When I was younger, a lot younger, one of the first college classes I attended was a physics class. I learned tons about our world and why things work as they...
Last October, I was lucky to spend a few days with Bob Warnke, the Vice President of Technical Development at Sonnax Corporation. He did the big 13+ hour drive...
The Dodge RFE series transmission has gone through some changes with the solenoid block and now changes with transmission range sensor (TRS) plate.
We’re...
In case you haven’t noticed, many automotive manufacturers now offer transmissions with eight to ten different gear ratios. This has been a major change in...
I recently received a call from a friend, Pat, who runs a transmission remanufacturing company. He was frustrated as he said, “Man, Dennis, we have got these...
The UA80E first showed up in 2017. It was used from 2017 through 2022 in the Toyota Highlander with 2.5L and 3.5L engines. From 2018 through 2022, it came in...
This article is a prelude and supportive document to a new column, “Thinking It Through.” Over my 40+ years in the transmission industry as a rebuilder...
Since Chrysler introduced the A604 transmission in 1989, controlling the power feed to the transmission was a major concern. Low resistance, fast acting pulse...
Sensor technology is changing rapidly. Technicians usually set up expectations about what the sensor waveform will look like when they connect their scope and...
Whenever I can, I like to get off the ATRA Hotline and do some hands-on diagnosing on a live vehicle, and there are a few shops in town where I get the...
While working on the ATRA technical Hotline, we get to encounter some pretty interesting problems. Recently, we received a call from a member shop encountering...
It seems as time marches on, more and more of what we do is driven by government rules and regulations. The government requires and monitors automotive and...
Automotive markets around the world are interconnected on many levels, particularly in terms of powertrains. As ATRA is an international organization, we...
The 62TE transmission is Mopar’s answer to increasing the fuel efficiency of their front-wheel drive vehicles. While it is fundamentally a 41TE with an...
Ford is doing its part in the EV and Hybrid markets these days. Full-EV plug-in models include the Mustang Mach E and the F-150 Lightning. Ford offers several...
Change happens even when you don’t realize it. Change in this industry is happening quickly and that trend will continue for several years to come. All too...
Jatco CVT transmissions have always had a belt to transfer power from one pulley to the other. The belt has worked out in light cars with small engine torque...
Convenience and ease of operation are things we have come to expect out of our daily driving experiences. Pushing a button should give us exactly what we want...
Understanding and diagnosing today’s domestic all-wheel drive systems can be quite intimidating. They’re designed to operate in conjunction with many of...
When the 10L80 came out in 2018, the 8L90 had its share of problems in the aftermarket. I wanted the ten-speed units to replace the 8L series units. However...
