All you Need to Know about Changing Your Car Transmission Fluid

Transmission is that part of your car engine system that holds the responsibility of sending the engine power to the respective wheels that your car drivetrain is configured as. While earlier cars necessarily had only manual transmissions to pair with the engine, modern day cars are mostly equipped with multiple speed automatic transmissions that reduce the task load of the driver to change the power flow manually. Consequently, it is the transmission that determines the ride quality, with its smooth or rough shifting of gears, depending upon its capacity and functional quality. 

But that isn’t all you should know about the car transmissions, especially if you are a car owner, who wants to take good care of his car. On the contrary, there are many important facts you need to be aware of about your car transmission that will help you take better care for your car in the near future. 

So here are those facts we have learnt from the expert mechanics who serve in the service centers of the chain of Las Vegas car dealers.

Replacement of Transmission Fluid 

The mechanics say that you need to replace the transmission fluid once your car has crossed 100,000 miles. But this might not be applicable for the car owners who tend to change their cars in quick successions. But for the owners who are driving the same car for several years, this knowledge can come handy to keep the car movements smooth.

How Often?

The frequency in which you should change the transmission fluid vary from vehicle to vehicle. While some cars or trucks might continue with the same fluid for more than 30,000 miles others can extend the number to 100,000 miles. Modern day vehicles that come with automatic gearboxes, almost come with a sealed transmission unit that indicates that its fluid is meant to last the entire lifetime of the vehicle. 

Vehicles that run with CVTs (continuously variable transmissions) do need fluid changes in particular intervals mentioned in their owner’s manual that must be followed. 

In this entire thing, what we need to understand is that, though transmission fluid never burns off like engine fluid, it does accumulate pollutants if its chamber is not a sealed one. So, if the gear shifts are not feeling smooth like before, it is a sign that your transmission fluid has got contaminated and it is time for a mechanic to flush the existing one and replace with a fresh amount of fluid.

How to Know if the Fluid Needs to Be Changed

Identifying the need of a mere transmission maintenance from the possibilities of a breakdowns can get tricky. But you can still know the difference if you find the gearshifts becoming more abrupt and uneven and becoming unresponsive. These are signs of an upcoming trouble for which you need to call your mechanic right away.  

Can you Fix it Yourself?

Well the mechanics at the service centers of the Las Vegas car dealerships say, the mechanism of a transmission is too complex to be handled by a non-professional. So, one must take the help of a certified mechanic to fix the issues with the transmission. 

Post Author: Sophie Toby Hall

A former car magazine editor, Sophie’s blog offers in-depth car reviews, industry trends, and maintenance tips. Her breadth of knowledge makes her posts invaluable for both car enthusiasts and everyday drivers.