Does the Automatic Transmission Need Fluid Servicing?

Automotive

With all the other changes seen in the industry of automotive, the technology behind the make and usage of transmission is one of the major ones. today we are seeing vehicles with automatic transmission that are quickly replacing the manual transmission ones. The reasons are not difficult to guess. With automatic transmission, driving becomes as easy as play, and you can simply concentrate on the steering without having to think about changing gears.

But what about maintaining an automatic transmission? So you need to worry less about this part of the maintenance or repair work, if your car has an automatic transmission inside? When we asked the same to the head of technicians at the Petaluma Honda service center, he explained to us the following:

How the Automatic Transmission Works

According to the above mentioned technician, even an automatic transmission much like the manual one needs to be filled with a specific kind of fluid that at a precise level that will keep the transmission parts stay lubricated to function without any undue friction. The transmission fluid also acts as coolant to its several parts, keeping their temperature under control, when the car is driving for long hours.

To maintain all these capabilities, the automatic transmission fluid level needs to be checked regularly and replaced at specific intervals as recommended by the manufacturer in the owner’s manual.

Since the automatic transmissions vary in their built, capacity and speed, they require different levels of fluid to be filled, and that too of specific kind and quality. So, it is only to remind you that you must choose the particular transmission fluid for your car, that is recommended by the brand manufacturer, so that the functionalities of the transmission don’t get hampered.

When to Replace the Fluid?

Automatic transmissions are marks of precision and durability. That is why we are seeing them replacing the manual ones so fast. The recent year models of cars usually use the synthetic “lifetime” transmission fluids that come with sealed transmissions, that don’t offer an option to check its level with a dipstick. 

So, as long as the transmission compartment of your car doesn’t develop any leakage, the transmission fluid will stay at its usual level. Some of the recently released cars say they never need a change in the transmission fluid, while some need this change only after the car crosses 100,000 miles.

In some cases, when the car transmission contains a filter for the transmission, it is better to get the level checked at the same time when you go for an oil or filter change fir the vehicle. But to stay away of trouble and hazards, it is always better to consult your owner’s manual in order to identify what should be the appropriate time to check the transmission fluid, and change it, if at all your car recommends that.

At the Honda service near Petaluma we were also told that one should remember never to overfill the transmission fluid as that can cause foaming leading to other transmission complications.

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