Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:19:35 -0700
Reply-To: PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Talk to me about AT's!
In-Reply-To: <147b01c7ca8b$69a367d0$6500a8c0@lauterbaf0d5f3>
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How often do you have to have it serviced?
Patti
90 Westy Automatic
**********************
On 7/19/07, John Lauterbach <lauterba@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> Mike, the AT is probably one of the best parts of your Vanagon. Just make
> sure to have it serviced periodically by someone who knows what he/she is
> doing.
>
> Here in middle GA there are not enough serious hills to comment on
> extended
> use in lower gears.
>
> John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 12:53 AM
> Subject: Talk to me about AT's!
>
>
> > Mrs Squirrel and I just got back from several days of camping in the
> > Sierra Nevada (spectacular weather, great camping, especially at site
> > #32 at Highland Lakes) and Mellow Yellow operated flawlessly, even
> > climbing the mighty 6% grade up highway 395 to Sherman Summit in 109
> > degree (F) weather, loaded with camping gear, w/o overheating. This was
> > at 7pm -- I tried to wait out the heat of the day but it hit over 105F
> > at noon and just stayed there. I killed as much time as I could in the
> > shade of a young sycamore at Tuttle Creek campground near Lone Pine, but
> > it just never cooled off.*
> >
> > Anyhoo, on the way up, between watching the temp gauge, the tach, and
> > rear-view mirror to make sure that I wasn't about to get rear-ended by a
> > faster vehicle, I was very aware about how little I know about automatic
> > transmissions.
> >
> > Uphill Question:
> >
> > If Mellow Yellow had a manual transmission, I'd think nothing of
> > downshifting to second or even first gear as needed to keep the rpm's
> > up. But there's just something about running an automatic transmission
> > for long periods in lower gears that worries me. Maybe it's because the
> > transmission sounds at a higher pitch than I am used to -- I don't know.
> > I can't put my finger on it. Is it okay to stay in "1" or "2" with an
> > automatic transmission as long as the engine isn't being over-revved?
> >
> > Downhill Question:
> >
> > Some of those Sierra passes have long downhill grades at up to 26%.
> > Again, if I had a manual, I'd-a downshifted and used the engine to take
> > some of the load off the brakes. Is it okay to do that with an automatic
> > transmission?
> >
> > * Glad I had a Norcold refrigerator instead of the original Dometic --
> > with its 45F max differential, the inside of the old reefer would have
> > been 109 - 45 = 64F, which is too warm for food safety or cold beer.
> >
> > --
> > Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> > 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> > 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> > 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> > KG6RCR
>
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