Transmission Diagnostics in Christchurch

Diagnosis first, repairs second

The most expensive way to fix a transmission is to guess. A slipping gearbox, a shudder or a warning light can each have several very different causes, and replacing parts on a hunch often leaves the real fault exactly where it was. That is why every job here starts with a proper diagnosis.

Today's automatics are run by a control module reading a network of sensors and driving a set of solenoids and a valve body. When something is wrong, the evidence is usually there to be read - if you have the equipment and the experience to interpret it. We do both.

What a diagnosis involves

• Electronic scan. We read stored and live fault codes from the transmission control module and the wider vehicle, not just a generic engine-light reader.
• Live data. Line pressures, temperatures, solenoid duty and gear commands are watched while the transmission works, which is where intermittent faults show themselves.
• Road test. A fault you can feel on the road is a fault we can diagnose. We drive the vehicle the way it misbehaves for you.
• Mechanical checks. Fluid level, condition and smell, external leaks, mounts and driveline - the simple things that are often the actual answer.

At the end you get a plain-English explanation of what is wrong and what your options are. Sometimes that means a valve body repair or a torque converter; sometimes a straightforward repair; occasionally a full rebuild. Often it is far less than the worst you were fearing.

Why it saves you money

A correct diagnosis is the cheapest part of any transmission job. It stops you spending on parts and labour that were never going to help, it catches small problems before they take out something major, and it means the repair we do quote is the repair the vehicle actually needs. If you are getting an automatic transmission looked at anywhere, insist on a real diagnosis first.