Transmission GearsA shop owner and builder called the other day with a 2003 Durango 45RFE that wouldn’t move after a rebuild. Being a 25 year veteran of the transmission business, he called to ask if I had heard any complaints on that particular problem, which I then mentioned to him about pre-filling the cooler filter before installation. The shop owner then went and dropped the pan, filled the filter, and the truck went down the road with no problem. Another simple fix to a problem the shop owner would have worked on for hours had he been afraid to ask for some in-sight. Instead, he was able to fix the vehicle and move on with his other repairs.

With 20 plus years experience in the transmission business, I have yet to meet the person that knows everything about our industry; no offense if you think you do! With that being said, some of the most knowledgeable people I have dealt with are the ones to who actually sell the parts and not just use them. With the opportunity to talk to a variety of different techs on a daily basis ( ~80 – 100 daily), sales representatives hear all kind of issues that cause stress in this business. Questions are free to ask, and in most cases answered without a cost as well, so utilizing the sales rep at the counter is one of the best free tools you can get in this business.