3 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Transmission in Your Vehicle

August 24, 2016

3 Tips to Help Maintain Your Vehicle’s Transmission

A healthy transmission is crucial to the performance and the life of your vehicle. Failing to maintain you transmission properly can result in breakdowns, costly repairs, and damage to the vehicle. A few of the issues that can occur when your transmission isn’t working properly are the inability to go in reverse; going forward while in neutral; stalling; and rolling while the vehicle is in park. Transmission problems have the potential to be dangerous, so it’s essential to maintain your transmission to avoid hazardous and expensive transmission problems. Here’s a look at three important keys to keep the transmission in your vehicle healthy.

1 – Take the Time to Read Your Owner’s Manual

One of the most important things you can do is take the time to read your vehicle’s owner’s manual, which offers information specific to your vehicle. It gives advice that is tailored to the model, make, and year of your vehicle. The owner’s manual will let you know how often transmission maintenance should be performed.

While some models may recommend routine maintenance on your transmission every 30,000 miles, others may recommend it at 50,000 miles, so know what your manual says. If you can’t find your owner’s manual, it’s often possible to find them online or you may be able to purchase one from the car dealer. You can also get helpful information tailored to your vehicle from your local transmission service center.

2 – Learn a Few Transmission Basics

Learn the basics of your vehicle’s transmission maintenance needs. You’ll need to know that your transmission fluid is red, and most vehicles have a dipstick under your hood that will let you check your transmission fluid. If you’re not sure how to check the transmission fluid, check back with your vehicle manual. It’s a good idea to get used to checking it when you fill up with gas. You’ll be able to see if the fluid starts to turn brown or dark in color. If this occurs, make sure you set up an appointment with your local transmission expert.

3 – Know the Warning Signs of Transmission Problems

If you’re going to make sure your transmission stays healthy, you need to know the warning signs of potential problems. If you start seeing dark transmission fluid, this is a sign that the fluid is dirty and isn’t lubricating the transmission effectively. Take a look at the temperature gauges when you’re driving. If you notice the engine is running hot, particularly if you smell a ‘burning’ scent, make sure you get your vehicle checked by a transmission specialist right away. Any grinding, whining, or gurgling noises in the transmission are also cause for concern, so you should schedule a checkup immediately.

We know transmissions at My Transmission Experts, and we can help you make sure that you keep your transmission healthy. With regular maintenance, discount coupons, and routine checkups, we can help you prevent major transmission repairs in the future. Give us a call at or set up your routine maintenance by filling out the form below.