If you're looking for “how to extend the lifetime of your transmission,” check out these simple 10 tips:
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- Check transmission fluid regularly
- Choose the required transmission fluid type
- Service your engine cooling system
- Flush the transmission regularly
- Never change gears while driving
- Warmup your car for a little bit
- Do not rely on the spare tire permanently
- Replace the transmission filter
- Never use your vehicle for towing
- Inspect the transmission regularly
Your vehicle's transmission is a core component that is extremely expensive. That's why automotive experts always recommend paying attention to all potential tips to extend the transmission's lifetime and delay major complications as much as possible.
Major transmission problems will happen at some point in time. Still, you can implement some tips and tricks to help you delay these problems and enjoy the maximum lifespan possible of your transmission without needing to install a new one.
This article provides 10 working tips to help you answer the question, how to extend the lifetime of your transmission? Read on for more details!
How to extend the lifetime of your transmission?
The Internet is filled with recommendations about extending the lifetime of certain components in your car. However, not every recommendation would work for you, and it could be just more work and effort that does not bring you any benefits.
This list provides you with a summary of recommended tips to help you extend the lifetime of your transmission that are proven to work based on all the motive experts' recommendations:
1. Check transmission fluid regularly
The first and most important thing you must keep up with is your transmission fluid. The transmission fluid is responsible for lubricating the transmission continuously and preventing its overheating.
Depending on your transmission type, this load might even get involved in how we were transmission operates. For example, if you have a car that has a manual transmission, the transmission fluid must be in precise quantities for you to drive your car properly without dealing with transmission complications.
Over time, this transmission fluid might get heated up, and more importantly, it gets dirtier because it collects a lot of debris and contaminants as it runs around the transmission. Therefore, you must perform regular transmission checks to confirm that it is still at the optimum level and doesn't have any issues with pressure or any problems that could indicate a completely dirty transmission fluid.
If you confirm that the transmission fluid is not at the optimum level, you should immediately top it off before you start dealing with complications. However, if it continues to drop, it could indicate an internal leak. Therefore, you must consult your mechanic immediately before things get more complicated and before you lose the transmission.
2. Choose the required transmission fluid type
Many people think they should use a lower-quality transmission fluid to save on repair costs. However, it's not the best decision because it can lead to major complications that are way more expensive than using the right type of transmission fluid.
As a rule of thumb, we highly encourage you to follow what's recommended in your vehicle's owner's manual. The manual should tell you what fluid your vehicle is expecting and what's the minimum quality you must have in your transmission fluid. Otherwise, these complications you're dealing with impact overall transmission performance and could get you to pay lots of money on the repair.
Keep in mind that you can still go with a higher quality transmission fluid if you think that's reasonable and that's within your budget. In addition, many transmission fluids have some attempts to help extend the lifetime of your transmission and prevent premature damages.
3. Service your engine cooling system
Did you know that the engine's cooling system somehow links to the transmission? So if your engine gets extremely hot and has a problem with the cooling system, these different temperatures cannot impact the transmission and could result in transmission failures.
Therefore, if you're still wondering how to extend your transmission's lifetime, you should also consider keeping an eye on the engine and the cooling system.
4. Flush the transmission regularly
As we mentioned earlier, the transmission fluid is expected to get dirty at some point, and when this happens, you must perform what's known as the transmission flush.
During transmission flush, your mechanic removes any old transmission fluid and replaces it with a fresh one. If you do not perform a transmission flush on time, you can easily deal with complications that could sacrifice the entire transmission.
Your vehicle's owner's manual should recommend when to flush the transmission. You might also want to keep an eye on any symptoms indicating that your vehicle is due for a transmission flush because it could happen before the expected timeline.
5. Never change gears while driving
Your driving habits can lead to major complications in your vehicle and could damage significant components without you paying attention. Unfortunately, one of their common bad habits that some people aren't using to change gears from the vehicle is driving.
This could kill the transmission. So that's why if you're doing this
6. Warm up your car for a little bit
Automotive experts recommend warming your car up for a couple of seconds before moving. However, some experts recommend no more than 30 seconds, and at the same time, you don't want to overdo the warmup because it can easily lead to negative consequences that you don't want to deal with.
