If you drive manual, most manufacturers will recommend changing your transmission fluid every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. If you have automatic, you can typically boost that range up to 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
If you don't replace your transmission fluid, it will break down much like engine oil and lose its lubricating and cleaning properties. This leads to high temperatures, sludge buildup, and excess friction, which can damage the internal clutches that shift the gears.
This is precisely the reason most specialist, independent workshops strongly recommend you replace the transmission fluid regularly in cars that come with a “lifetime” fluid. Prevention is better than cure, so keep the fluids fresh before they degrade to the point that the transmission experiences catastrophic failure.
Commonly, the shelf life of transmission fluids does not exceed more than 5 years from the date of manufacture. However, this period is specified for tightly closed and sealed (and stored under recommended conditions) products.
Though changing transmission fluid can't fix mechanical problems, it does make for smoother shifts and can extend the life of your transmission. And even when manufacturers recommend fluid change intervals of 150,000 miles under normal conditions, it may be a good idea to change it more frequently.
Drivers can expect to pay $125 to $250 for a transmission fluid flush service.
Like other vital automotive fluids, transmission fluid deteriorates over time. Hard use — such as frequent stop-and-go city driving, hauling heavy loads and trailer towing — will accelerate the deterioration.
A transmission fluid change is something you can do at home, and the steps are easy enough: Elevate the Vehicle and Drop the Transmission Pan. Replace the Transmission Fluid Filter. Replace the Transmission Pan Gasket.
However, ideally, you'll want to change your filter before any of these problems come up. Keeping that in mind, it's recommended that you change your transmission filter whenever you have to perform a transmission fluid change. Usually, your owner's manual will inform you when you need to do this.
A common, one-size-fits-all recommendation for when to change your transmission fluid is every 30,000-40,000 miles, or 5 years, based on normal, everyday driving. Truck owners who do frequent towing, or constant stop/start city drivers need to move this interval into the 20-25,000 range.
Typically an automatic transmission fluid change cost is higher than a manual transmission. This is because the job may also require that your oil filter and pan gasket be replaced as well. The total cost for this service you can estimate to be anywhere from $300-$500.
If you go and replace the fluid after they are already worn out. this can cause slipping. The old fluid had contained particles that actually helped shifting, making it grittier to allow better gripping. New fluid doesn't contain this material and may not grip as well, causing slippage.
The 5 signs include: 1) strange noises or even grinding coming from the transmission, 2) you experience problems shifting gears, 3) you experience some slippage when shifting gears, 4) unexplained surging of you vehicle, and 5) delay in movement after placing the vehicle in gear.
What Color Is Bad Transmission Oil? A bad transmission fluid color oil is muddy brown, dark brown or black. If you notice this, schedule transmission maintenance as soon as possible before damage occurs.
The trick on how to drain transmission fluid is to work from the top, sucking out the old fluid up through the filler tube. Then refill with fresh fluid. A hand-operated vacuum transmission fluid pump makes the job simple and clean. You can remove one-third to one-half of the fluid from the transmission at a time.
In automatic transmissions/transaxles, the recommended service interval is about every 30,000 miles or 30 months. (Check your owner's manual or service manual for your car's specifics.) The automatic transmission fluid (ATF) should be changed sooner if its dipstick reveals dark or burnt-smelling fluid.
Toyota Transmission Fluid Change
If you don't routinely change your fluids at least every 30,000 miles or so, you may find that your Toyota transmission will slip, causing potentially serious damage to your Toyota.
With a flush, all the old fluid is removed by a flush machine and replaced with new fluid, allowing for optimal transmission performance. A fluid change is a drain-and-refill, with some old fluid remains in the transmission after the change, which can contaminate the new fluid — and diminish performance.
Routine transmission flushes are especially important if your car uses an automatic transmission. They can help prevent your transmission's internal hydraulic lines from clogging and protect the inner seals, which can lessen the likelihood of transmission fluid leaks.
“Automatic transmission fluid doesn't necessarily need to be checked under normal usage conditions. Under severe usage conditions, it needs to be replaced about every 90,000km(60,000 miles).”
Finally, ATF can alter the viscosity of the oil, reducing wear protection. Viscosity is the oil's most important property, influencing wear protection and fuel efficiency. Increasing or decreasing viscosity by adding a little transmission fluid in oil to clean sludge can lead to increased engine wear.
Transmission Filter Replacement
Most car manufacturers recommend that you change the transmission filter every 30,000 miles or every two years--whichever comes first. When changing your transmission filter, you'll change the transmission fluid and transmission pan gasket as well.
Changing the fluid on a regularly driven vehicle can only help revitalize the clutch material. If the fluid has never been changed on a regularly driven car, at 170,000 miles, you damn well need to completely flush the system!
Yes, it can! In this Maintenance Minute, Andrew Markel talks about how and why rough transmission shifts can be caused by the air filter and what some of the likely culprits are.