At Mister Transmission, we have a proven, customer-focused approach to transmission repair, and it involves three key phases: assessment, explanation and service. To illustrate these phases, we can look at an actual scenario involving a transmission that wouldn’t reverse, and on occasion would slip into overdrive.
We began by listening carefully to our customer’s concerns and asking helpful, clarifying questions to really get a sense of the problem. Indeed, even though our customer wasn’t a car repair expert (which makes sense, since that’s our job!), he certainly helped us get a better idea of the nature of the problem from a driver’s perspective.
From there, we performed a series of probing diagnostics using the car’s on-board computer system and our in-shop tools. This process was both efficient and comprehensive.
We then performed a road test to confirm both what our customer and the computer were telling us. And indeed, we verified that a transmission problem existed.
Following the road test, we hoisted the car using a unique hoist that has been specifically designed for transmission repair – and which is not found in most other transmission shops or dealerships. After lowering the pan, we found that due to severe overheating, the transmission’s clutch plates had burned, had started flaking apart, and had released a significant amount of black, sooty debris. Plus, we saw that the plates had welded together and wouldn’t release, which explained why the car wouldn’t reverse.
Based on these initial findings, we carefully inspected the whole transmission – front to back, without skipping even the smallest section – to check for additional damage, and that’s precisely what was found. Again, the overheating transmission was the culprit. In addition to burning the clutch plates, the debris mentioned earlier also clogged the valve body and the filters, and burned the overdrive bands right down to the metal.
Our next step was to explain the results of our assessment. Unlike some transmission shops, we pride ourselves on clear, jargon-free communication. We never want a customer to drive away thinking to themselves “I’m not really sure what I just paid for, or why.”
After discussing various options and solutions, our customer agreed that rebuilding the transmission was the most effective and safest way to proceed.
While the idea of burned plates and an overheating transmission may seem a bit scary, this story had a happy ending. That’s because when we rebuilt the transmission, we used brand new original equipment parts, and we also changed the spring pressures on the shuttle valves. This was done to open up some of the holes and allow for more lubrication, which would help to better cool the overdrive band and help it to last longer.
Since this customer did a lot of towing – which can seriously heat things up inside the transmission – we advised him to add an auxiliary cooler. At a small cost, this was a smart way to avoid major transmission service in the future.
Ultimately, as is illustrated by the above scenario, our 3-phase transmission repair process is built around our customers and their needs. It’s the kind of value added approach that ordinary transmission shops or are not always able to provide, but it’s something we do, because we always work to exceed our customer’s expectations – every visit, every time!
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