Part two of our series on auto repair explores the effect that Arizona’s high summer temperatures can have on your vehicle…
Auto Repair and Your Vehicle’s Fluids
Most people don’t consider the summer to be a factor in auto repair decisions, but it definitely is. The Phoenix area has some of the highest temperatures of any metropolitan area in the United States. In June of this year, for example, there was a heat wave where the average temperature was 112 degrees. Bear in mind that phrase. The average temperature was 112, so there were some days a bit lower and other days much hotter. Also bear in mind that temperature is the temperature of the air. The pavement can reach temperatures 10-15 degrees hotter.
Imagine that if you will, a surface temperature of 130 degrees, radiating up through your engine as well as the power train and slowly heating your car’s fluids. A funny thing happens to oil, transmission fluid, and differential fluid when it gets too hot. If you have ever taken a chemistry class, when you heat a chemical compound, it changes the compound. The same holds true for your car. Too much heat and the fluids present in your car start to break down, and ultimately start to burn. Without the lubrication that transmission fluid gives your transmission, the gears don’t shift as well as they can, and eventually, a gear can lock. Then you are stuck facing a major auto repair: your vehicle’s transmission. So, being proactive about replacing your vehicle’s fluids and doing it a bit ahead of the maintenance schedule is a good policy to follow.
Auto Repair and Replacing Transmission Fluid
Unlike oil that burns off, or brake fluid that vents when your brakes start going bad, your transmission fluid just stays in the transmission pan, getting darker and more burnt. The more viscous your transmission fluid is, the more likely it is to lock a gear, making the subsequent auto repair way more expensive. The same holds true for your rear differential fluid. And you can’t always go by the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual. The recommended schedule for replacing your fluids is every 25,000 miles, however, you may need to do it sooner because of Arizona’s extreme environment.
So remember, it is better to fix problems when they are small. This is true in life as well as where auto repair in Mesa is concerned too.
Trail Transmission
11240 East Apache Trail
Apache Junction, AZ 85120-3529
(480) 986-7367
Autos and Auto Repair in Mesa Part 1
Autos and Auto Repair in Mesa Part 2
Autos and Auto Repair in Mesa Part 3