When should you Replace your Transmission Fluid
Just as engine oil lubricates the working parts of an automobile's motor, the automatictransmission fluid(ATF) bathes the intricate components of the automatic transmission with a protective coat of lubricant. In addition, and in a way more importantly, pressurized ATF directs power to the various functional segments of the transmission: the gears, the bands and the linkages. The lubrication effect and the pressurization effect operate under different although complementary processes. Components unprotected with ATF may wear rapidly and fail to function efficiently, whereas the pressurization effect of ATF may continue providing sufficient power to these parts to permit the vehicle to operate pretty much as normal.
Many motorists change a vehicle's engine oil after a set number of miles of operation, based either on personal experience or on the recommendations of the manufacturer. The number of miles may vary from three to five thousand miles, depending in part on the age of the vehicle. Regular oil changes, however, go a long way toward reducing wear on the engine and all its constituent parts. An engine so protected can perform efficiently for many thousands of miles over conventional thinking.
Regularchange outsof automatic transmission fluid also will go far toward reducing wear and keep an automobile running efficiently for an extended lifetime of driving. Knowing when to replace the ATF need not become a guessing game on the part of the vehicle's owner. As with engine oil, manufacturer's of vehicles with an automatic transmission include replacement recommendations in the owner's manual. Practical ATF change outs should occur every twenty or twenty-five thousand miles of vehicle operation.
As suggested above, the automatic transmission fluid should have a like-new condition. The owner of an older vehicle, or one driven under adverse situations (stop and go traffic, short trips, steep grades) may need to change the ATF more frequently. To determine a need for an early change out requires an examination of the ATF through a simple inspection of the transmission fluid dip stick, usually located under the hood somewhere above the engine's dip stick. Good ATF should have a magenta or bright coloration and produce a definite petroleum odor. If the dip stick shows the ATF has an ugly dark or brown coloration and smells like something left to burn on the stove, the fluid needs replacing.
A complete and regular replacement of the automatic transmission fluid will keep ATF in good condition continually available to the transmission, ensuring long life and efficient operation of the vehicle.
