Maximizing the Longevity of Your Car's Automatic Transmission: Easy Tip

One of the fastest ways to wear out your car's automatic transmission is to squeal your car's tires and burn rubber. While this type of hot rodding and high octane showmanship looks and sounds impressive, and it definitely turns heads, it places a tremendous strain on your car's internal transmission parts, most notably on the gears and bands, the parts that make up the heart of an automatic transmission. This type of vehicle acceleration also wastes gas, overtaxes and strains your car's engine, and makes you susceptible to getting a ticket for exhibition of speed. So, be a good sport, and do your car's automatic transmission a favor: no burning rubber!

No Transmission Braking

Many people have a bad habit of using their transmission as a braking mechanism. When exiting a freeway or highway, or when attempting to slow down while going downhill, many people simply downshift their automatic transmission to augment the braking action of their car's braking mechanism. There is simply no good reason to do this. An automatic transmission is not designed for braking. Downshifting an automatic transmission in order to slow down places a huge burden on the transmission gears and spindles. If you are one the many people who do this, stop doing that now! Use your car's brakes for braking and stopping; use your car's automatic transmission to facilitate both forward and backward movement. Brake pads are relatively cheap; automatic transmission parts and repairs are not!

No Lazy Shifting

A common mistake made by many people is shifting from reverse into drive while their car is still moving. Instead of waiting until their car is completely stopped, these people shift their car's automatic transmission directly into drive while their car is still moving backwards. This is not only highly damaging to a car's automatic transmission, but it also places tremendous stress and strain on a car's universal joints and differential gear. This type of driving habit can result in significant and costly repairs over time. For the health of your car's automatic transmission, as well as for the health of your car's universal joints and differential gear, shift from reverse to drive ONLY when your car is completely stopped. Your car's automatic transmission AND your wallet will thank you!

Regular Maintenance

Just as a car's engine requires regular servicing and oil and filter changes, so does an automatic transmission. Regularly checking and changing your car's automatic transmission fluid, inspecting your car for signs of transmission fluid leaks, and taking note of any abnormal or suspicious signs of transmission function or operation will go a long way towards ensuring that your car's automatic transmission lasts a long time. Check your car's owner manual for guidelines as to how often your car's automatic transmission fluid and filter need to be changed; intervals vary depending on make, model, and driving conditions. Make a point of checking your car's automatic transmission fluid regularly - at least during every oil change! Inspect the ground underneath your parked car occasionally for any signs of transmission fluid leakage(and address as needed).