Winter Vehicle Tips and Pointers

A vehicle’s transmission can fail and need to be replaced the longer you drive your car, but over time, issues may arise that can dictate a transmission repair. The winter months have the worst impact on a vehicles drive train because of many reasons from temperature to losing traction and suddenly grabbing it again while the engine is maxed out on RPM. These things are tremendously hard on a vehicles drive train.

How does severe cold effect my Transmission ?

The severe temperature can cause many issues with Transmissions. When things are cold they contract. Severe cold can cause cracking in vital sealing rings and o rings. This creates fluid by pass which can account for everything from delayed engagements to pro longed shifts due frozen pressure regulator valves and obviously traction loss and constant slipping of the wheels trying to gain grip. On heavy snow and ice days we have even seen literal icebergs develop around the transmission or transfer case preventing the manual operation of various levers , linkage and shift devices.

What can be done ?

The easiest and best thing to do is park your car in a warm place such as a garage. If this cannot be done there are things you can do to help. If the car has sat overnight let it run and idle for a good 10-15 minutes on severe days. Let the car get to operating temperature. If the car sits several days or even weeks get in the habit of warming it up daily. Run it through its gear. Reverse to drive to low and back a few times. Put it in Neutral for a minute or two as well. If you live in what is considered severe winter area, it would be wise to get into the habit of changing the transmission fluid annually. While the owners manual and various upkeep books recommend anywhere from 40 to 100k for the cars first transmission service it is a good practice to do this yearly after winter. As a consumer you will find that there are 100's of different answers to this question and we can only give ours which is at or after 50k. Get in the habit of doing this annually.

Tips in the winter

If you should find yourself in the unfortunate position of being stuck in the snow, the #1 rule of thumb is do  NOT rock the car back and forth! This can do sudden and immediate catastrophic damage and transmission repairs are not cheap! Avoid ice spots or areas where traction may be an issue. If you must drive take it easy and remember the weather is bad ! Ice and snow not only have an effect on Transmissions but also brakes which means delayed stopping so be safe out there!

Winters can be challenging enough with out transmission problems but try some of these tips to help out!

If you have any questions or concerns about your transmission. Contact Jim's National Transmission repair in Sioux Falls for all of your transmission needs. http://www.jimsautotrans.com/.

Does your car make a noise in neutral?

If you start to hear strange noises from your car when shifting or in neutral, it is common to think there is a problem with the transmission, but did you also know that if you hear noises while in neutral it still could be your transmission?  Yes, it can be.

Sounds like this could have a very simple an inexpensive solution. One fix may be just adding transmission fluid or replacing the transmission fluid in the vehicle.

Unfortunately noises from a vehicle while it’s in neutral could mean serious problems as well. Some of the more serious problems could be mechanical issues. Some common mechanical issues could be a worn reverse idler gear, worn bearings, in conjunction with worn gear teeth. If it’s a mechanical issue such as these, it’s best to let the professionals at Jim’s transmission handle the situation. They have many years of experience and will get you back on the road safely.

Keeping you on the road safely is one of our top priorities at Jim’s. These mechanical issues can definitely make for an unsafe driving experience. Don’t let a minor transmission issue with your vehicle turn into a much larger unmanageable issue. Let the professional transmission repair team at Jim’s help get you back on the road safe. 

The Difference Between a Transmission Flush and Transmission Drain / Refill

When it comes to changing your transmission fluid, there are two common ways of doing it. One way is sometimes referred to as the drain and refill method. The other is called a transmission flush.

Transmission Drain and Refill

The drain and refill method is done by draining the transmission fluid from the drain plug. Sometimes there is no drain plug on the vehicle and needs to be drained from the transmission pan. Then once drained, refill the transmission with new transmission fluid. Another thing to consider is some vehicles have a transmission fluid filter which also needs to be changed during the drain and refill process.

Transmission Flush

 The transmission flush process is typically done by a professional transmission repair shop. The transmission repair professional uses a transmission flush machine that is hooked up to one of the transmission fluid cooler lines. While having the engine run, the transmission flush machine gradually pumps the old transmission fluid out and replaces it with new fluid at the same time.

What method is better?

