If you drive a truck or haul a heavy trailer frequently, you probably pay attention to your transmission. For the rest of the general population, however, the transmission is often simply “out of sight, out of mind”. Transmissions are one of the hardest working parts of your car, and one of the most expensive parts to replace if it goes out, so it’s definitely worth a little consideration.

Transmission fluid, the life blood of the transmission, is critical for lubricating the transmission and reducing the friction between moving parts. Unfortunately, heat greatly affects the fluid, causing it to break down and lose its viscosity. This causes excessive and premature wear on the transmission, and could quickly result in transmission failure. Under normal usage, transmission fluid begins to show its age around 30,000 miles or 2 years, turning brown in color and oxidizing. Once the fluid is way past its lifespan, it will begin to smell burnt. What you cannot see is that when the fluid approaches this point, deposits have formed around the transmission’s moving parts, valves are sticking, and gears slip or are sluggish as they shift. If you are at this point, time is of the essence – you cannot wait or you will find yourself rebuilding or replacing a very expensive part.

Sometimes the 30,000 mile guideline isn’t sufficient. Here are a few signs you need to be aware of:

1.  Grinding or other strange noises. Immediately stop the car and check the transmission fluid while the vehicle is running. The color should be bright red and at the appropriate fill level. If the level is acceptable, you probably need a transmission flush.

2.  Shifting problems. A transmission that is filled with dirt and sludge will cause your car to change gears at awkward or inappropriate times. A manual transmission may be difficult to shift into gear.

3. Slipping gears. This simply means that the car may not stay in the appropriate gear. A dirty transmission’s contaminants may interfere with the flow of transmission fluid that holds the pressure that keeps the car in the right gear. Low fluid levels may also cause this.

4.  Unexplained surging of the vehicle. Because a dirty transmission does not allow for adequate transmission fluid flow, the car may jump or surge.

5.  Delay in vehicle responsiveness. If your car pauses for a second or two before moving after being put in gear, the transmission fluid is likely contaminated or there is build up in the transmission.

How does a transmission flush fix these problems? A transmission flush is a process that removes old fluid from the transmission and replaces it with new fluid. A fluid drain is a good start, but does not remove all of the old, contaminated fluid from the transmission and torque converter. A transmission flush from a reputable auto repair shop will clean the entire transmission and replenish it new fluid through the use of special equipment, remove all of the old contaminated fluid from the transmission and the torque converter, and use new fluid with premium conditioners.