What Can I Do To Keep My Automatic Transmission On The Road Longer?

There are a number of things you can do to keep your automatic transmission working properly for miles and years to come. Most involve maintenance and others involve changing your driving habits.

8 Basic Automatic Transmission Maintenance Tips

1. Check the automatic transmission fluid regularly. Few things will reduce automatic transmission operation and longevity more than low fluid or damaged fluid. If your vehicle has a transmission dipstick, you should check the transmission fluid level and condition at least once a month or every motor oil change.

2. Have the automatic transmission fluid and filter serviced regularly. A regular transmission fluid and filter change can add years and miles o your transmission’s life. In fact, it’s probably the most cost effective maintenance procedure available.

3. Add an external transmission filter in the cooler line. While the filter inside the transmission usually does a good job of removing dirt and particles from the transmission fluid, an extra transmission filter in the cooler line is a great way to make sure of removing all the abrasive particles that can damage your automatic transmission.

4. Check the air pressure in your tires. Low tire pressure can rob your gas tank, wear out your tires, and the rest of your vehicle especially the automatic transmission. The extra load caused by low tire pressure can seriously shorten your transmission’s life. Check the tire pressures at least once a month, and keep them filled to the factory recommendation.

The most common cause of automatic transmission failure is heat. You can get more miles out of your transmission by reducing the heat that builds up during normal operation.

Here are a few things you can do to help reduce heat, and keep your transmission working longer:

1. Avoid Jackrabbit starts. Hard acceleration creates a lot of friction and heat in the automatic transmission. Take it easy on the gas, and your transmission will live longer and perform better.

2. Help the transmission shift. Most of the friction and wear in the transmission takes place during the shifts. Get to know when your automatic transmission shifts normally. Then, just before the shift, back off on the gas just a bit. That’ll reduce the load on the clutches, and eliminate much of the friction during the shift.

3. Keep the cooling system in good shape. Your vehicles radiator also provides cooling for your automatic transmission. And heat damage will take place in the transmission long before the engine appears to overheat. So regular cooling system service can help your transmission run cooler and last longer.

4. Add an external transmission cooler. If you travel a lot in extremely high temperatures or carry a lot of weight in your car or truck, an auxiliary transmission cooler is a great way to reduce heat and add years to your automatic transmission’s life.

Maybe your having transmission problems or just spent money having your transmission repaired. Whatever the reason you’d like to avoid major transmission repairs in the future so take care of your transmission today.