Each method is effective in it's own way. Good information to know is when using the drain and refill method you are only able to replace 40 to 50% of the transmission fluid during the process. Much of the fluid is trapped in the valve body, torque converter and other parts of the transmission which makes it impossible to drain the fluid entirely. The transmission flush method allows you to change approximately 90 to 95% of the fluid. It is suggested to refer to the vehicle's owners manual, some vehicles do not recommend the transmission flush method and only recommend the drain and fill. Typically it is safe to use the transmission flush method on vehicles with lower miles and the drain and fill method on vehicles with higher miles. It's recommended that both methods be done by a transmission repair specialist. If you are in need of any transmission work in the Southeast South Dakota area. ask the professionals at Jim's Transmission.

How to Prevent Transmission Problems

A good way to stay aware of your transmission condition is to check your parking space for any leaks or visible fluid spots periodically. If you do find fluid, you should get the leaks fixed as soon as possible before any further damage or expensive problems arise.

Another helpful tip is to occasionally check your transmission fluid levels and condition of the fluid by checking the transmission dipstick. Not all vehicles have an automatic transmission dipstick to check the transmission levels, some vehicles need to be checked by a mechanic or transmission repair shop. If you do happen to check your levels and run into a situation where the transmission levels are low, it is probable you must have a leak somewhere that needs to be fixed. Do not hesitate to fix any transmission problems you may have, waiting to fix a transmission problem can result in larger and more costly repair in the future.

Change the transmission fluid as often as your vehicle’s owners manual recommends. If you notice while checking your transmission fluid levels that the transmission fluid seems to be brown or too dark (should be red) or dirty you should change your transmission fluid.

It’s best to have someone who is a trained transmission mechanic to service and change the fluid in your vehicle. If you’re in need of a service or transmission repair, be sure to contact Jim’s transmission repair in Sioux Falls to help.

Maintain Your Automatic Transmission

In a vehicle, the automatic transmission is considered to be the most complex and expensive component of the vehicle to repair. The transmission plays an extremely important and complicated role in the vehicles function. When compared to a car engine, it requires less servicing, which is probably the reason it is often neglected. Everyone knows in order for a car engine to last, a person must change the oil regularly, but the truth is the transmission fluid is just as important. The transmission fluid is a key component in a transmission's function. The transmission fluid has to do all of the work, it transfers the hydraulic pressure in order to shift the gears, lubricates all of the moving parts and cools down the transmission. Although the transmission fluid lasts longer than engine oil, it still deteriorates under load and high temperatures over time. Keeping your transmission fluid clean and at the proper level is vital in the performance and life expectancy of your transmission. Check your transmission levels regularly in order to keep you on the road safely and less trips to the automatic transmission repair shop.

Automatic Transmission Dipstick Location

The best way to find your transmission dipstick is to refer to the owner’s manual of the vehicle. Once you find the owner’s manual you will want to find the manual’s maintenance section:

Maintenance » Do-It-Yourself Maintenance » Engine Compartment.

In the owner’s manual you will see an engine compartment map and descriptions of where to locate the transmission dipstick.

Does your transmission refuse to go into gear?

Having a vehicle with a manual transmission can be troublesome at times if it’s not responding correctly. Sometimes a troubled transmission will refuse to budge when you depress the clutch pedal and attempt or try to move the gear shifter.

Typically this may happen when you are trying to put the car into first gear from a stop, or shifting between gears while driving. Common issues or causes of a sticky gear shifter may be any of the following.

• ·         Low transmission fluid
• ·         Wrong viscosity or thickness of transmission fluid
• ·         Adjustment needed in the cables or clutch linkage of the transmission

These are only a few possibilities that might be causing your transmission to stick or not go into gear properly. The best recommendation is to have the manual transmission repair professionals at Jim’s Transmission repair of Sioux Falls diagnose and fix the problem. When it comes to your safety on the road, your best plan is to get your vehicle serviced as soon as possible.

Welcome to Jim's Transmission's NEW BLOG

Thanks for stopping by our new blog! We will be posting Transmission facts, servicing questions and coupons regularly. Check back for posts to come. In the meantime please check out our website at http://www.jimsautotrans.com/ Thanks!