Is Your Transmission fluid Color Good? When Transmission fluid Change Cost Can Be Lower?
Posted by HJL_ADMIN 1 on
There are many important parts inside a vehicle, and the transmission is one of them. Knowing when transmission fluid change, how to transmission fluid change and the transmission fluid change cost is critical to prolonging the transmission life. Most transmission failures are caused by neglected transmission fluid color or transmission fluid leak.
Thankfully, this is not a very expensive and difficult process than replacing the entire transmission, keep reading this guide to learn more about the transmission fluids.
About Transmission fluid: Why should change the transmission oil?
There are many series of parts inside the transmission that transmits power to the wheels. The transmission fluid is a lubricant, it also acts as a coolant, a viscous fluid that lubricates and keeps the transmission at a safe operating temperature to facilitate shifting.
There are many different types of transmission fluids, depending on the vehicle equipped with them. You can refer to your owner's manual to find out which transmission fluid is suitable for your car.
Over time, the transmission fluid can get old and dirty. Debris from wear enters the fluid and these small particles settle in the oil which causes extra wear and tear on internal parts and may even need to entire rebuild or replace the transmission.
So, to prevent this from happening and save money on your transmission, get your transmission fluid changed regularly.
When the Transmission fluid Needs to Be Changed?
When Should Change the Transmission fluid?
As mentioned earlier, the fluid in the transmission system can become contaminated as time goes on. To ensure the proper operation of the vehicle, the transmission oil should be changed every 30,000-60,000 miles. For more detailed maintenance intervals or information, check your owner's manual or follow the recommendations of a professional repair shop.
Transmission fluid change times may also depend on many factors. Traditional automatic transmissions may be replaced at 100,000 miles even never need to be, but regular transmission fluid changes can still bring many benefits. At least we can confirm is that changing the fluid "frequently" is much cheaper than repairing the entire transmission.
Transmission fluid change cost
There are a number of factors that can affect the transmission fluid change cost:
-The make and model of your vehicle
-The labor cost in your area
-The work was done by a dealer, mechanic, service center, or yourself
-The type of transmission fluid used
-The amount of fluid your car needs
Normally, transmission fluid replacement costs range from $80 to $300. In order to know what the exact cost will be, we recommend getting a quote from your local dealer or mechanic. The total cost to the store may include taxes and disposal, please expect to pay more.
Why is transmission fluid change so expensive?
Most of this cost isn’t always in the labor but in the price of the fluid which depends on the fluid type and how many quarts the car has. In addition, you may also need a new transmission filter and possibly a pan gasket. And it used to be said that the dealership is going to cost 2-3 times more.
No matter what, please remember to have a transmission fluid change regularly that can help your vehicle work properly a lot.
How can I let Transmission fluid Change Cost Can Be Lower?
How to Change Transmission fluid?
Of course, the cheapest option is to change the fluid by yourself which reduces the cost by about half.
The job is simple for most cars as long as you have the proper tools.
If you find that the transmission fluid is low, you just need to add fluid to the system.
But it should be noted that if the transmission oil is discolored and has impurities, the best way is to replace it!
But be aware that this can also be a complicated process, as some automatic transmissions do not have drain plugs so that need to be very careful to remove the pan bolts while the fluid is still in the transmission. If you are still unsure, let the professional repair shop do it for you.
Before you begin, the tools and materials you need to prepare:
- Gloves
- Car jack
- Wheel chocks or wheel ramps
- Funnel
- Transmission drain pan
- Socket set
- New Transmission fluid
Then, let’s start to transmission fluid change!
#1 Park and lift your car
First of all, make sure to let the engine cool down for about 10 minutes after shutting it off so that it does not come into touch with very hot components and transmission fluid.
Park the vehicle in a safe space and apply the parking brake which can be used to keep the vehicle stationary, and use the jack to lift the vehicle off the ground. You can place wheel chocks or ramps behind the rear tires to prevent your car from moving or shifting while working.
#2 Find the transmission fluid pan and drain the old fluid.
Next, wear rubber gloves to keep your hands safe and clean. The transmission oil pan is not difficult to find and will be fastened with 6-8 bolts to the bottom of the transmission. The front-wheel or 4-wheel drive cars are located on the left or right side of the engine bay. The rear-wheel drive cars are below the center console.
Before removing the drain plug, a Transmission drain pan must be placed to catch the old transmission fluid. If the transmission does not have a drain plug, you will need to loosen the bolt to allow the transmission fluid to drop.
#3 Check the transmission, filter and gaskets
After draining the old transmission fluid, inspect the drain pan for metal shavings or contamination. Larger and irregular debris is not normal. Furthermore, check the filter and transmission gasket for any damage, such as cracks or leaks. Replace any worn or cracked parts if necessary.
#4 Secure the transmission fluid pan and refill the fluid.
If replacing the new transmission pan gasket and filter, remember to tighten the pan bolts to the proper torque to install the transmission oil pan.
After that, refill your transmission with new fluid through the funnel.
As described in the manual, you'll know what type of transmission fluid and how many quarts you need.
Besides, pouring the old transmission fluid from the drain pan into an empty quart bottle also can find out how much fluid to add back.
#5 Check for leaks.
Last but not least, check for drips or leaks underneath while the vehicle is running. Please kindly note that the transmission fluid should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the drain. Any old liquid must be disposed of properly when finished.
Is it better to transmission fluid flush or change?
Flushing the transmission will allow you completely change all of the old fluid, but we recommend this method only if your transmission is in relatively good and undamaged condition.
The transmission flush forces fluid through the transmission, and if there is debris in the fluid, which can cause it to circulate around and even clog the parts of the transmission. In other words, that can cause more damage than other ways.
Can changing transmission fluid cause problems?
What? Have you also heard the urban legend that changing the transmission fluid can harm it? Wait…let’s explain the real reason for you!
If you never change the transmission fluid and your car is a high mileage vehicle. Then changing the transmission fluid now may allow the valve body to become clogged with damaged fluid which causes the transmission to slip. So that’s why you would have a headache about the new transmission fluid, but it is just discovered the problem after changing the fluid.
Therefore, the transmission fluid should be changed regularly from the beginning that will not run the risk of the transmission being damaged.
Conclusion
How to Avoid the Possibility of Transmission Damage?
The Symptoms about Transmission fluid that you need to know:
-Gears Slipping
-Shifting issues
-Transmission overheat
-Unusual noise or smell
- Car flam out
In addition, you can check the transmission fluid color to find out the problem.
Transmission fluid is good if it color is pink or red translucent. But if you find metal shaving or particles in the fluid, it's time to transmission fluid check and transmission fluid leaks or not. Worst of all, if the transmission fluid is brown or black with a burnt smell, you must carefully check the entire transmission for any other problems as soon as possible.
Want to avoid the possibility of transmission damage? The best source is regular maintenance. As mention before, simply change the fluid frequently or as your owner's manual recommends. If you want to know more about car maintenance, or transmission fluid, you can find more information you can trust on HJL autoparts. If you like this content, please kindly share or leave comments below!
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