If you’re like a lot of people, you probably don’t think about your transmission fluid nearly as often as the other all-important fuels for your car, like the oil and gas. This is perfectly understandable, since a transmission can often go a long time without servicing.
That said, it’s better to be able to anticipate when you’ll need to service your system so you don’t run into any unexpected problems. Here are three questions that you can answer to help you figure out when to get your transmission fluid changed.
How Hard do You Drive?
Your car’s transmission system has a lot of moving parts that have to operate under very high heat, and it relies on your transmission fluid to keep everything running smoothly. The harder you drive, the faster your system will wear out. More heat, more friction, more work for your transmission fluid keeping everything operating.
If you do a lot of driving in the city, with frequent stops and starts, you’ll want to get your transmission looked at more often than if you do more driving in the country. If you haul a lot of really heavy loads, including trailers, you’ll want to get your transmission looked at more often too. In essence, the more pressure you put on your system, the more often it will need new fluid.
What Does the Manufacturer Say?
This is another important question to answer if you want to know how often you are supposed to change your transmission fluid. Manufacturers will generally give a decent ballpark figure of how many miles you can go before changing your transmission fluid. Consult your owner’s manual, or look for official instructions online.
Keep in mind that a manufacturer’s estimates are exactly that, estimates. Manufacturers can’t take everything into account, so they give a ballpark figure. Hard driving will reduce that figure.
What Does Your Mechanic Say?
Where a manufacturer’s estimate is a ballpark figure for all cars of a particular model, your mechanic can take a look at your car and tell you when you should plan on getting your transmission fluid changed. Since your transmission is very important to the proper operation of your car, you’ll want to save yourself any problems, possibly including some very expensive repairs, down the line.
As with almost any business, there are some mechanics who are more qualified than others. That’s why it’s often a good idea to see a transmission specialist if you have any questions about when you should change the fluid. A specialist is likely to be able to tell you a great deal more than a mechanic with more general knowledge and skills. Given how important the transmission system is to your car, it’s a good idea to not take any chances. To see more visit us online at Trannyman.net.
