Should I Flush My Automatic Transmission Fluid?

Sergeant Clutch Discount Transmission Repair Shop recommends an automatic transmission fluid service every 12 months or 12,000 miles. This means changing the automatic transmission fluid and inspecting transmission filer, transmission pan gasket and other transmission seals and gaskets for leaks. It is important that you maintain the automatic transmission early on in the life of the car or truck. If not you could set yourself up for real trouble if you change the automatic transmission fluid later on In the automobiles life. Regular servicing of the automatic transmission can provide longer life expectancy, smoother shifting, and increased performance.

How often should the automatic transmission fluid be flushed is a different service from a transmission fluid change. An automatic transmission flush service actually removes all the transmission including the fluid from the torque converter. Flushing the automatic transmission requires a special machine that acts like a blood transfusion machine. It pumps out the old transmission fluid, then pumps new transmission fluid back into the transmission. An automatic transmission fluid flush removes more of the old dirty transmission fluid than the conventional method of removing the transmission pan, draining the transmission fluid and replacing the transmission filter. The automatic transmission specialist Sergeant Clutch Discount Transmission Repair Shop strongly recommends changing the automatic transmission filter. The automatic transmission filter plays a big role in the automatic transmission operation. Metal and plastic debris in the transmission fluid become lodged in the transmission filter. This can compacted the filter to the point that it restricts transmission fluid flow. If the automatic transmission fluid has become contaminated with water or some other foreign liquid, then a transmission flush is highly recommend.

If your car or truck has high mileage such as 100,000 miles and the automatic transmission fluid has not been maintained its not recommend to replace the transmission fluid and transmission filter. The transmission fluid that has been in the automatic transmission all these years and miles has become dirty, gritty and broken down. This gritty transmission fluid is actually providing much needed friction for the worn internal parts of the automatic transmission. The old transmission fluid is gritty due to metal shavings caused by normal internal wear and tear on the transmission clutches and acts like liquid sandpaper. This "sandpaper" produces the friction needed for the transmission shift.

Changing the automatic transmission fluid and replacing the transmission filter would remove this friction that the internal transmission parts have become dependent on as the clutches inside the transmission have nothing to grab on to. Flushing your automatic transmission fluid is vital to the overall transmission performance and life. But you must flush it regularly, once the transmission fluid is damaged and burnt, it is sometimes best not to flush the automatic transmission. If you have not been regularly maintaining the automatic transmission throughout the life of the vehicle, you might actually be doing more harm than good if you replace the automatic transmission fluid at this point. For example, putting new clean transmission fluid in an older high mileage vehicle could cause the transmission to slip.

If you are not experiencing a transmission problem and have over 80,000 miles on your car or truck, and have not kept up regular maintenance on the transmission, you have a professional transmission mechanic evaluate your transmission situation first.

Sergeant Clutch Discount Transmission Repair Shop in San Antonio has the answers to all your automatic transmission problems. We offer automatic transmission fluid maintenance including transmission fluid and filter change to transmission. Call Sergeant Clutch Discount Transmission Repair Shop today to schedule your vehicles transmission fluid maintenance service. It’s better to spend a little now, than a lot more later.