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Should You Perform Preventative Maintenance On Your Transmission?
Home » Car Maintenance » Car Transmissions » Should You Perform Preventative Maintenance On Your Transmission?Transmission fluid should be changed periodically. Most owner's manual recommends changing the fluid in intervals which could be anywhere from 15,000 miles to 100,000 miles. Most transmission experts recommend changing the fluid and filter every 25,000 miles.
Few transmissions have drain plugs to drain the old fluid. In order to get the fluid out, the transmission oil pan must be removed. Even if the transmission has a drain plug, the only way to change the transmission filter is to remove the pan. When the pan is down, you can check for metal shavings and other debris that are indicators of impending transmission problems.
In most cases during transmission services, only about half the oil can be removed from the unit. This is because much of the oil is in the torque converter and cooler lines and cannot be drained without major disassembly. The fluid change intervals are based on the fact that some old fluid remains in the system.
When the transmission is serviced, make sure that the correct fluid is used to re-fill it. Each transmission manufacturer has their own recommendation for the proper fluid to use and the internal components are designed for that specific formula. A transmission will not work properly or may even slip or shudder with the incorrect fluid. Your owner's manual will tell you which fluid is required.
Resources:
WWW.AUTO.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM
WWW.SAMARINS.COM
WWW.AAMCO.COM
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