3 Great Ways To Take Care Of Your Transmission

Your transmission needs a little care and attention. It is one of the more important parts of your vehicle, and it is one that you need to know how to take care of. Taking care of your transmission can be simple if you know what to do and you have an auto shop that can help you take care of your vehicle.

Keep an Eye on the Level of Fluid in Your Transmission

First, the easiest thing you can do is keep an eye on the fluid level of your transmission. Locate where the transmission cap is under the hood of your vehicle. The transmission cap looks like a gear with water filling up the gear. If you are not sure where the transmission cap is located, your owner's manual will let you know where it is.

Under the cap is the container where the transmission fluid goes. If you look at the container, you will see a fill line on the container. There should be a maximum and minimum fill line on the container. The fluid in the transmission should always be above the minimum fill line. If the fluid is below the minimum fill line, your engine may get hot because there is not enough fluid to keep it cool.

If your vehicle is below the minimum fill line, you can top off the fluid. You should probably use a 50/50 mix of transmission fluid and water.

Don't Add to Much Fluid

You don't want to overfill your transmission fluid either. The fluid tends to expand a bit when your vehicle is hot, so you don't want to fill your transmission up. Adding too much fluid is just as bad as not having enough. Never overfill the transmission fluid container.

Get Your Transmission Flushed

Next, you need to stay on top of getting your transmission flushed. Over time, contaminants get into your transmission fluid. These can be contaminants from within your system, or they can be contaminants that get into your system from the outside. Every small particle that isn't supposed to be there can damage your transmission. That is why you should get your transmission flushed according to the mileage schedule for your vehicle. Flushing your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles is a common recommendation, but be sure to check your owner's manual. Most oil change shops will gladly flush your transmission fluid for you, or you can take your vehicle to your regular mechanic for a transmission flush.

The best way to take care of your transmission is to make sure that you keep your transmission full of fluid, but not too full, and that you get the fluid flushed on time. Visit a transmission shop today for more information.