Do You Need To Have Your Transmission Fluid Changed?

• Automobiles rely on a multitude of fluids in order to run properly and if they aren’t checked or changed on a regular basis it could mean certain danger. Everyone knows that you need to change the oil in your vehicle at certain intervals, the same goes for your coolant. Even your brake fluid must be changed to keep it from boiling under the extremely hot temperatures generated by your vehicle’s brakes.

But among the many different fluids that are required to keep your vehicle on the road, it’s the car transmission fluid that has many motorists baffled. Is this something that needs to be changed routinely, and if so, how often?

Your friends at Aarrow Transmission car service have some hints to help you determine if and when you need to change your transmission fluid. While most will agree that this is a fluid you must change out periodically, the particulars of when and how regularly are not as clear cut.

Automatic vs. Standard

The kind of transmission you have in your car will dictate the kind of fluid you need and the intervals in which it should be changed. It’s also important to understand the purpose of this fluid and why you need it in your automobile.

Transmission fluid is a viscous liquid that is designed to lubricate all of the moving components that work together for the successful operation of your car’s transmission . In some cases, the fluid is also tasked with regulating the temperature in the transmission much in the same fashion as your Used Cars Manchester coolant regulates the temperature of the engine.

When there isn’t enough transmission fluid in the car, it can put undue stress and strain on your transmission’s parts, causing them to heat up and grind against one another. This can result in damage to your transmission and the components within.

But as to the necessity for changing out your fluid and how often, those determinations rely upon whether you have an automatic or a standard transmission. Many different manufacturers recommend that you change your fluid every 100,000 to 150,000 miles, though most mechanics will suggest you have the work done in half that time.

Those suggestions are based on the type of transmission you own since certain transmissions rely on different types of fluid. Automatic transmissions use a specific fluid designed just for them. Standard transmissions can use a variety of different fluids including automatic transmission fluid, gear oils, even motor oil. This can greatly affect how often you change it out.

With that in mind, automatic transmissions can go anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 miles before you need to change the fluid. In some vehicles, it’s possible that you will never need to change it out.

Standard transmissions, on the other hand, might call for more routine servicing. These intervals are based upon the type of fluid you’re using in your vehicle as well as the amount of use the transmission endures on a routine basis.

For these types of transmissions, the suggested intervals are around every 25,000 to 60,000 miles. Vehicles that see a lot of increased daily use might need to have their transmissions serviced every 15,000 to 18,000 miles.

Reasons for Changing Your Fluid

So if your transmission fluid needs to be changed, what’s the reason? How significant an impact can fluid have on the transmission if it’s left sitting too long?

Your transmission fluid is much like any other fluid in your Used Honda CR-V Cars, it can start to break down and get worn out over time. When this occurs, the liquid is unable to do its job properly. In this case, that job is effectively lubricating your transmission’s parts.

But while the fluid is no longer working at peak performance, it can also become littered with small metal filings that are left behind as the components start to wear down. The longer you allow the fluid to sit, the more populated it can become with tiny metallic particulate.

These can be damaging to your transmission as they float around in the fluid and reduce the lubricating qualities, resulting in greater wear and tear. This can also reduce the life of the transmission, which can be extremely expensive to repair or even replace.

So it is in your best interest to have the transmission fluid checked periodically and changed out at routine suggested intervals. The cost of having the worked performed by your mechanic is a mere fraction of what you could be paying for transmission repair work instead.