Helpful maintenance tips for manual and automatic transmission

Transmission replacement is one of the most costly car maintenance practices. With an economical sense in mind, you should put the best effort into maintaining the transmission system in order to reduce the pricey fixing cost. Here are some valuable tips from IndianAuto to make the best out of the transmission system.

1. Manual transmission maintenance tips

Manual transmission maintenance

As the manual transmission is a simple system composed of fewer components than in the automatic transmission system, it is much easier to maintain. The wellbeing of a manual transmission closely relates to the operation of the driver. There are some certain driving patterns which would degenerate the condition of the gearbox, for example, pushing the gear stick so hard, or using the clutch inappropriately.

Here are some tips for manual transmission maintenance:

First, you should periodically change the fluid due to the recommended timeline. Make sure that the fluid is always at the proper level. Averagely, according to mechanics’ advice, after coasting for the first 50,000 kilometers, you should schedule fluid replacement for every 20,000-30,000 kilometers.

It also requires regular checks to see if there are any abnormal sign of the fluid, for example, if the fluid’s color changes or has a burnt smell. Usually, a normal fluid could have one of the following colors: blue, yellow or green. If the color is changing into a darker shade or lose its transparency, you should get your car inspected by mechanics or else it would grow into a more damaging influence to the system.

Regular fluid change is crucial to the transmission maintenance. Some people might feel reluctant to spend money on frequent service station visits; however, in the long run, it is a better economical solution comparing to the replacement of the entire transmission system which lacks regular maintenance check.  

You have to change transmission fluid periodically

Read more maintenance tips from IndianAuto:

• All you need to know about brake fluid change

Secondly, you should adjust your driving habits to benefit the longevity of the gearbox. To extend the life of the transmission, 

2. Automatic transmission maintenance tips

Automatic transmission 

An automatic transmission is a complicated system which requires a large cost for replacement, much larger than that of the manual system. While the manual transmission is directly affected by the driving style of the driver, the automatic system - which has less engagement with the driver - doesn’t receive the same impact from the driver's driving habit as it does for the manual gearbox. However, to some extent, the way you use the gear stick still counts. It is recommended that you avoid exerting a great force on the automatic gear stick.   

The heat emitted through the transmission process could be really detrimental to an automatic gearbox. The stop and go driving under hot weather, or overloading is some of the reasons for overheating.

The manual system needs regular checks on the transmission fluid level, and the same goes for the automatic one. Remember that there are different types of fluid for different cars. People who own cars with CVT should pick a CVT-specific fluid for the next fluid replacement. Picking the right fluid type is also a very important factor for a transmission’s performance.

With the automatic systems, there are two ways to change the fluid – to flush or to drain. Flushing, transmission fluid change using the force to flush oil and clean the whole system is claimed to be one reason for transmission errors as this practice allows the sentiments and dust to travel throughout the transmission system and possibly make it lose the effectiveness. On the other hands, draining could not remove all the old fluid. Therefore, you should look at the owner's manual to know which way is suitable for your vehicles.

Don’t underrate the importance of transmission maintenance as if you do it well, you can lengthen the life of the transmission. And more importantly, a well-maintained transmission system which could be easily attained by following these transmission maintenance tips will save you a good amount of money.