TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE TIPS

          Transmission maintenance tips

          Tow vehicle maintenance tips

          Trailer Towing Tips

WAYS TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF YOUR TRANSMISSION Check your transmission fluid regularly and properly. Check your transmission fluid after extreme operating conditions. Conditions like stop and go traffic, hilly terrain, hot weather, or towing can build up excess transmission heat causing fluid to be lost, damaged, or both. Check it no later than your next stop for gasoline. Install an external cooler if you will be operating under extreme conditions. Towing a trailer, hauling heavy loads, or being stuck in traffic often creates excessive transmission heat. An external transmission cooler will help to bring the temperature down to normal operating level adding significantly to the life of the transmission. Over 14 million transmissions fail every year, 9 out of 10 from overheating. Every 20° drop in operating temperature can double oil and equipment life.* Change your transmission fluid more often when operating under extreme conditions. Transmission fluid cools, cleans, and lubricates the internal transmission parts while providing the hydraulic pressure to make all of the components work together. When the fluid loses its ability to perform those tasks efficiently your transmission's life may be shortened. The average driver puts about 15,000 miles on their vehicle per year. We recommend that you perform a Transmission Tune-Up Service every 15,000 miles or once a year, which ever occurs first. Check for any malfunctions promptly. Repair bills tend to rise in proportion to mileage driven after the first signs of trouble. The longer you drive with a malfunctioning transmission, the more damage you may cause. Bring in your vehicle at the first sign of trouble to try and head off any major problems. Have the transmission linkage and other adjustments checked periodically. Especially after the vehicle has been in an accident or has had any major engine work performed. Keep your engine properly tuned. A poor running engine can, at times, display symptoms similar to a transmission problem. A poor running engine will also put extra stress on your transmission, which will reduce its longevity. Have other drive train components that may affect transmission function checked regularly. Drive shafts and their universal joints, drive axles and their constant velocity joints, engine flywheels or flex plates, computer systems and sensors, radiator and cooling lines to the transmission, engine and transmission mountings can cause problems. All of these components must operate within their engineered specifications, or they will cause other problems. Have your vehicle’s cooling system checked twice a year for leaks, proper coolant level and strength. Antifreeze can deteriorate over time causing it to become ineffective creating overheating conditions. Perform a complete physical check up at least once a year. This should include all safety components such as lights, brakes and steering. Remember that a poor running engine or certain transmission problems can be a safety hazard.

THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WITH YOUR TRANSMISSION Don’t Leave The Shift Lever In Park (P) Without The Parking Brake On. If another vehicle were to even tap yours in the front or back while parked it could cause a part inside your transmission (the parking pawl) to break leaving your vehicle to roll down the street unattended. Don’t Downshift To “Brake” At Traffic Lights. A forced downshift at high engine RPM causes excessive wear on transmission friction components (clutches and bands). Don’t Place Shift Lever in Drive or Reverse when engine is at “Fast Idle”. This can cause abrupt transmission engagement leading to early failure of clutches, bands, gear sets, drive line components and engine or transmission mountings. Don’t Drag Race. Unless your vehicle was specifically designed for that purpose it cannot sustain that form of abuse. You run the risk of damaging all drive line components. Don’t Use Your Shift Lever Instead of Your Brake. Before reversing direction your car must be at a complete stop. Using the transmission to stop the vehicle will lead to premature transmission failure. Don’t Rock Your Car in Sand or Snow. Dig it out or have it towed. Both are less expensive than the damage you may cause by quick shifting between Reverse (R) and Drive (D) over and over again. The excessive heat that is caused by such action can burn out a transmission in a very short period of time. Don’t Drive Until The Engine Warms Up. For your transmission to perform properly, the fluid must be at operating temperature. Give it a few minutes and it will give you better and longer service. Don’t Let Anyone Tow Your Vehicle With The Drive Wheels on the Ground. Rear wheel drive vehicles must be towed with the rear wheels off the ground. Front wheel drive with the front wheels in the air. All wheel or full time four-wheel drive vehicles should be flat towed (all four wheels off the ground) Not sure? Check your owner’s manual. Improper towing can cause serious damage! Don’t Stop Suddenly. Like fast starts, sudden stops can damage drive train components like engine and transmission mounts. These can lead to transmission damage. After any sudden emergency stop, it would be wise to have your mounts checked. Don’t Play Transmission “Doctor”. Over the counter additives that are supposed to stop leaks or make the transmission shift better many times contain chemicals that may cause worn seals to swell. This can interfere with the function of these operating rubber parts and lead to severe damage.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM DO NOT DO THE FOLLOWING Don’t Let Your Buddy, Or Any Unqualified Person, Try To Fix It In His Driveway. He will do more harm than good and cost you more in the long run. Don’t Have Anyone Install A Used Transmission From A Junkyard Or Out Of Another Vehicle That Has Not Been Evaluated By A Professional. Transmission failure is partially a function of age and mileage. There is no way to tell if that used transmission has been abused or how many miles it really has on it. In addition, it may not be an exact match with yours leading to all types of control problems especially with today’s sophisticated electronic transmissions. How Many Times Would You Want To Pay Someone To Install One Of These Before Finding One That Will Last? Don’t Be Misled By Terminology. Customers are many times led to believe that they are purchasing a “NEW” transmission when, in reality, it is either remanufactured, rebuilt, reconditioned, or repaired. While the transmission may be new to their vehicle it is, in most cases, not new. Brand new transmissions would cost outrageous amounts of money and are hardly ever installed by anyone, even new car dealers. Don’t Go Back To The New Car Dealer unless the vehicle is under the manufacturer’s original warranty. Harrell & Beverly Transmissions can provide service under most “Extended Warranty Plans”. We can usually perform necessary repairs and services more quickly and with the peace of mind in knowing the work is being done by professionals who specialize in transmissions. Don’t allow anyone to install a rebuilt or repaired transmission in your vehicle without first performing a diagnostic evaluation to determine if such an extensive operation is even necessary. Don’t Shop For Prices Over The Phone. Many customers ask “How much for a transmission?” At that point most don’t even now if they need one. Would you want to pay for a transmission you don’t need? Prices quoted over the phone may be “low ball” amounts just to get you to come in, or they may not include everything you need, leading to unhappy surprises later on. Don’t Trade Your Car In Just Because It Has A Transmission Problem. If the car is in good condition having the transmission repaired can be a much more cost effective solution than committing to the long-term investment in a replacement vehicle. After all, you know what you have now; you don’t always know what you’re going to get. Even if you decide to trade it in at a later date, a car with a properly functioning transmission will bring a lot more than one that has a problem. So the investment you make to repair it can easily bring you a good return. Don’t Add Store Bought Transmission Fluid Additives. In many cases they do more harm than good. Always check with a transmission Professional before adding anything. Don’t Let General Repair Mechanics Experiment With Your Transmission. Only Certified Transmission Technicians will have the equipment and capability to diagnose and repair your transmission properly the first time. A good general repair mechanic will recommend that you see a transmission professional. Don’t Bring Your Transmission Problem To A “Fly By Night” Repair Shop. Get references. Check with Consumer Affairs and your local Chamber of Commerce. If you want to be assured of accurate diagnosis and top quality service bring it to a name you know and can trust, Harrell & Beverly Transmissions.

*From Hayden Automotive