Mention the words “transmission problems” to the average car owner and they will instantly break out in a cold sweat and start convulsing.
Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is close to the truth, and that is because the transmission is a mystery to most vehicle owners. There are some maintenance jobs that practically anyone can fix, and then there is the transmission. Those babies are complicated, and that means, in most instances, having a mechanic work on them, and that means….big bucks in repair bills.
A replacement new transmission can cost thousands of dollars. Repairing a transmission can cost thousands of dollars in car mechanic labor.
So, learning to care for your transmission can save you large sums of money over the years. There are some things that any car or truck owners can do, and should do, regularly. Let’s take a look at them.
Every 1,000 miles you should check your automatic transmission fluid. Check to make sure the levels are correct, but also check the color and smell. A dark color is bad; a burnt smell is bad; low levels are bad. Low levels means you most likely have a leak. Bad color and bad smell means you have a transmission part that is not functioning properly.
Never rock your vehicle back and forth when it is stuck in mud or snow. This action will cause your transmission to operate in excess of 400 degrees and that means failure in the near future.
Never overload your vehicles. Your owner’s manual will tell you what the maximum load weight is. Do not exceed it.
Pay close attention to changes in your transmission operation. If there is slippage when shifting, or strange noises, your transmission needs to be checked immediately
Early diagnosis of problems means early repair, and that means you won’t have to worry about replacing it, and that, of course, means you won’t be facing repair bills of thousands of dollars.
For those of you who are handy and do a lot of the car maintenance yourself, then another way to save money is to buy your replacement parts at your local salvage yard. Places like All Import Auto Parts will have any transmission part you need at considerable savings and really, do-it-yourself car maintenance is all about saving money. Check out your local salvage yard and find out just how much they can save you on quality used transmission parts. You won’t be disappointed that you did.