In the old days, transmission fluid was changed, or should have been changed, every 60,000 miles. Today the fluids are far better with change intervals exceeding over 100,000 miles and beyond. Similar to motor oil, transmission fluid is important to reduce transmission friction and curb the wear and tear of the transmission’s gears. It may be a longer lasting fluid compared to motor oil but it does deteriorate over time. We give you the information of how to know when your transmission fluid needs a change, and how you should do it.
Your transmissions health
You can tell a lot about a transmission from the color of its fluid and its smell. Transmission fluid comes in a variety of colors, ranging from blue, yellow, and green to the more commonplace red. All these options will start out fairly pale and bright, so that it’s fairly easy to tell when your fluid needs changing based upon the color. The more dark and brown the color appears, the more the fluid has been burnt and contaminated by fine transmission debris. There’s also the scent! Transmission fluid is interestingly sweet smelling, noticeably growing more burnt smelling the longer the fluid has been in use.
Fortunately Victory Layne Chevrolet (Ft. Myers, FL) says checking the color of your transmission fluid and its smell is easily done with your engine’s transmission dipstick. This is often located near the transmission fluid pipe. Generally, front-wheel drive vehicles will have the dipstick near the front of the engine, while rear-wheel drive vehicles have it towards the back of the engine. Similar to how you check the level and cleanliness of your motor oil, you wipe off the dipstick then reinsert it. When you pull it out again, the color can then be read on your paper towel or rag. The smell can also be gauged at this time.
How often should you change your transmission fluid
The timeframe between changing your transmission fluid differs between car brands. Each brand usually specifies their own time period within your owner’s manual. And, as we mentioned above, the change interval can be anywhere between 50,000 miles and 150,000 miles. Particularly with vehicles that tow or haul big weights, extra strain generates more friction and heat and this may reduce the fluid change interval.
How do I change my transmission fluid
Unless you are a hardcore DIYer, its probably easier to have a professional mechanic change your transmission fluid. For most makes, its a fair amount more work than an engine oil change.
If you’re an industrious individual who likes to do their own car maintenance, he’s what you do. Jack up your car until you can easily slide underneath. Then remove the bottom transmission oil pan. This lets you clean out the pan and remove the gasket too. You’ll also want to change out your transmission filter. This is attached with a separate bolt of the transmission. Your owner’s manual should specify which filter model your vehicle needs to replace this old one.
Next step is to install a new gasket and bolt the pan back on. Then refill your transmission fluid from under your hood until it reaches the fluid line indicated by your transmission fluid dipstick tube. Use a funnel to cleanly refill your fluid through this tube, then run your vehicle to adequately warm and circulate the new fluid before checking your dipstick to ensure you’ve poured in enough transmission fluid.
Summary
Build up and degradation of transmission fluid is a natural process. To keep your vehicle in tip top shape, make sure you change your fluids on time. If you’re not sure about the products or time period your engine needs, it’s best to contact either your dealership or your local mechanic to get some expert insight.
