The Gear Doctor

The Gear Doctor

At 44, Dejan Krleza can already look back on 30 years of experience as an automotive technician. He began his career as an apprentice at Pappas Wiener Neudorf, later he switched from Mercedes commercial vehicles to Renault cars and finally ended up in the independent workshop of Peter Neumahr, the transmission guru from Vienna Hernals. There he learned how to maintain and repair gear changing machines of various types and, thanks to hard work and skill, became an expert, which ultimately earned him a job at ZF Austria. After another three years of expertise in repairing steering systems, differentials and automatic transmissions, Krleza set up his own company, AGS “Automatic Transmission Service” in Vienna-Liesing. The company was flourishing with two employees and two apprentices - until the corona pandemic. A year ago, Krleza gave up management, the company was renamed AGW KFZ Technik AG, and the service portfolio was expanded to include general vehicle repairs, §57a inspections and even control unit repairs for all brands. Krleza remained on board as workshop manager and can now concentrate fully on his field of transmission repair.

What Dejan Krleza likes about gearbox repair is that only a few people really master the complex subject matter. The market development is in his favor, as more and more vehicles with automatic transmissions are being sold. Whether torque converter automatics, dual clutch or CVT transmissions - the automatic gearshifts that were previously reserved for the upper class have long since conquered the middle class. As transmission manufacturers continually increase the number of gear stages and at the same time save on size and weight, defects are becoming more and more common. No wonder: If aluminum is used instead of steel for components, faster wear can be expected. But not only mechanical, but also hydraulic and electronic defects are increasing as automatic transmissions become more widespread. According to Krleza, every second problem can be solved with a transmission flush, the others require more complex interventions. And if a repair becomes too expensive for the customer, Krleza will help them find a cheap replacement gearbox.