No matter how great your vehicle’s transmission performs, it still requires regular maintenance to keep running smoothly. Changing your transmission fluid is the best way to do this, but many people don’t realize exactly why it’s essential. In this post, we’ll give five reasons why you should change the transmission fluid in your car or truck as part of routine maintenance and why doing so will keep you safe on the road.
1) Transmission Fluid Breaks Down Over Time
Changing your car’s transmission fluid at regular intervals is necessary because transmission fluid will gradually break down over time due to heat and other factors such as contamination. In addition, transmission fluid can pick up metal shavings and gunk from gears, and the torque converter can contaminate the fluid making it less effective as a lubricant and a cooling agent.
2) It Prolongs Your Car’s Life
While everyone knows someone that has a story about never changing their 20-year-old car’s transmission fluid, these stories are outliers. It is a known fact that transmission fluid degrades over time, and regularly changed fluid will help prolong the life of your car. So don’t rely on anecdotes; follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
3) The Old Fluid can Break Down Seals
Old transmission fluid will lose its ability to cool the transmission’s internal components over time. Over time, this increased operating temperature can wear the transmission’s seals, causing failure and ultimately leaks. Leaking transmission fluid will cause more problems, eventually leading to the component’s failure.
4) Old Transmission Fluid can Cause Slipping Gears
Suppose the fluid in your car’s transmission is old. In that case, it can cause gears to slip because the low or contaminated fluid will lead to the gears not engaging properly, leading to the slipping you may experience. Usually, changing the fluid will correct this problem in many cases unless mechanical damage has occurred.
5) Old Transmission Fluid Eventually Leads to Expensive Repairs
Failing to change transmission fluid will lead to several transmission problems, eventually leading to severe mechanical damage to your car’s transmission components due to excessive wear and overheating. While oil is the lifeblood of your car’s engine, transmission fluid performs a similar function in your car’s transmission.
Check your car’s transmission fluid regularly in your car maintenance routine. At the same time, a manufacturer may recommend a particular interval for fluid changes; it’s best to follow the advice of your trusted mechanic performing the maintenance on your car. See your car care specialist today if you think it’s time for a transmission fluid change.
