Transmission fluid is out of sight, and therefore out of mind. However, you need to be aware of what levels of this red, viscous fluid your vehicle has to make sure your transmission runs smoothly.
Transmission Fluid Too High?
Transmission fluid too high? It is a good idea to check your fluid levels at least once every few thousand miles, to make sure that either it isn’t too low, or too high. Why does your fluid level matter so much? Well, for one, if you have too much transmission fluid one of three things can happen. Too much fluid makes your transmission very hard to shift, and can ultimately cause your transmission seals to go out.
If you check your transmission fluid, if it is past one quart, you have too much transmission fluid. If you have too little transmission fluid, however, you have some more problems. Such as you can cause gears to grind against each other and finally break. So you want to make sure you have just the right amount of fluid. Another thing that you have to be aware of is the effect of high temperatures on your transmission fluid.
Transmission Fluid: Keep it Red
If you check your transmission fluid and instead of being red colored, it is dark, it means that your transmission fluid is starting to break down, which is often a direct result of being exposed to extreme heat, like what Arizona has to offer. Being in the sun isn’t enough to overheat your transmission fluid, however, extreme use combined with high temperatures is enough to make your transmission fluid get too hot.
If your transmission fluid overheats, so does your transmission, and then you’ve got a problem. However, it isn’t just the way transmission fluid looks, it is also the way that it smells. Your transmission fluid should have kind of a sickly sweet smell. If it smells burnt, then your car is essentially a time-bomb, and as we covered in a previous article, transmission repair is not cheap.
So remember that just like you, your car is sensitive to extremes in temperature. If it is too hot outside, your car will be hot too, as will your transmission. So make sure that you check your fluid at this time of year, and get your car into a transmission repair shop in Mesa if you think you may have any problems.
Trail Transmission
11240 East Apache Trail
Apache Junction, AZ 85120-3529
(480) 986-7367
How Much is Transmission Repair?