Did You Know?When shifting isn’t as smooth as before, level of the fluid is low, and its color isn’t bright red with a distinct petroleum odor, then it is time you change the transmission fluid of your car.
Transmission fluid acts like a lubricant to all the parts in the transmission system. If it is too old or not in enough quantity, the car’s transmission would get jammed or would make weird noises. It also works in reducing the amount of heat levels in the transmission components. Excessive heat generation is the main reason for more wear on the parts, which ultimately decreases their durability. Shifting would not be so smooth, and that is something that would be felt before anything else.
Changing the Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid is a very important aspect in the working of the car. If you are not too sure how to go about changing it, then it is best left at the hands of your mechanic. However, if you choose to do the transmission fluid change as a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) task, you can either drain the old fluid and then put in the new fluid manually or can utilize exchange machines to get all the old fluid flushed out and fill in the new fluid. In case of doing the task manually without the exchange machines, there are chances of some amount of old fluid to be left in the torque converter. However, if you use these exchange machines, you can completely replace the old fluid with the new one. This process of totally flushing out the old fluid and putting new fluid is known as transmission flush. If you take your vehicle to a car repair professional, he would use the transmission flush technique to change fluid.
Cost Involved
There are many determinants which can be used to find out the approximate cost. Some determinants are who is doing the job; a professional or yourself, what type of fluid is used, what is the make and model of the automobile you own, what are the labor charges in your area, and the likes. A simple understanding is that you would certainly save on labor cost, which is the major expense, if you carry out the job yourself. You just have to spend on the new transmission fluid, which differs from vehicle to vehicle.
Another important determinant of the cost is how much is your car’s worth. If your car is an expensive one, then most probably the transmission fluid would cost more as compared to a cheaper/older vehicle, and likewise you would also need to pay more in getting the fluid changed. The total cost can range from somewhere around $75 to $250, according to the vehicle type.
Changing the transmission fluid at recommended intervals is very essential for the transmission system of the car to run in a smooth manner. Usually, transmission fluid flush is required to be done at every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. In cases where the vehicle is going to be used for heavy work, the time interval might be every 15,000 miles. It would be a good idea to refer to the owner’s manual to get a better idea as to how often the transmission fluid needs to be changed.
If you are searching for a good service deal that would keep the cost at the minimum, you need to make sure that the car repair shop where the task has to be done is reputed and licensed.