fluid, replaced the filter, and performed a transmission flush (not necessarily in that order- that’s why I hired the experts!). I’m happy to report that my car is running smoothly these days without any unusual noises.
One of the foremost things in most people’s minds these days is the perpetually rising cost of gasoline. No matter how much you use daily it’s easy to see that the cost of gas is having a disastrous effect on our economy. So that’s why maximizing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency is more important than ever before. No one can afford to throw money away, especially in this economy. One of the things many people tend to forget about when considering fuel efficiency is regular transmission care and maintenance.
When it comes time for you to perform your next routine maintenance, don’t forget about the transmission. Having all of the parts inspected can save you a lot of headaches in the future. By staying on top of this type of maintenance you can end up saving yourself a lot of money. From proper lubrication to the healthy condition of all parts, keeping your transmission in good health is as critical as ever. If you’re on the Eastside check out automatic transmission repair Bellevue for your maintenance needs.