The True Keys To Prolonging The Life Of An Ailing Automatic Transmission
An aging automatic transmission will not typically fail all at once, but rather gradually over time as the inner components start to wear out. Therefore, if you have a transmission that is on the road to failure, with a little careful attention, you will be able to prepare yourself for the inevitable. While you may not be able to completely prevent your transmission from eventually failing, what you can do is work to prolong its life to buy yourself some time. Here are a few keys to prolonging the short life span of your ailing automatic transmission.
Have your transmission fluid and filter changed.
The transmission fluid could easily be considered the life of your transmission. Like the blood circulating through the veins of your body, transmission fluids pump and circulate throughout every portion of the transmission, keeping all of the moving parts well lubricated and moving freely. An aging automatic transmission breaks down and the shreds and tidbits of metal from the gears will make their way into the fluid, which will make it hard for the fluid to travel freely as it should. Sometimes just replacing debris-filled transmission fluid and adding a new filter will give an ailing transmission enough of a boost to keep going for a while longer.
Take it easy on the accelerator.
There is no way you should be putting the pedal to the metal if your car's tranny is starting to fail. Fast acceleration, especially from a stop, forces the gears within the transmission to change rapidly to keep up with the demands of the engine. If you are certain your transmission is starting to show signs of failure, train yourself to take it as easy as possible when you drive. Avoid jumping in your car and taking off at full speeds, and accelerate slowly to allow the gears to change in the transmission smoothly.
Avoid hauling a carload of passengers or towing heavy loads.
Whether it is a load of furniture on the bed of your truck or a full car load of passengers, the more weight your vehicle has inside, the harder it will be on the transmission to pull the weight of the vehicle and all the extra heft. Avoid towing a trailer on a hitch as well because this too will just add extra challenge for the transmission to do its job, which could bring it to its demise much sooner.
For more information, contact a company like S & A Transmission.