A transmission fluid is a slippery and smooth liquid that acts as a coolant and a lubricant for all of the transmission’s moving parts. Its viscosity helps transmits power from the engine to the transmission.Different kinds of fluids are used for different transmissions. Automatic transmissions uses the automatic transmission fluid while the manual transmissions can use a variety of oils such as the regular motor oil, heavy gear oils and in some cases automatic transmission fluids. The car user manual will most times stipulate what kind your transmission needs.

Why Should I Change the Transmission Fluid?

Most car owners ignore or rarely change the transmission fluid, yet it is usually the cause of premature transmission failures. But considering how expensive it is to replace transmissions then you’ll realize that the cost of periodically changing the transmission fluid and filter is just peanuts. After a long while, the transmission fluid inside the transmission starts to break down and degrades. In a manual transmission, the contamination occurs as the bearings and gears wear out. The degraded fluid will at some point no longer be able to lubricate the moving parts inside the transmission. As a result, the transmission fluid can become contaminated with metal particles that will eventually shorten the life of your transmission making it very imperative for the contaminants to be drained out. In an automatic transmission, more heat is being generated and as this happens the fluid will become contaminated with worn bits which may ultimately lead to the transmission failure if the contaminants are not drained out. Therefore, it’s a good investment when you change your transmission fluid at the required interval.

When Should I Change the Transmission Fluid?

Regardless of whether you have a manual or an automatic transmission, changing transmission fluid should best be left to a qualified mechanic equipped with the skills and tools to do the job. Most automakers do not specify the change interval in the owner’s manual but experts recommend that the fluid and filter which is located inside the transmission be changed according to the following
intervals:

Manual: The manual transmission fluid is recommended to be changed every 48,000 to about 96,500 kilometers. When the car is under frequent use, some auto-makers suggest changing transmission fluid every 24,000 kilometers.

Automatic: Service intervals for automatic transmissions may vary from every 48,000 kilometers … to never. The change interval is typically between 96,500 kilometers to about 160,000 kilometers. However, changing it more often will do no harm.

Do IT Yourself: Transmission Fluid Level Maintenance Checks

Most automakers now label or color-code the dipsticks in the car to differentiate the Engine oil dipstick from the Transmission oil dipstick. Usually the dipstick color-coded Yellow is the Engine oil dipstick while the Red dipstick is for the transmission fluid. Some of the dipsticks may also have labels on them.When you locate the correct dipstick for the transmission fluid, you need to check the level of fluid in the transmission. Letting the car to run low on transmission can cause the transmission to shift improperly or to stop working entirely because the internal parts will no longer be well lubricated as it should. The most unfortunate thing about transmissions is that you might not have a clue that the transmission fluid is low until it’s actually late. So it’s very important that you have it checked from time to time.Here’s how you can check the level of transmission fluid in your car:

Manual: It’s not all manual transmission that has a dipstick so checking the transmission fluid in a manual transmission can be difficult. However, a few thoughtful automakers have included a dipstick to make life easier. So if you own a car with a manual transmission, we recommend you ask your mechanic to check the transmission fluid level when your car is up on a jack or lift during an oil change.

Automatic: You’ll definitely have a dipstick if you own a car with an automatic transmission. However, you need to be careful so that you do not to make the usual mistake of confusing the transmission dipstick with the engine oil dipstick.Some automakers may have a different procedure but generally checking the transmission fluid level only requires pulling out the dipstick while the engine is warmed up and running and in a parked position. We suggest you check the user manual to know the recommended procedure. Remember, you need to monitor your transmission fluid level if you notice a leak of any kind. Unlike engine oil, transmission oil doesn’t burn out. So if you’re transmission fluid is low, you almost certainly have a leak. That’s it about changing the transmission fluid and filter.

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Source: http://carblognaija.com/why-changing-the-transmission-fluid-filter-is-important/

bong4:
Good day, your write up was silent on the transmission filter. When do you change that?