Is It Time For A Brake Service?

Posted on: 3 June 2020

Automatic cars beat manuals when it comes to drivability, but they have more complicated transmissions, which require various types of servicing to work properly. 

If you drive an automatic car, automatic transmission fluid (ATF) changes are part of your vehicle's maintenance regimen. ATF lubricates, cools and cleans your transmission components for optimal transmission performance. 

If you're looking to take on the task yourself, here are some important points to keep in mind.

Know When to Change the Fluid

Many people know that they'll need to undertake ATF fluid changes at various points in their driving life. Unfortunately, they don't give too much thought to the intervals at which they undertake these changes. 

Removal and replacement of the old transmission with new, clean fluid should be done according to the intervals recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. ATF doesn't maintain its qualities forever — its qualities deplete over time, making a replacement inevitable. If the old fluid isn't changed at the correct intervals, transmission components will suffer excessive wear, which may be expensive to repair.

Timely ATF changes are essential to maintain the health of your transmission and extend its lifespan.

Use the Correct ATF

There are different makes and models of automatic cars found in today's market. Each car make and model has unique performance specifications that should be considered during routine servicing. 

Before adding new fluid to your transmission, make sure it's the correct grade for your vehicle. Usually, your vehicle manufacturer will recommend which specifications to look for in a transmission fluid product. You can find the information on the owner's manual or the vehicle manufacturer's website.

Using the incorrect fluid will not only hurt the performance of your transmission but it may also cause costly damage to it.

Make Sure You Are Comfortable Working on Your Transmission

There are significant variations in the design and configuration of transmissions. Before you can begin taking your transmission apart to perform a fluid change, make sure you have the tools, skills and experience required to do the job properly. You wouldn't want to quit the job midway because you ran into a few challenges you weren't prepared for. 

Routine ATF changes are crucial to keeping your transmission running smoothly for as long as possible. If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the job, it's best to let a qualified mechanic do it for you. They'll take the guesswork out of the job so you can enjoy maximum vehicle performance. Contact an automatic transmission service for more information.