The transmission is undoubtedly one of the most important parts in your car. It’s also one of the most expensive to repair, so if you want to prevent damaging it, make sure you avoid the following.
Letting Your Car Overheat
Many people continue driving when their cars overheat or take actions on their own to fix the overheating, especially with older vehicles (like constantly refilling coolant). This not only has an effect on the engine, but can also cause severe harm to the transmission, which uses the same cooling system.
Skipping Transmission Changes & Flushes
When recommended by your mechanic, don’t neglect to have your transmission fluid renewed. Like other fluids in your vehicle, it breaks down and becomes dirty over time, rendering it less effective at protecting transmission parts from heat as well as less effective at lubricating transmission components, which is one of its primary jobs.
Exceeding Tow Limits
Even if you own a car, truck or SUV that’s rated for towing, it’s essential not to push the limits of your vehicle’s towing capacity, which can put lots of added stress on your transmission.
Towing With Drive Wheels on the Ground
To be safe, if you have an automatic transmission and your vehicle is being towed, never leave the drive wheels on the ground. And if you have a vehicle with 4WD, choose a flatbed truck if your vehicle ever needs to be towed.
Shifting Without Coming to a Full Stop
With some newer cars this may not be an issue. However, for all cars with automatic transmissions – new and old – we strongly advise coming to a full stop before shifting (e.g., from drive to reverse and so on). This will help prevent straining your transmission.
Not Using the Parking Brake
Especially on hills, this can be hard on an automatic transmission. Some experts even recommend using the handbrake every time you park to help take extra pressure off of the transmission.
Ignoring Transmission Fluid Levels
Checking transmission fluid levels periodically is essential. A low fluid level is highly damaging since it means there’s not enough fluid to properly lubricate all of the components that work hard to make your car run.
If you ever need assistance with diagnosing a transmission problem, bring your vehicle to our car repair shop in Houston and let our experts take a look.
