Car Tips: A Simple Guide to Maintain Your Transmission

The transmission is a complex compartment in your vehicle that helps relay power and speed needs to the rest of your vehicle; essentially, the transmission is the component that makes your car "go." You should do your best to keep your transmission in good condition, and you can do that with the help of a transmission specialist and the following guide. 

Things You Should Avoid

The following are a few things that may damage your transmission prematurely:

Improper Transmission Fluid Levels

Make sure that you keep your transmission fluid full to ensure that your gears are properly lubricated, which prevents things like gear wear or overheating. Remember to check with your transmission specialist about how often you should change your fluid. Old transmission fluid may not work as well as fresh transmission oil.  

You should also know that your transmission fluid tends to thicken when left overnight or in cooler temperatures, which is a bad thing for your transmission system. So do not drive your car immediately after starting it; rather, let the engine warm up for a minute or two before taking off. 

Driving Mistakes

The following are other mistakes that affect your transmission that you might make while driving:

• Leaving your car in Park without placing the emergency brake on. This is to be avoided because your vehicle's parking pawl can break if your car moves out of place, causing irreparable damage to your transmission. The emergency brakes should protect your transmission from this.
• Towing your vehicle while leaving two tires on the ground could put excess strain on the transmission.
• Avoid stopping and starting your vehicle too often, as it may cause damage to your transmission mounts.
• Do not rock your vehicle by shifting from drive to reverse too quickly, as that might cause excess wear on your transmission gears.
• Avoid hauling a heavy load without shifting to the proper gear on an incline; refer to your own vehicle's operation manual for details or ask your transmission specialist to help determine your car's incline hauling speed.

You can ask your transmission specialist about other things that you should avoid to ensure that your transmission functions as long as it should. 

Improvements To Consider

The following are a few little things that may help keep your transmission in good condition:

• Heat is your transmission's enemy, so consider installing a transmission auxiliary cooler, especially if you drive a lot or haul heavy loads.
• Think about installing an external transmission filter to ensure that you keep gunk and foreign particles from entering your transmission system, which could be damaging. 

There you go; these are a few simple tips to help keep your transmission in tip-top shape, which can extend its life and save you money. Contact a company like  B G & S Transmissions for further information or for an inspection of your car.