Transmission repair and maintenance is all part of owning a vehicle.
Transmission Repair in Mesa: Preventative Maintenance
Although most modern automatic transmissions require very little maintenance, most manufacturers require periodic service. So what’s involved in servicing an automatic transmission? Probably not as much as you think. For the most part, transmission servicing involves replacing the fluid and the filter. But before we get started, let’s talk for a minute about why it’s important to service your automatic transmission. The inside of your automatic transmission is a hostile place with operating temperatures reaching well over 200 degrees.
This heat breaks down your transmission fluid at a molecular level which in turn causes the friction materials on the internal clutches to loose efficiency. As the clutches begin to slip, more heat is generated breaking down the fluid even more If you can change the fluid before this vicious cycle gets too far along, you can potentially save yourself some very expensive transmission repairs.
How Often Should I Change My Transmission Fluid?
In general, we recommend changing the fluid every 30,000 miles. Let’s get started. This jobs going to take you under the vehicle so let’s make sure you got the vehicle safely supported on some jack stands. Also, make sure your transmission is warm from a recent drive.
The transmission on your vehicle may be equipped with a drain plug for draining the fluid, if it does not have a drain plug it will be necessary to unbolt the bolts around the perimeter on the pan to lower the pan and drain the fluid. Lucky for us our transmission is equipped with a drain plug making our job much easier. So remove the drain plug and let the fluid drain into a pan. When the fluid is drained, install the plug and tighten it to its proper specifications. Be sure to dispose of the old fluid responsibly. Here is a typical automatic transmission without a drain plug.
If you have got a pan with no drain plug, loosen the bolts around the perimeter of the pan and let the fluid drain. Once the pan is removed, you’ll usually find a filter that needs to be replaced as well Clean up the pan, install the new gasket and tighten the pan bolts to specification. Now fill the transmission with the proper amount and type of transmission fluid. Then check the level and make sure there are no leaks.
Ultimately, you also don’t want to take any chances. Take your car to a Mesa transmission repair shop.
Trail Transmission
11240 East Apache Trail
Apache Junction, AZ 85120-3529
(480) 986-7367
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