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Would it worry you if . . .

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Posted by: MDavis0424

The service manager at your local dealership tried to tell you that the LS transmission was a 4 speed overdrive, and what they were calling fifth gear was really just the torque converter locking up?

Posted by: HyeLifeLS

I think it's a 3 speed with an overdrive that locks first and the third or so. I am not really sure. Weird.

Posted by: SoonerLS

The 5R55N and 5R55S are both 3-speed trannies which use overdrive twice to create 5 gear ratios. He's inaccurate, but that's not really important--service advisers and service managers are really in management, so their technical knowledge is not why they're paid; they just need enough technical info to go between you and the techs. Now, if the tech working on your tranny were telling you that, then I'd worry.

Posted by: Iancusp

+1

Posted by: T_Man

+2

The best Service Managers are the ones that were, at one time, technicians themselves. But that is often not the case, so take what your SM says with a grain of salt and always try to talk to the person who is actually working on your car. Most reputable and quality shops or dealerships will make their techs available for you to speak too. If they don't, then you may want to find another place to take your vehicle.

Always try to go to the source.... not the middle man.

Posted by: LS4me

The trans is, as said above, a three speed with an overdrive attached. The trans is really a 6 speed auto, as each of the three speeds are/can be overdriven. IIRC, 1st and 3rd are overdriven and not second. The non-overdriven gear is numerically too close to the overdriven gear to be of any value. Notice how close 1st and 2nd are?

Posted by: Jim Henderson

Yeah a lot of people are under the mis-impression that the converter lockup is what you are feeling when you have 5 or even 4 speed autos.

Service Managers often know almost nothing about the vehicles they quote prices on, they just go by the book or computer.

I once had a service manager tell me it was time for my Wife's 83 Maxima to get a timing belt change. being very familiar with that model engine I knew right away that the old straight 6 had chains and a tension, not a belt, so he was trying to sell me an expensive service that had nothing to do with that model. Kind of scary how far off he was, or maybe it was intentional?

Really hard to find a knowledgable service rep. If you find one use them and tell the rest of us.

Jim Henderson

Posted by: MDavis0424

This wasn't one of the guys who wear the nice clean golf shirts with the little Lincoln logo, this was one of the guys from out in the shop who still had a little grease under his fingernails. I brought it in because the transmission felt like it was dropping into neutral between 2nd and 3rd gear, every now and then under moderate acceleration the engine rpms would jump up about 1000 rpms before finally dropping into 3rd with a loud thunk. Wouldn't do it while they had it of course.

Posted by: T_Man

Just because a person works on cars in a shop, doesn't mean he knows what he's doing or talking about.

Posted by: MDavis0424

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Man

Just because a person works on cars in a shop, doesn't mean he knows what he's doing or talking about.

But if he is introduced to you as the service manager? I'm not talking about Jiffy Lube, this is the L-M dealership.

Posted by: 2001LS8Sport

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoonerLS

The 5R55N and 5R55S are both 3-speed trannies which use overdrive twice to create 5 gear ratios. He's inaccurate, but that's not really important--service advisers and service managers are really in management, so their technical knowledge is not why they're paid; they just need enough technical info to go between you and the techs. Now, if the tech working on your tranny were telling you that, then I'd worry.

That may be true Sooner, but I would sure as hell expect them to have the accurate product knowledge! That's horrible they don't know more than that. It is a true 5 speed trans. However, direct (1:1) is not 3rd gear...it's 4th gear. There is only one overdrive and that's 5th gear.

Posted by: 2001LS8Sport

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoonerLS

The 5R55N and 5R55S are both 3-speed trannies which use overdrive twice to create 5 gear ratios.

That's not correct. Direct is 4th...there's only one overdrive and that's 5th.

Posted by: LS4me

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2001LS8Sport

That's not correct. Direct is 4th...there's only one overdrive and that's 5th.

Partially correct. Two of the 3 speeds are overdriven to create the 5 forward speeds. IIRC, the 2-3 shift is the worst as both transmissions (the 3-speed and the overdrive) are shifting together.

Posted by: HyeLifeLS

Quote:

Originally Posted by LS4me

Partially correct. Two of the 3 speeds are overdriven to create the 5 forward speeds. IIRC, the 2-3 shift is the worst as both transmissions (the 3-speed and the overdrive) are shifting together.

Posted by: hotrodllsc

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Man

Just because a person works on cars in a shop, doesn't mean he knows what he's doing or talking about.

QFT.... Former Ford Senior Master Technician here. But I knew what I was talking about. And when I didn't I could sure as hell make it sound like I did!

In case ya'll are wondering why former? Ford is restructuring their dealerships and closing a VERY large number of them across the nation. What do you do with the technicians from 6 dealerships in just one city when nobody is hiring? Nothing, let them starve.

Posted by: SoonerLS

Quote:

Originally Posted by LS4me

Partially correct. Two of the 3 speeds are overdriven to create the 5 forward speeds. IIRC, the 2-3 shift is the worst as both transmissions (the 3-speed and the overdrive) are shifting together.

That's what I was trying to say. Stupid imprecise English language...

Posted by: mnmridg

MSNBC has an article that says mechanics are the #3 most needed proffesion right now. So what that means is if you are a halfway decent tech, you're staying in the shop 'cause you're more valuable there. Sure you might make a decent service rep but they'll need to hire 3 to replace you and probably go through a dozen until they find one worth keeping. So they do infact promote the tech that has his name stamped into his belt so whenever he gets around to pulling his head out of his @ss, he'll know who he is.
It is Especially true these days when costomer service means so much more to people. The run of the mill costomer does not know if it a 3,4,5 spd, or even CVT. They just don't want to go back for the same problem. So the tech's that don't suffer from Rectal-Cranial Insertion will stay in the shop.

Posted by: hotrodllsc

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnmridg

MSNBC has an article that says mechanics are the #3 most needed proffesion right now. So what that means is if you are a halfway decent tech, you're staying in the shop 'cause you're more valuable there. Sure you might make a decent service rep but they'll need to hire 3 to replace you and probably go through a dozen until they find one worth keeping. So they do infact promote the tech that has his name stamped into his belt so whenever he gets around to pulling his head out of his @ss, he'll know who he is.
It is Especially true these days when costomer service means so much more to people. The run of the mill costomer does not know if it a 3,4,5 spd, or even CVT. They just don't want to go back for the same problem. So the tech's that don't suffer from Rectal-Cranial Insertion will stay in the shop.

LOL, I wish it were that case here. I don't know how the rest of the nation has been affected yet but a lot of the major car manufactures are planning to do the same thing Ford is doing. Don't get me wrong, I could get a job at any goodyear, firestone, or anything. The biggest thing after working at the dealer is I have found those places sell a TON of stuff that the customer doesn't need. That and they don't pay near as well as the dealerships. Promoting technicians to management has also turned into a thing of the past here. I know of only one service manager in the city that started with turning wrenches. In order to become a service manager you have to start as a porter, then service adviser, then service manager. I would love to go back to work for Ford but yeah, none of the dealerships were hiring before they put 90 good Ford techs on the street. I have job offers to go work for GM and Toyota but I am reluctant to act on them. Especially if GM does the same thing and shuts down that dealership!

Anyways, to answer the question about the transmission. I don't have any books any more so I don't know. That and transmissions was not my specialty.

As far as the "good" technicians getting rewarded?! No, they got the work that nobody could fix, than criticized for not producing enough work. It was a severe double edged sword. Fix cars, be punished!