Having a manual transmission vehicle causes the driver to really think about how they shift gears when they are driving so that damage is not caused to the transmission or the clutch. However, when automatic transmission does all of the shifting, the driver tends to pay less attention to how they are causing the part to have more stress put on it. Driving habits can have a big impact on the health of your transmission, because you could be causing damage without knowing it.
Towing Heavy Items
You have a trailer hitch, so you may assume that your car is equipped to tow anything. Unfortunately, that is not true. Different vehicles have the ability to tow different amounts of weight, which is why it is crucial that you always check with your owner's manual to see how much you can actually tow. Towing excessive amounts of weight can cause the transmission to break down prematurely, even if it does not fail during the specific trip where you are towing something heavy.
Shifting When Moving
A common habit that drivers have is shifting the car from reverse to forward while the car is slightly in motion. It can cause the car to jerk, which is a sign that you changed gears too early. The reason this is bad for the transmission is because the brakes are not being used to bring the vehicle to a complete stop to shift directions. Instead, the components within the transmission are stopping the car. As you can imagine, this isn't good for the transmission, which can be quite expensive to repair. You'll always want the car to be completely stopped when shifting to and from forward and reverse. The added stress can eventually cause the transmission to fail if you are not careful.
Skipping Maintenance
Many car owners know how important it is to change the oil, but they don't know what needs to be done to maintain a transmission. The transmission uses transmission fluid, which helps cool down the part and keep it well lubricated. Not having enough transmission fluid, or having dirty fluid, can cause the part to wear out prematurely. When checking your oil, verify that there is enough transmission fluid in your car and that it is clean. If not, you'll need to have the fluid flushed and refilled.
If you do find that you have caused damage to your transmission, you'll need to have a mechanic repair the part by rebuilding it and replacing broken components. Contact a company like Automatic Transmission Warehouse for more information.
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