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.