While your car’s transmission is designed to last for many hundreds of miles on the road, there may come a time when your vehicle requires a transmission replacement. During a transmission replacement procedure, your transmission specialist will replace your worn out transmission with a brand new or rebuilt unit. After you have replaced your transmission, you may find that your transmission problems are reversed for good. There are several signs that your car may need a rebuilt transmission . For example, if your transmission repair bills are unusually high, this could point to the need for a transmission replacement. In addition, you may find that your transmission overheats on a routine basis when it needs to be replaced. Finally, you may also find a brown, burnt liquid leaking from underneath your car. In the event that your car needs a new transmission, a transmission shop serving Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, or Baltimore, MD, will be there to assist you.

As the owner of a car, it is your responsibility to maintain your vehicle’s many working systems with routine maintenance and car. Along with regular oil changes, tire rotations, and more, it is essential to schedule transmission repair at certain intervals throughout the lifespan of your car. With help from a transmission specialist in Washington, D.C. , Northern Virginia, or Baltimore, MD, you can ensure that your vehicle does not require a costly transmission replacement in the future. Your transmission shop can diagnose and repair many transmission issues, before they become serious. Read on for some essential preventative maintenance tips for your transmission.

Check Your Fluid

One of the most important steps of preventative transmission maintenance is to check your fluid at routine intervals throughout the months and seasons. Transmission fluid is responsible for powering your transmission, and also provides vital cooling and lubrication. In the event that your transmission fluid gets low, your car could experience major damage. By checking your fluid, you can determine when it is time to visit the transmission specialist.

Drive Carefully

Along with checking your transmission fluid on a routine basis, it is also a great idea to drive carefully and contentiously on the road. For example, excessive speeding or sudden changes and speed can take a toll on the quality and condition of your transmission. In addition, your transmission may experience extra wear if you drive on extremely hilly terrain. By driving in a calm and safe manner, you can help prolong the lifespan of your transmission.

Visit Your Technician

Perhaps the most important preventative maintenance tip for your transmission is to visit your transmission technician at routine intervals throughout the lifespan of your car. Your mechanic will have the knowledge and diagnostic tools needed to identify even the smallest transmission issue. When a transmission problem has been diagnosed early, it can be repaired swiftly and efficiently. Be sure to contact your transmission shop to schedule maintenance services for your vehicle today.

Modern cars and trucks are complex machines, and an automatic transmission may be one of the most intricate components. That’s why it’s important to seek the help of a transmission specialist in Washington DC when you have automatic transmission problems. In order to understand automatic transmissions you must be familiar with their purpose within the vehicle, the parts they utilize, and the problems that they may encounter. Here is a brief overview of how an automatic transmission works.

What It Does
The purpose of a transmission is to connect the engine and the drive wheels in order to deliver the appropriate amount of power based on the activity of the engine. Different combinations of gears alter the distribution of power within the system, affecting the speed and handling of the vehicle. When your vehicle is in neutral, the transmission disconnects the engine and the drive wheels, and the park position involves the locking of the drive wheels so your car or truck stays idle. While manual transmissions make use of a clutch for these purposes, automatic transmissions come in either the front wheel drive or real wheel drive varieties.

How It Does It
It may seem like the transmission completes straightforward tasks, but the system requires a great deal of cooperation between different components in order to complete the job. An automatic transmission depends on planetary gear sets to form combinations and ratios that determine how quickly the engine rotates. The torque convertor is relatively analogous to the clutch that would be used in a manual transmission and allows you to stop at red lights and stop signs without turning off your engine.

Potential Problems
If you notice strange sounds or oil leaks coming from your car, see a transmission specialist immediately. Your transmission is an integral and complex component of your vehicle, and any problems that are not quickly addressed can lead to more aggravated complications. Transmission problems should always be addressed by a professional auto transmission repair service.

The efficient functioning of your car relies on a network of mechanical and electrical components working together, at the heart of which is the transmission. While transmission problems in Washington DC can become aggravated if they are not resolved in a timely fashion, there are methods you can use to prevent such problems from occurring in the first place and extend the lifespan of your vehicle. Read on if you are interested in learning about keeping your clutch in good shape.

Riding the Clutch
Many factors can influence the life expectancy of your clutch including the maintenance you provide as well as the type of vehicle you drive and the way you drive it. Refraining from riding the clutch can keep your throw-out bearing from wearing out. The throw-out bearing is responsible for disengaging the disk in the presence of pressure on the clutch pedal. Riding the clutch can cause the throwout bearing to spin continuously and ultimately wear itself out, compromising your ability to easily get into or out of gear.

Clutch Pedal Adjustment
The self-adjusting clutches that come with newer vehicles are convenient in that they can help prevent drivers from wearing out their clutches and enjoy a long working life with reduced transmission issues. If you have an older vehicle, however, you will likely need to adjust the clutch manually. If your clutch pedal moves down about an inch before you have to apply extra effort with your foot, it is relatively well adjusted. On the other hand, a pedal that moves down only half an inch or as much as an inch and a half may need adjusting so your gears do not clash.

When to See a Professional
Worn out throwout bearings, flywheels, and pressure plates warrant attention from professional transmission repair shops in Washington DC. This should be done immediately so that these worn down parts do not have a chance to further wear down additional components of the transmission.

Everyone will experience transmission issues at some point or another—the real dilemma is deciding whether to have your transmission repaired or replaced. Every time your transmission shifts gears, clutches and bands inside the transmission must apply and release for the shift to occur. This strain causes extensive wear on the transmission that often leads to major and even sometimes catastrophic transmission failure. But unless your transmission has failed completely, how do you know if a replacement transmission in Bethesda, MD  is the right way to go? Here are some factors to consider and discuss with your Washington DC transmission shop to determine whether a transmission replacement is the best choice.

Transmission Mileage
One of the most important factors is the age and mileage of the transmission. Automatic transmissions often fail between 80,000 and 150,000 miles. Manual transmissions can fail even sooner than that, especially when routine maintenance is neglected. If you’ve logged more than 80,000 miles on your transmission, it may be in your best interest financially to buy a new transmission instead of spending hundreds of dollars every few months on repairs.

Repair History
Speaking of repairs, consider the transmission’s repair history when deciding whether to repair or replace. If your transmission is plagued by a chronic issue, it doesn’t make much sense to keep dumping money into a transmission that will only end up back in the shop a few months later. Another red flag is if your transmission has had multiple different issues in the past 12 months.

Overall Vehicle Condition
Lastly, consider the overall condition of the vehicle itself. If you have an older car or truck that has more than 150,000 miles on it and requires additional repairs and maintenance, you may not want to spend a few thousand dollars on a new transmission. On the other hand, if the transmission is the only thing giving you trouble and the rest of the vehicle is in great shape, investing in a new transmission can help you get even more mileage out of the car or truck you love so much.