Transmission Fluid Changes in Orange Park, FL
Changing the Fluid at Transmission Hero
While both automatic and manual transmission vehicles utilize transmission fluid, the most used fluid is Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). ATF is typically manufactured with a refined mixture of base oil and a combination of additives. These additives work with the oil to create the proper lubrication needed for many essential mechanical elements throughout the car. First and foremost, Transmission Hero will become familiar with your car’s manufacturer provided owner’s manual. Many experts generally recommend a transmission fluid replacement every 35,000 to 60,000 miles depending on your driving behaviors, however when your vehicle is used in hot or cold climates, hilly terrain, stop and go traffic, towing or carry heavy loads, or if you plan on keeping your vehicle with mileage more than 100,000 miles, you will want to change your fluid more often to keep it clean and fresh, even if you use a synthetic “lifetime” marketed transmission fluid. As the transmission fluid loses lubricating additives the transmission fluid becomes severely burnt or varnished looking. Transmission fluid does not actually burn but will have a burnt smell from the clutches and seals that may be burning, or the transmission is slipping just a bit and will begin to wear which will discolor the fluid with burnt clutch material and seals and will ultimately cause the transmission to fail. You can avoid much of this by maintaining recommended general transmission fluid.
It is no great surprise that a consumer might want to try a service or a flush when his or her transmission acts up or begins to have problems. A fluid change costs a lot less than a transmission repair or a transmission rebuild, however, in some instances changing the fluid could cause the vehicle to completely stop pulling when the fluid is changed. There are a few reasons this can happen:
• New fluid has new detergent additives cleaning away built-up clutch material and varnish from worn valves and passages. The newly cleansed surfaces begin to leak or bypass the built up areas causing even more bypass of fluids in pistons and throughout the transmission causing additional damage from the lack of pressure needed to make the transmission operate correctly.
• The cleaning process can also displace the built-up clutch material and varnish into the transmission causing filters to clog or possibly it can move these particles it to a different location where it is more likely to cause the transmission to fail or stop moving at all.
• New fluid is usually thinner - than the old, contaminated transmission fluid which over time will thicken amd dense. The new fluid is more likely to leak past worn sealing rings and valve passages, molded pistons, and servos creating instant pressure changes for old seals and pistons which could again cause greater problems with the transmission and ultimately prevent the vehicle from moving.
Transmission Hero’s position is that a fluid change is part of regular transmission maintenance. It is only useful for increasing transmission life if it is done every year - or even every other year - as part of a regular maintenance routine. Performing a fluid exchange on an older unit that has never been serviced, or as a heroic attempt to salvage a transmission that is beginning to fail, is not something Transmission Hero recommends. At Transmission Hero, we recommend changing all your fluids for transmission, transfer case, and differentials at least once a year or every 15,000 miles minimum to a maximum of 30,000 miles, depending on the type of fluids you use.
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