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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE

When it comes to preventive maintenance, automatic transmission fluid isn't one of the things you are asked to focus on even though it is often the cause of premature transmission failure but when you consider how expensive it is to replace transmission, you might want to change your fluid and filter every now and then

Apart from towing vehicles, most other vehicle owner's manuals don't specify change interval for automatic transmission fluid. While vehicle manufacturers say their fluids can go upwards of 100,000 miles under normal driving conditions transmission experts recommends fluid and filter changes every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Doing this will prolong the life of an automatic transmission but if you have a transmission that has a lot of miles( 100,000 or more) on it and you have never changed the fluid then it's probably best NOT to change the fluid--- Why?  Because changing the fluid may loosen accumulated varnish deposits that could cause sticking of control valves in the valvebody

Check your transmission fluid level periodically. For most vehicles, this should be done after the vehicle has been driven and the fluid is still hot. The dipstick is then read while the engine idling and the transmission is in park. Some late model vehicles don't have a dipstick for checking the fluid level inside the transmission but there may be a filler plug on the transmission itself that can be removed to check the fluid level

If the level is low, add fluid to gradually bring the level up to the full mark, but not overfilled as this can cause fluid to aerate and foam. Low level can also mean there might be leakage, visually inspect for leakage and if the transmission is leaking fluid from the pan gasket or rear seal then these parts should be replaced




NOTE; Refer to owner's manual and make sure you get the correct type of fluid for your transmission. Using the wrong fluid can lead to transmission failure
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