Car Transmission Maintenance

Keeping your truck or car transmission properly maintained is vital in keeping your vehicle in proper running condition. A transmission is a very complicated component of a vehicles drivetrain. As such, a transmission repair is very costly. To avoid these costly transmission repairs it is important for you to know how to properly maintain your transmission.

Heat is the Enemy
When it comes to a car transmission, heat is the enemy. Excessive heat can build up under the following conditions:

Towing a heavy load
Stop and go traffic in hot weather
Racing
Repeatedly putting a car in drive and reverse in an effort to get a vehicle unstuck in snow or mud.

If you find yourself in any of these conditions very often, you may benefit from an auxiliary transmission cooler. A transmission cooler mounts onto your vehicles radiator and cools the transmission fluid. Many SUV's and pickup's come with an auxiliary transmission cooler as part of a towing or heavy-duty package.

Transmission Maintenance
Here are some simple rules to follow that will keep your truck or car transmission in good shape:

Check your transmission fluid regularly. Your transmission fluid should be red. Brown fluid or any fluid that smells burnt should be replaced immediately.
Always use the transmission fluid recommended by the manufacturer. Don't mix different transmission fluids. Stick with one brand.
Change your transmission fluid according to the schedule outlined in your owners manual. Otherwise, have it changed every 24,000 miles or 2 years.
Never shift from reverse to drive while the vehicle is still rolling. Come to a complete stop before putting the vehicle into drive.
Always use the emergency brake properly. With your foot on the brake pedal, apply the emergency brake, then put the car into park. This will put the stress on the emergency brake and not on vital transmission components.
Never shift from park to drive if the engine is running higher than the normal idle speed.
What is Overdrive?
Overdrive refers to the highest gear in the transmission. For example, if you have a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive, the 4th gear is overdrive. If you have a 5-speed manual with overdrive, the 5th gear is overdrive. The overdrive gear allows for the vehicle to run at highway speeds at reduced rpm, allowing for better fuel mileage and reduced engine noise. Not all transmissions have an overdrive gear. Smaller engines often don't have overdrive as the car isn't producing enough power at low rpm to maintain high speeds. Therefore it is possible to have a 4-speed automatic with overdrive and another without overdrive.
On vehicles equipped with overdrive, it should be switched off when towing a heavy load or when in mountainous terrain. This will prevent the transmission from repeatedly upshifting and downshifting to and from overdrive. Leaving overdrive engaged in these conditions can lead to costly car transmission repairs.