Automatic Transmissions and Transaxles [Paperback]

Tom Birch (Author), Chuck Rockwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0130846945 | ISBN-13: 978-0130846945 | Edition: 2 Sub

Vocational guide to the automotive workings of automatic transmissions and transaxles. Features more than 850 illustrations that demonstrate repair procedures and reinforce the concepts discussed. Oriented around the NATEF task list, and meets the study requirements for the ASE technician exam. Softcover. DLC: Automobiles--Transmission devices, Automatic.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Electronic control has revolutionized the field of automotive technology. Automatic transmissions and transaxles in cars today have less weight, increased gear ranges, and improved efficiency, performance, and durability. They also have increased complexity of operation. This new edition of Automatic Transmissions and Transaxles will help technicians understand and work with the new technology.

Automatic Transmissions and Transaxles presents the theory of operation for the major power transfer and control systems as wail as the diagnosis, service, and repair of common problems.

Key features of this edition:

• Over 850 illustrations reinforce the concepts and show repair procedures.
• Service Tips describe procedures that can help make a job flow more efficiently. Real World Fixes show actual case studies of how problems were diagnosed and repaired.
• The book is oriented around the NATEF task list and meets the needs of technicians preparing for the ASE exam on automatic transmissions.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The automobile has undergone a continuous evolution since its introduction in the late 1800s. Today's vehicles still incorporate most of the major features of the very early ones, yet are vastly different in many aspects. Durability and longevity have increased many times over. Drivability and fuel mileage are slowly but steadily improving, while exhaust emissions are steadily decreasing. For all this, vehicles still break and wear out.

The somewhat heavy, bulky, and cantankerous automatic transmissions introduced in the mid1900s have lost size and weight, gained gear ranges, and improved efficiency which has, in turn, helped improve vehicle operation. The transmissions have become more complicated, however. At one time, a transmission technician could memorize particular transmissions such as the Powerglide, C4, or THM 350. The technician would become and remain an expert on that unit for a number of years; changes were relatively few and infrequent. Those days are gone. Now there are many different transmissions, and some of these go through changes every year.

Automatic Transmissions/Transaxles, Second Edition, was written to help the student understand the automatic transmissions used in passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, pickups, light trucks, and vans. It describes the theory of operation for the major power transfer and control systems as well as the methods to diagnose and repair. the more common problems.

The theory chapters provide the student technician with an understanding of how the various systems work, the terminology used, and the variety of systems that can be encountered. For example, early transmissions used hydraulic valves to control shift timing and feel. Modern transmissions use electronics for this same purpose, and in many cases the electronics have become integrated with the electronic engine controls. A technician needs to keep abreast of the technical advancements as vehicles evolve. If he or she understands how the systems operate, successful repair becomes much easier.

The service and repair chapters complete the coverage of each system by describing the procedure used to maintain a system for proper operation; diagnosing the cause of a problem if it does occur; and then repairing or adjusting the unit to correct the root cause of the problem. These chapters are covered in a generic fashion, as general to all makes and types of vehicles as possible. Printed and electronic service information is commonly used in the automotive repair industry. It takes more than just the ability to read to use this information effectively. It is not the authors' intent to replace these manuals, but to supplement them so the student technician can gain full benefit from these valuable sources of information. This book describes how to do the service operations, and the service information tells what operations are necessary for a particular transmission.

The service chapters have been made more realistic by the addition of two features. Service Tips, which describe procedures that can make a job faster or ensure a more thorough repair, and Real-World Fix are case studies of how technicians have solved and repaired problems that have occurred.

This book covers all the areas contained in the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test for automatic transmissions/transaxles, and the ASE task list for this area is included as an appendix. The student technician who has had class instruction and shop experience should have no trouble in passing the ASE Automatic Transmission/Transaxle test.

Chapter 18 is new. It describes nonstock changes or modifications that can be made to solve unique problems or tailor a unit for a special purpose. This chapter should satisfy a student's curiosity about these modifications and what they do.

For the instructor who is using this book, a complete instructor's guide to accompany this text is available from the publisher. The contents include the answer key for the chapter review and quiz questions plus sources of teaching aids, additional test questions, and student exercises.

Product Details

• Paperback: 546 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 Sub edition (August 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130846945
• ISBN-13: 978-0130846945
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,495,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ASE Test Prep, October 26, 2009

By 

Shawn T. DasGupta (East Peoria, Illinois) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Automatic Transmissions & Transaxles (4th Edition) (Paperback)

I strongly recommend this book. I am preparing for the ASE test on transmissions and thought I'd check this out. It is well written with 2-color photographs. The author starts by discussing the basic principles of transmission design, and concludes with various modifications. You can see what's in the book at the publisher's website. It is pearsoned.com/autostudent.

3.0 out of 5 stars Dreadful in one significant way, okay in another, January 26, 2012

By 

Randalusa (Chico, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Automatic Transmissions and Tranaxles (5th Edition) (Professional Technician) (Paperback)

Many of the pictures make the book seem like a 1950s text. There are wasted words to go with the most shockingly awful pictures ever seen. Compare them to a high school student newspaper to get an idea. In an era of multi-color gorgeous illustrations drawn by professional artists or computer, this publisher settled for black with blue highlights. Then, rather than paying someone for decent photos, grabbed (evidently free) garbage (dark, less than crisp) photos from Toyota, Chrysler and some government agencies. After that, they charge a hundred bucks for thing while one can purchase a spectacular book about, say, construction, at Home Depot for $30 and be delighted with the gorgeous illustrations all the way through.

In the first chapters assigned by my instructor, pages were filled with "Real World Fix" examples, mini-stories of troubleshooting probably culled together from an internet forum. Wasting my time reading a bunch of them, I finally realized the authors are never going to explain WHY the eventual fix worked or the problem occurred, only what did solve the issue (new modulator, whatever).

The book does get better in parts (not the photos), which provides some decent explanations of the subject. But the illustrations forever remain two-color. Moreover, oftentimes the names listing parts in the illustrations fail to match up with the text, so maybe the author borrowed both illustrations and descriptions from others without bothering to reconcile the differences.

I don't hate the book. But if anybody ever decides to publish a brilliant text on auto repair / instrution (Chilton and Haynes manuals offered in auto parts stores are crappola too), I will cheerfully shell out the cash and forever leave these oinkers in the rearview mirror.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good detailed book., August 5, 2010

By 

jayRnYc - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Automatic Transmissions & Transaxles (4th Edition) (Paperback)

Very detailed and it delves in deep into the history of auto transmissions. No disc is a negative for this era and the price. Great pickup for vets and rooks alike. If you are going to take the ASE certification test(s) it is a must.