All cars require maintenance and care to ensure they drive swiftly. One of the components that must be fully functional is the transmission.
If you aren’t a car expert, you may feel like taking care of your vehicle is impossible. Nevertheless, if you try some of these ways to extend the lifespan of your transmission, you won’t have to worry about troublesome repairs!
Prioritize Transmission Cooler Maintenance
Trans oil coolers regulate the transmission’s temperature using transmission fluid while lubricating many metal parts. If the fluid’s temperature goes unregulated, it can burn, contaminate the system, and allow the transmission to overheat.
When conducting regular maintenance for the transmission, remember to check the status of the transmission cooler and transmission fluid. Too much or too little fluid can cause various complications within the transmission. If you stay proactive and tend to the transmission cooler often, you’ll be less likely to experience complications and will be able to prolong the transmission’s life.
Don’t Continuously Drive on Low Gas Levels
When the low-fuel light turns on, you may think to yourself, “I still have time!” However, before you know it, you may need to rush to a gas pump with only a few miles to spare.
Continuously driving on an empty tank isn’t only dangerous for your safety; it’s potentially harmful to the transmission. The fuel pump cannot function without sufficient levels of gasoline to keep the engine and transmission lubricated and cool. Repeating this process every time you get low on gas can lead to clogged filters and an overheated transmission.
Park in a Covered Location
Transmission damage can occur even when you aren’t driving the car. Many people dislike parking outside because of potential sun damage to the paint job, seats, and dashboard. However, excessive heat and sun exposure can also impact the quality of the engine and transmission.
High temperatures can damage belts and hoses while causing various fluids to evaporate. As mentioned above, fluids are a crucial component that vehicles can’t run without.
Rather than risk driving on insufficient fluids, park in a covered area. Indoor garages work even better! They’ll minimize the effects of the weather on the vehicle.
Avoid Riding the Brake
Do you always have a habit of riding with one foot on the brake? This habit not only quickly deteriorates the brake system, but it can cause damage to the transmission too.
The transmission works harder as you ride the brake because it’s difficult to signal which gear to engage. Additionally, it puts immense pressure on the parts because they’re working tirelessly to force the car to stop.
Use the Parking Brake
The parking brake isn’t only a safety feature to use when you’re on a hill. You should use the brake every time you park!
The parking pawl controls the vehicle’s brakes; it causes the transmission to lock up once put into park. The parking brake is an additional tool to ensure the transmission doesn’t become unlocked or move unexpectedly.
Parking brakes are also important to extend the lifespan of your transmission. Since the transmission continues to work to leave the car in park, the parking brake relieves some of the pressure from the system. The next time you put your car in park, you should try using this feature!
If you ever face transmission troubles, Transparts Warehouse’s selection of transmission parts can support you through even the toughest of repairs!
