Most of the breakdowns in an automatic transmission have to do with lubrication. This is why it is so advisable to do the transmission oil change often.
The use of your vehicle in urban slow gears (caravans), the excess of load like driving with a trailer or the continuous effort in climbs can alter prematurely the components of the oil and consequently affect the lubrication of the gearbox.
Why is it advisable to change the transmission oil change often?
If the transmission oil (ATF) is not changed completely, or we do not control the filling quantity, excess or shortage can cause damage to the control valves, selector and gearbox in general.
What are the main symptoms of failure in automatic transmissions?
- Squealing.
- Vibrations.
- Drop in power.
- Strong accelerations to start the gear.
- Fast or slow gear changes.
All of the above are symptoms that indicate a malfunction and a future breakage of the gearbox.
Also low oil level and oil aging, together with loss of ATF oil properties and filter clogging, can cause low pressure.
All these problems can be minimized and avoided by good maintenance of the automatic gearbox.
How to tell if your transmission needs an oil change?
Some of the main indications that it is time to change the lubricating oil are:
- Gear shifting is much slower (reduced safety and comfort).
- RPM drops about 2,000 instead of about 500 when shifting up.
- Recovering the optimum speed (e.g. 2,500 or 3,000 rpm) makes it more uncomfortable to drive and, additionally, it increases fuel consumption.
Obviously, the smoothness of the gearbox with new oil is much greater than with oil that has partially lost its properties, and you will notice this immediately.
The transmission fluid loses its properties after a period of use and even more so if driving has been harder than normal (as indicated in the first paragraph).
If the transmission fluid cannot be completely replaced (which happens when the replacement is done manually), it could cause the transmission to malfunction.
Of course, when purchasing your lubricating oil, you should buy only the highest quality product.