How Can I Get More Out Of My Transmission?

Get More Out of Your Transmission

If you want anything in life to continue to perform the way it is supposed to, you need to take care of it. General wear and tear on machines will eventually cause problems with the different parts that will eventually lead to them breaking down. The same is true for the transmission of your car.

An average transmission can last between 150,000 to 200,000 miles, if you take proper precautions in the car and maintenance of it. Fortunately, giving your transmission some tender love and care can actually make it last a lot longer and even perform better than before!

Check and Change Transmission Fluid

The most important check that you need to perform is on the transmission fluid-- once a week if possible. If you run out of this, it will keep the gears inside from spinning and your vehicle will not move.

What’s worse is that those parts will be damaged and that may mean an expensive replacement or your vehicle will become a lawn ornament. You should completely replace all the transmission fluid after every 45,000 miles on average. If you check the fluid, but you notice there is a lot of grease or dirt, or it smells strange, like it has been burnt-- those are signs that you should go ahead and replace it to be safe. Check under your vehicle regularly for leaks or all your hard work may literally go down the drain.

Take It Easy While Driving

Be aware that if you use your vehicle for work or you perform a lot of activities that are hard on it, there’s a good chance that you may need to consider having your transmission serviced more than if the automobile is used primarily for travel.

Towing items or using overdrive can be hard on a transmission, wearing it down rapidly and putting it at risk of a breakdown or minor problems-- so can driving wildly. Pushing the vehicle with quick accelerations or grinding gears in quick shifts is also asking for trouble in the long haul.

Don’t Drive if the Car is Overheating

If the temperature on the transmission begins to overheat, a warning light will appear to let you know.

Stop immediately and try to figure out what is going on. If you don’t, you may find yourself having to fork over a ton of cash for a transmission replacement. Regardless, you definitely need to have it looked at: transmission overheating is the most common reason why they break down!

Don’t Drive On a Cold Engine

Speaking of temperature, as your vehicle ages, it requires more time to warm up before you drive. Make sure you let it run for a little while before you take off. Give it even more time the older the vehicle is because it will be more at risk for damage when the transmission is running too cold. It is important to let your car idle in normal circumstances, but when the weather is cold it is even more crucial. Let your transmission have more time to make sure it’s ready to go before you start driving.

Tips and Tricks To Sustain Your Transmission

There are minor prevention techniques that you can do to ensure a long life of transmission service:

• - If you are going to change to drive or reverse, come to a full stop first -- reversing while the vehicle is in motion is a terrible thing for a transmission
• - You could consider getting a transmission cooler to make sure that your transmission doesn’t overheat
• - You can also have your car’s cooling system serviced
• - When you change the transmission fluid, make sure that you have the right kind for your vehicle
• - Synthetic transmission fluid performs best because it is specifically designed to protect your transmission
• - Driving on a spare tire can cause additional wear on your transmission since these are intended to be used for temporary purposes only
• - Check and change the transmission filter regularly-- any buildup causes your transmission to work overtime
• - Having an additional filter near the cooler lines can help keep even more muck and grime out of your transmission
• - Making sure that your radiator is functional can also help prevent overheating
• - Clean the pan gasket regularly-- if it is cracked or worn out, replace it

Have Your Transmission Serviced Regularly

Regardless of how easy you work your car or how well you follow the other tips, you will eventually need to give the transmission service. After all, getting this part replaced can be incredibly expensive, and you can save yourself a lot of money and heartache if you have your vehicle checked at a certified transmission repair shop.

There are technicians that can handle manual or automatic transmission repair or even replacement if the worst comes to pass. However, finding the minor problems early through a professional can prevent them from turning into a major problem down the line.

Who Should Service My Transmission?

Make sure that you use an experienced, professional mechanic! Sometimes paying someone with less knowledge can end up costing you a lot more! Transmission service can consist of many different services, but there are several that you can usually expect to be performed on your automobile when you take it to the transmission shop.

What Does This Process Entail?

First of all, will typically power flush an automatic transmission, which will clear out any and all gunk like what you do when changing the transmission fluid. Then, they will typically replace the drain plug, transmission pan, filter, and gasket before filling it up with fresh and new fluid to provide optimal lubrication for your internal gears.

Follow-Up Maintenance

Once you have your transmission serviced (or repaired if necessary), don’t get in the habit of thinking that you don’t need to follow through with the series of checks and precautions listed above because everything has been checked and is performing adequately.

Remember that the point of those tasks is to prevent problems down the line, and the most important time to do them is always now-- whenever now happens to be.

Keep this in mind-- the goal is to keep your transmission going as long as possible and being proactive in its care and maintenance is the best way to ensure that it will. Perform your regular checks, drive carefully, and follow the tips to save yourself a fortune in repairs or replacements.

Schedule Your Transmission Checkup!