Some experts argue that you don't necessarily need to warm up your car, especially if you're driving a modern vehicle, because it's designed and updated in a way that doesn't require any warmer. So, depending on what you're driving, decide how long you should or shouldn't warm up your car.
7. Do not rely on the spare tire permanently
New vehicle spare tires are not designed to be used as a permanent solution. Using the wrong tires can cause much damage to significant components, and one of those components is your transmission.
If you would like to extend the lifetime of your transmission without dealing with major complications, consider replacing the tires, using the right ones, and not relying on the spare tires for extended times.
8. Replace the transmission filter
Did you know that your transmission has a filter?! Yes! This filter is responsible for ensuring that any fool getting inside the transmission is clean and clears off any debris or contaminants.
Therefore, you should be prepared to replace this filter as it gets clogged. Unfortunately, over time of use, it will get partially or completely clogged, and that's where you must take immediate action and replace it immediately.
Your vehicle's owner's manual would be a great resource to look into and determine how often you should replace the transmission filter. You should have a good idea about whether it's the time now to replace the transmission filter or not, So check with him.
9. Never use your vehicle for towing
Your passenger vehicle is not designed for towing other vehicles unless it has significant power to make it ready and prepared for that job. Therefore, experts always recommend never to use your vehicle as a tone machine to move very heavy items.
When you tow and add more loads to your car, you're stressing it out and asking for more power than its capacity. This, of course, could kill major components like the engine but could also impact your transmission and reduce its lifetime.
10. Inspect the transmission regularly
Finally, there's nothing better than detecting problems as early as possible to help extend the lifetime of your transmission.
When you visit your mechanic, you must perform regular inspections to confirm that every component is working as it should. In addition, you should have good ideas about whether there are any complications facing the transmission or whether your transmission is about to fail in some time.
The earlier you detect the problem, the easier it is for your mechanic to resolve it without needing to install measure components and replace the entire transmission.
How much does it cost to replace the transmission?
Replacing the transmission requires a wide range of repair costs that depends heavily on your vehicle's type and the location where you get the job done. Typically, you would expect to pay between $1800 and $3400.
Remember that this price range could climb significantly if you're driving a luxury vehicle and if you get it replaced at a dealership.
That's why you must evaluate the situation carefully and determine whether it's worth fixing this car and installing a new transmission or not.
Is it worth replacing the transmission?
Answering this question depends heavily on your circumstances. For example, if your car is an available modern car and if you have some coverage through a warranty, it's worth installing the new transmission and continues to enjoy your vehicle.
On the other hand, if your car is old and has other problems that require more thousands of dollars on repair, it's not worth investing in this vehicle and you might want to sell this car and ticket value to buy a better one.
Should I replace or rebuild my transmission?
Many factors could impact your decision about whether you should replace or install a new transmission.
Of course, installing new brand-new transmission guarantees that you're not going to deal with any complications shortly, but the biggest drawback is that you must pay a lot because it's extremely expensive.
On the other hand, if you decide to go with rebuilding the transmission, there is a chance that you can save some money as compared to installing a new one. However, rebuilding the transmission requires a specific level of mechanical skill sets, and if you go to the wrong location, there is no guarantee that you will not deal with some problems in your transmission soon.
Therefore, you must evaluate your situation and determine whether you are OK with the different concepts you might experience when going with rebuilding versus installing a new transmission or not.
By rebuilding your transmission, you will save some money, but it's not going to be that much of a saving. In other words, rebuilding the transmission is also a huge investment, and you must be 100% sure that you want to go this route before spending any penny.
Final thoughts
This article provided you with 10 important tips and tricks to help you answer the question, how to extend the lifetime of your transmission?
The transmission is extremely expensive, and the more you implement these tips, the more your transmission will serve you and the more you will save on repair costs.
However, if you get to a point where your transmission fails completely, you should start thinking about selling this car rather than wasting your time and money installing a whole new transmission.
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