Your transmission is responsible for sending the right amount of power to your tires as you drive. With a manual transmission, the amount of power is dependent upon the gear that you are in. With an automatic transmission, your car will automatically switch to the right gear as you drive. You need a working transmission in order to get down the road. Luckily, there are a few simple and easy things that you can do to take care of your vehicle's transmission on a regular basis.
#1 Check Your Fluid On a Regular Basis
To start with, you need to check your transmission fluid on a regular basis. Once you open up your hood, you should have a dipstick for your transmission fluid. If you are not sure where your transmission fluid dipstick is located, you can look up the location and the symbol that will be on the dipstick.
Only check your transmission fluid when your vehicle engine is cool and that you have not driven the vehicle for hours. Steam can build up inside of your transmission, and you can injure yourself if you pull the dipstick out when your engine is hot.
On some vehicles, the transmission fluid case is clear, and you don't have to pull out the dipstick to see the level of fluid. You can see the maximum and minimum fill line on the container.
You should still pull the dipstick out though. When you pull the dipstick out, make sure that you don't see any debris on the dip stick. That means that the transmission fluid is contaminated and needs to be changed.
#2 Change Your Fluid
You need to change the fluid in your transmission container on a regular basis. The transmission fluid in your vehicle should be flushed out of the vehicle and replaced every other oil change. In between oil changes, you should check on the transmission fluid level and top off your transmission fluid if it gets low.
#3 Watch How You Drive
Finally, you need to watch how you drive your vehicle. Allow your vehicle to warm up for a few minutes before you start driving at full speeds, no matter the weather. When you drive, make sure that you don't come to a complete stop before you put your vehicle into reverse or into drive.
The best way to take care of your transmission is by always making sure that your vehicle has transmission fluid in it and that you change your fluid on a regular basis. Drive carefully and don't stress out your engine. These simple steps will help your transmission and engine stay in great shape. For more information, contact your local transmission repair service.
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