I would really like to have mine done every year, but shop that does the best work here in Macon is on other side of town, and I don't have anyone to take me home after I leave the van at that shop. 

John
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: PB 
  To: John Lauterbach 
  Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com 
  Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 1:19 AM
  Subject: Re: Talk to me about AT's!

  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