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How to Check Your Transmission Fluid
Performing a transmission fluid check is an essential part in keeping your transmission running at its best. Burnt or insufficient fluid can lead to problems. So it's best if you change your fluid at least once a year: 1. Pull your parking brake, step on the brake, and shift through the gears.
2. Put your car in park (or neutral,) and let the engine run.
3. Pull out the transmission dipstick and wipe it off.
4. Put the dipstick back in all the way and then pull it out again.
Then: If the engine is cool, the fluid should be at the upper part of the "cold" mark. If the engine is hot, it should be at the upper end of the "hot" mark. If the fluid is too low, you need to add some.
Make sure you know what kind of fluid your car takes! Add a little fluid, wait a moment, and then start the engine.
How often should I have my transmission checked?
You should always consult your owner's manual for recommended maintenance schedules, practicing preventive maintenance can extend your car's and its transmission's life. We recommend an annual check of your vehicle's transmission in order to catch little problems before they become big ones. Consult your owner's manual for recommended maintenance schedules, but practicing preventive maintenance can extend your car's and its transmission's life. We recommend an annual check of your vehicle's transmission in order to catch little problems before they become big problems.
Advice Worth Knowing:
You can keep your vehicle running smoothly and your pocket book less empty; if you heed a few simple tips about transmission repairs and replacement and what you should watch for.
1) Get Recommendations - Ask your family and friend's to recommend a shop where they were treated well or may have had an experience with.
2 Avoid Phone Estimates - Today it's virtually impossible to give an accurate estimate over the phone. Any shop that will give you a price before seeing the car is probably low balling you. Expect the price to go up considerably before the job is finished. There are a few rare occassions when a shop can give you a set price for a certain job.
3) Ask For An Estimate - After checking your car thoroughly any repair center should have a fairly good idea of whats wrong with your vehicle and what it will cost to do the repairs.
4) Look For Membership With Consumer Organizations - Most reputable shops are members of an organization or an association that provides consumer arbitration in the event of a dispute, such as the Better Business Bureau and AAA.
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Why does a transmission repair cost so much?
Transmission repairs can be expensive. It's not so much the money when you consider what is involved in the repair or rebuild of your transmission. Todays automatic transmission's consist of hundreds of individual components. During a major repair, each one is removed, cleaned, and inspected to exacting tolerances. Any worn or damaged parts are repaired or replaced. Then each part is put together into one of many subassemblies. Each subassembly must be adjusted, and tested for proper operation. Then the subassemblies must be assembled into the transmission case, where the adjustments and testing procedure begins all over again. Finally once the transmission is completely assembled it has to be reinstalled. |
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Web~Site Created By Lisa S. |
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