A vehicle's transmission is one of its most important mechanical components. It's in your best interests as a motorist to maintain your vehicle properly so that you can avoid transmission repair needs.
Unfortunately, a lot of motorists make maintenance mistakes that raise their chances of having to deal with automatic transmission problems. The following are six mistakes you need to avoid to maximize the lifespan of your vehicle's automatic transmission:
Driving without first giving your vehicle time to warm up
Starting your car up and driving right away when the vehicle is cold isn't just bad for your engine. It can also be bad for your vehicle's automatic transmission.
It's best to give your car a few minutes after you start it so that its mechanical components can warm up a bit. This is especially important during the colder months of the year.
Running your vehicle on low coolant levels
A lot of motorists think that coolant only impacts the engine because it keeps temperatures down and prevents overheating. It's important to realize that low coolant levels can be bad for both a vehicle's transmission and engine.
Engine coolant helps to keep the temperature of transmission fluid down as the vehicle is operating. It's therefore important to regularly check your coolant level and put more coolant in when necessary to reduce wear and tear on your transmission.
Allowing your transmission fluid to get dirty without replacing it
Transmission fluid is important for lubricating parts in an automatic transmission. If transmission fluid becomes dirty, it will not lubricate as well and transmission parts will prematurely wear out.
It's important to have your transmission fluid drained and replaced when it becomes dirty so that the fluid is able to do its job and to properly lubricate moving parts.
Never changing the vehicle's transmission filter
An automatic transmission often has a filter built into it that keeps contaminants out of the transmission fluid. If your transmission has a filter, you need to make sure you're changing it when it needs to be changed.
Constantly using your vehicle for towing
Only use your vehicle for towing when you have to. Towing puts a lot of pressure on a vehicle's transmission. Towing heavy loads can cause a vehicle's transmission to get to high operating temperatures, and this means the transmission fluid may start to oxidize.
Always detach your trailer when you don't need it to protect your transmission.
Neglecting tire maintenance
A vehicle's tires tend to have an important impact on an automatic transmission. If tires on your vehicle do not match up exactly in terms of size, this could cause strain on a vehicle's transmission.
Dealing with tire issues is especially important when you need to use a spare. Don't leave a spare tire on your vehicle for an extended period of time or it will be very hard on your automatic transmission.
To learn more, contact a company such as Terwood Auto Repair.
Hello, my name is Benjamin Bernard. Welcome. I am here to talk to you all about the maintenance techniques that prevent engine damage in automobiles of all kinds. Your vehicle’s powerplant must receive timely maintenance, including fluid changes, to stay in great condition mile after mile. Without maintenance, the engine components could wear prematurely or even seize up, necessitating a complete powerplant replacement. I created this website to help everyone understand the importance of each engine maintenance technique. Thank you for coming to visit my site. I hope you will visit anytime you need to learn about automotive engine maintenance requirements and procedures.