Q:How often should I change my transmission fluid?
A:It is recommended that your change your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles or when your manufacturer recommends this service.
Transmission Care Video
Posted February 23, 2010 3:46 PM
Call BRAKEmax Car Car Centers to make an appointment to check your transmission in our. Any of our, 12 tucson locations! 520-318-4000
Do you have any plans around our 12 for the weekend? Maybe you and some friends and are taking the boat up to the lake. Maybe you'll be having a lot of fun water skiing and doing a little fishing.
You got the boat all ready. It's all gassed up. You packed lots of snacks and the cooler's stocked – ready to go.
How about your tow vehicle? It has plenty of gas and you've even vacuumed it out, but is your auto maintenance up to date?
Stop and think. You'll have some heavy traffic on your way out of town. Hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and it may be hot weather. And all the time you're going to be towing around several thousand extra pounds.
That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Your transmission's going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. What's a fun little blast to the lake for you is really severe duty for your transmission.
It's important that you have enough transmission fluid. If you're running low, the transmission will run to hot and won't have the protection it needs to cope with the added stress of towing.
And if it's time for a transmission service, you really should have it done at BRAKEmax Car Car Centers before your trip. Transmission fluid breaks down and gets dirty over time. Whether you have an automatic or manual transmission, you need to have it serviced on schedule to make sure it runs efficiently.
Automatic transmissions contain a maze of passages that the fluid has to pass through to keep it shifting smoothly. If you neglect transmission service, the passages can get clogged up and you start to have problems. Neglect your transmission for too long, and it can fail. Believe us – you don't want to pay for a major transmission repair.
You know, most of us in our 12 do a lot of our driving under severe conditions. Towing or hauling a big load is obvious, but there are lots of other things that constitute severe driving conditions. Things like short trips or driving in very hot or very cold weather. Also, dusty roads, city driving around our, and basically any driving that's not at highway speeds or under ideal conditions is severe driving. We all need to think about whether or not we need to follow the severe service schedule.
So, consider going in for a full service oil change before you leave for the lake to make sure everything has been looked at. Ask for a trip inspection while you're at it. Your our 12 service technician at BRAKEmax Car Car Centers can check your belts and hoses and let you know if your brakes are in good shape.
Don't forget the sunscreen. And to thank your our service technician, how about bringing him back a nice trout?
Automatic Transmission
The modern automatic transmission is by far, the most complicated mechanical component in today's automobile. Automatic transmissions contain mechanical systems, hydraulic systems, electrical systems and computer controls, all working together in perfect harmony which goes virtually unnoticed until there is a problem. The transmission is a device that is connected to the back of the engine and sends the power from the engine to the drive wheels. An automobile engine runs at its best at a certain RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) range and it is the transmission's job to make sure that the power is delivered to the wheels while keeping the engine within that range. It does this through various gear combinations. In first gear, the engine turns much faster in relation to the drive wheels, while in high gear the engine is loafing even though the car may be going in excess of 70 MPH. In addition to the various forward gears, a transmission also has a neutral position which disconnects the engine from the drive wheels, and reverse, which causes the drive wheels to turn in the opposite direction allowing you to back up.
Our transmission services
Transmission fluid exchange changes out virtually all of the fluid in your vehicle and is done through the cooler lines. Note that there are many different types of transmission fluids available; we use a synthetic fluid that meets or exceeds most manufacturer specifications. For the few that require a different type of fluid, we use Original Equipment type fluid.
Some of these fluids cost upwards of $15 per quart so we do have to charge more to service those vehicles. A transmission pan service only changes about 30% of the fluid in your transmission but allows access to change the filter and gasket. A pan service or a full fluid exchange can be done either separately or in conjunction with each other, these are two separate services.
