When it comes to a healthy transmission, it’s a balance between proper care and having the right mechanic. You can help keep some of the most serious transmission repairs at bay by taking good care of your car’s transmission – both on and off the road – but ultimately it also comes down to having a mechanic who knows their way around a transmission.
The transmission experts at your local AAMCO Chester have a few top tips to help you take care of your transmission.
1. Keep an Eye on Your Transmission Fluid
If you’ve ever checked your car’s engine oil, you also know how to check the transmission fluid. Look for another dipstick on your car’s transmission and use it to check the level and condition of your car’s transmission fluid. If it looks low or overly thick, it’s likely time to schedule a transmission fluid replacement service.
2. Don’t Skip Transmission Maintenance Services
Just like any car system, your transmission needs regular maintenance to stay healthy. Primarily, this means scheduling transmission fluid replacement services roughly every 30,000-60,000 miles – though it’s always best to consult your owner’s manual and follow the recommended intervals.
3. Come to a Complete Stop Before Shifting
You’re far from alone if you rush to shift back into Drive when backing out of a parking spot. However, if you don’t wait until your car comes to a complete stop before shifting, you’re actually causing extra wear and tear on parts in your transmission.
4. Give Your Engine the Attention it Needs
The engine and transmission work closely together, so if your car’s engine needs attention, it’s likely also impacting your transmission. This is especially true if your engine is overheating – it can easily lead to an overheating transmission, too.
5. Don’t Ride the Brake
You may know that riding your brake is bad for your car’s brakes – but it’s also hard on the transmission. While you’re accelerating and relying on torque from the transmission, you’re also holding your vehicle back with your brakes, leading to increased wear.
6. Shift into Neutral When You Park
Shifting into Neutral means that none of your car’s gears are engaged. This means the pressure is put fully on the brakes to keep your car in place while parked.
7. Use Your Parking Brake
In order to keep your car stationary, it’s up to either the brakes or the transmission. By using your parking brake each time you park your car it helps prevent wear on the transmission.
8. Watch Your RPM While You’re Driving
In general, you want to keep your car’s RPM at about 3000 or below. Frequently driving at higher RPMs creates more wear on the engine and transmission – plus you’ll get better fuel economy, too.
9. Be Careful About Towing Heavy Loads
The more weight your car is carrying, the faster parts in the transmission will likely wear out. In particular, the clutch plates will wear out from having to work harder to get your car in motion and keep it moving.
10. Be Mindful of Using Lower Gears on Downhill Stretches of Road
Whether you have a manual transmission or automatic transmission, you may know of the trick to help prevent brake wear by driving in lower gears to slow your car. While this is a great way to avoid overheating your brakes, it can also cause extra wear on your transmission.
11. Get the Right Advice About Transmission Rebuild vs Replacement
When major transmission repairs come knocking, it’s especially important to have the right mechanic on your side. Make sure you have a mechanic who can help you decide which transmission repair your car needs, especially when choosing between a transmission rebuild or replacement.
12. Keep Transmission Repair Costs Down with Regular Transmission Maintenance
The best way to keep your transmission healthy is by keeping a regular transmission maintenance schedule. Be sure to follow the intervals in your owner’s manual for transmission fluid replacement services, as well as other regular car maintenance.
13. Prioritize Experience Over Affordability with Transmission Repairs
Transmission repairs can cost a pretty penny, so you may be tempted to try and find a mechanic who will carry out repairs at a lower price. While it’s not a hard and fast rule, you typically get what you pay for – so you may find yourself spending more in the long run due to repairs not being done well.
14. Look for the Right Experience
Depending on what type of car you drive, you may want to look for a more specialized transmission mechanic who will know how your car’s systems work. In any case, be sure you’re being selective about who carries out repairs on your car – and experience matters.
15. Trust Online Reviews
When in doubt, read reviews of your mechanic online. Whether you’re looking for the right mechanic for your transmission repair or suddenly think your mechanic feels off, take a few minutes to look around online at what other people are saying about them.
The Best Transmission Repair in Chester is from Your Local AAMCO
Time for a transmission repair? Visit your local AAMCO Chester transmission shop and our expert mechanics will help get your car smoothly back on the road again in no time. Give us a call today or easily schedule your appointment online.