Mercury is rising and so is a driver’s urge to hit the road for a long drive. If you are planning on a long drive, then a few reminders on automatic transmission care would be valuable before you go.
Taking care of your car regularly is a must to avoid mishaps. Also, depending on the model and age of your vehicle, auto transmission repairs can be costly if you neglect maintenance. Angel’s Transmission & Auto Repair in Mission Viejo, California can help check your car to ensure that it’s in top form.
As cars are an essential and important possession, here are some tips to help you care for your automatic transmission vehicles and be ready for a summer trip.
Maintenance Tips
- Check for safety issues and recalls: Sometimes, we’re not even aware that an advisory has been released and didn’t know that our particular vehicle is affected by the recall. Go and have a check here at NHTSA.
- Check your Car’s Manual: It may seem like a no-brainer but the first thing that we should all do is to check our car’s manual for maintenance and care information. The more familiar we are with our car, the better care we can give.
- Service Maintenance: Regular tune-ups, tire rotation, oil changes, battery checks are just some of the things that goes with service maintenance. Automatic transmission cars that are serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendation are most often fit for travel. Just before your road trip, do another service maintenance just for general check up.
- Check transmission fluid: This must be done periodically and not just when you are planning to take a long drive. Transmission fluid is necessary for your valve operation, brake band friction, torque converter, and gear lubrication. You can check it at home by simply dipping a clean oil dipstick and get a reading. Bear in mind that if the reading is too low, a leak may be present. The fluid should smell crisp and clean and not like a rotten fish. If there is a foul smell, take it to a transmission specialist immediately.
- Ensure that you use the correct transmission fluid: Don’t guess about this. If you’re not sure, don’t. Your car manual will tell you what kind of transmission fluid is needed. In case you are still not sure, leave it to the professionals at Angel’s Transmission & Auto Repair and they will check it for you.
- Flush transmission regularly: Following the use of the right transmission fluid, it is also important to flush the transmission at least once a year by a transmission specialist.
- Change transmission filter: An automatic transmission vehicle may have a filter especially if it’s an older model. It is best to change the filter from time to time to prolong the top performance of your car. Do it together with transmission flush.
- Run a transmission test once a year: Seek a transmission specialist to do a diagnostic test on your transmission annually. With daily use of your car, changes can occur with your transmission fluid, possibility of leaks, and others.
- Check your engine’s cooling system. You may not think it’s not related but it is. Make sure your cooling system is at its best as it helps prevent the engine from overheating. It also ensures that the transmission fluid flowing through the gearbox is cooled too. At times, it is highly likely that you will need a transmission repair before your engine completely overheats.
Driving Tips
Now that you know the basic maintenance tips for automatic transmission, here are also some driving habits you might want to avoid to ensure safe use of your car.
- Do not shift gears while your engine is running. Wait until you are on full stop before changing gear. If you engage the gear while in motion, you put unnecessary strain on your transmission that could cause future troubles.
- Don’t drive on spare time for an extended period. Have that tire replaced immediately. Driving on spare times means the wheels are not aligned and will eventually put a strain on your automatic transmission.
- Listen for any unnecessary noise. A grinding sound or even shaking means there is something wrong with the transmission. Go have it checked immediately.
In Mission Viejo, California, Angel’s Transmission & Auto Repair can help you in maintaining automatic transmission and ensure it’s in optimal condition. Head over to us before your summer road trip and we’ll be glad to assist you. Angel’s Transmission has a team of dedicated, certified and experienced auto technicians who can handle works on automatic/manual transmission repair or rebuilding, coolant flush, brakes and other auto repair services from simple to complex cases. We serve the Orange County communities of Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Foothill Ranch, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Rancho Santo Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Tustin, and Trabuco Canyon. To have your transmission checked, call Angel’s Transmission & Auto Repair at (949) 587-9060 for more info.
