Should You Change Your Transmission Fluid—And How Often?

hey folks andy here ready to get the conversation flowing about an important and somewhat overlooked subject when it comes to car maintenance most people know about fluids like motor oil windshield washer solution and they regularly check and replace them but frequently and even more important element under the hood sinks down the priority list transmission fluid and that's a shame other than the engine the transmission is the most vital component to the vehicle's operation and can be one of the most expensive parts to fix when things go wrong [Music] we're going to be focusing on automatic transmissions manual gearboxes need oil too but that stuff is more similar to regular motor oil it should be changed regularly generally every thirty thousand to sixty thousand miles automatics are a different beast automatic transmission fluid or atf is as vital to your transmission as motor oil is to your engine atf serves as a coolant for moving parts and lubricates the bearings and metal parts inside a car's gearbox keeping them from grinding as they move automatic transmission fluid also serves as a hydraulic fluid to make internal components function as designed it helps with gear lubrication brake band friction and valve operation atf contains additive packages friction modifiers anti-foaming additives gasket conditioners anti-corrosion agents detergents and other ingredients custom formulated to provide the best protection and reliability if degraded fluid is not replaced it will fail to perform these essential functions and the transmission itself may fail soon too and that's fun for no one except maybe your mechanic like motor oil transmission fluid degrades over time picks up microscopic metal shavings some of which caught in the filter then loses its lubricating properties and leaves varnish-like deposits on internal assemblies possibly clogging small passages inside the unit heat in particular is the enemy of transmission fluid the excess heat generated by towing a trailer or hauling a heavy load puts a huge amount of stress on your transmission and atf and will break the fluid down much faster okay so you know that you should if possible change your transmission fluid but now you're asking when unfortunately there's really no industry standard if there was well this video would be much shorter different manufacturers use different formulations and their maintenance intervals for how often you should change transmission fluid can vary from about 30 000 miles to never your best starting point is to refer to the owner's manual of your vehicle to see if and when it recommends a transmission fluid check and change now regardless of manufacturer recommendations on how often you should change your transmission fluid there are also warning signs you can look out for one of the easiest ways to ensure you're good to go is by checking the transmission fluid dipstick if your vehicle has one to make sure it's the right color and level some of these signs can be the result of low transmission fluid levels and burnt transmission fluid means you should get to a transmission shot for a flush and a fluid and a filter change as soon as possible there's a distinct difference between a fluid change and a fluid flush and it pays to know what it is before you head to the shop a change is a method that replaces a large amount of the transmission fluid but not all of it at one time the fluid is drained and a new transmission filter is fitted a large amount of the buildup and residue will be removed as a result this definitely will help your car run better but as you're not replacing all of the old fluid some of the residue will remain meanwhile a fluid flush replaces all of the existing transmission fluid in your vehicle by pumping the old completely out of the system and then adding in the new by completely flushing the system this will get rid of all of the old residue and buildup on your transmission and it will run much more smoothly and efficient the cost for a flush is approximately double that of a change but still nowhere near the amount of repairing a damaged transmission so sounds great right let's book that flush wait i'm about to throw one more wrench into the proceedings and talk about the cases in which you should not flush your transmission fluid a question that pops up a lot is whether replacing your fluid can damage the transmission apparently there are a lot of horror stories of people flushing their fluid and causing thousands of dollars to their vehicle and really what else is the internet for if not to scare the bejesus out of you could this happen to you well due to a bit of a conundrum if your car has old burnt or damaged transmission fluid that contains debris and particles from shredded clutch materials those materials could be causing friction that allows the warning clutches to engage just enough to keep it from slipping so if you replace it with new fresh fluid you're flushing out the very debris that's helping your car run and it could cause the transmission to slip another problem can arise if the debris you're flushing gets stuck in the channels of the valve body like a clogged artery that can cause a whole host of problems frustrating right so what to do here's a good rule of thumb only flush your transmission if your fluid is in good condition if you have an older vehicle and have never changed the transmission fluid the fluid looks burned or damaged or you don't know the past maintenance history and your car is otherwise running fine don't flush the transmission fluid change it to try and get more life out of your transmission you should regularly check the fluid many manufacturers recommend checking fluid with the engine idling and the transmission in park while others require the engine to be off check your manual for recommendations the info can also sometimes be found on the dipstick itself if the dipstick reads low top off the transmission with more fluid and keep an eye out for darker burnt looking fluid and the telltale burnt toast smell while being able to check your fluid quality and levels are important your first line of defense to protect your transmission involves some of these impossible to avoid super boring driving tips number one go easy on acceleration and try to avoid towing or hauling extra heavy load two always wait until the vehicle is completely stopped before shifting from reverse to drive and vice versa and three never rock a vehicle back and forth from reverse to drive to get out of mud or snow look the transmission is the single most complex part of your vehicle and one of the biggest expenses should something go wrong the good news is with the right driving habits and the right maintenance your automatic transmission should last through the entire life of your car or truck and in the process leave you flush with the cash you're saving see what i did there have any other transmission questions or dare i ask horror stories leave them in the comments below and if you like this video show us some love with a thumbs up also don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more guides and how to's thanks so much for watching see you next [Music] time you

Channel: Bumper

Views: 46,639

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Id: E9z-djq_GI4

Length: 7min 35sec (455 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 18 2021