Transmission

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Car Tips

Make sure you wiper blades are not stuck to the windshield before you turn them on. This will help prevent damage to the wiper motor.

Make sure your fluids (Ex. oil, transmission, coolant) are changed at the appropriate times. This will extend you cars life.

If your ignition key will not turn, try rocking your steering wheel back and forth while turning the key.

Loose gas caps are a common problem if your "Check Engine" light is on, check that first.

Automatic Transmission Servicing

Automatic transmissions are a great invention, but because of their increased complexity compared to manual transmissions and transaxles, they often require periodic maintenance or repairs (which ever comes first).

In recent years, the vehicle manufacturers have extended service intervals and downplayed the importance of preventive maintenance. Many newer vehicles have no recommended service interval for changing the fluid or filter in the transmission. The latest generation of automatic transmission fluids (ATFs) have increased oxidation resistance for improved longevity. Even so, that doesn't mean the fluid can be neglected forever, especially if driving conditions push the fluid's temperature above safe limits.

Heat is the enemy of ATF. As the operating temperature goes up, the fluid's service life goes down. Oxidation, viscosity breakdown and degradation of the friction modifying additives reduce the fluid's ability to do its job. Eventually the fluid can no longer provide proper lubrication and the transmission fails.

Fluid contamination from normal wear is another concern. Friction debris from the clutch packs plus metallic debris from bearings and gears accumulate in the fluid over time. Some filters will trap most of this debris, but most Asian transmissions only have a plastic or metal strainer that does little to protect the transmission against internal contaminants. On such vehicles, changing the fluid is the only way to get rid of the contaminants.

So what if the fluid is never replaced? Sooner or later the transmission will fail. Ask any transmission shop what the number one cause of transmission failure is and they'll tell you it's fluid neglect. Not changing the fluid and filter often enough (or ever) causes more transmission problems and failures than anything else. That's why most transmission experts still recommend changing the fluid and filter every two to three years or 24,000 to 36,000 miles or once a year or every 15,000 miles if a vehicle is used for towing or other server service use.

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