Occasionally the question is asked: when should you change your automatic transmission fluid?  Since it is a common question and one well-worth answering we at PDQ transmission parts thought we would dedicate a blog to that question.

The benefits to changing your automatic transmission fluid (ATF) are fairly simple and straightforward: by changing the fluid on a regular basis, and that means at least every 30,000 miles, you allow the new fluid to do the best possible job of lubricating your transmission parts.  The number one reason by far for transmission problems is the build-up of old transmission fluid that is no longer doing an adequate job of lubricating those very important transmission parts.  If you think of things in terms of cost, the cost of a new transmission can be measured in thousands of dollars; the cost of flushing the system and adding new fluid can be measured in the low-hundreds and if you know how to do it then in the tens of dollars.

There is a catch to this information however: if you have never flushed the old transmission fluid out of your vehicle then it’s probably a good idea not to do it at all.  The reason for this is that the new types of ATF are so proficient at eliminating gunk that they break down all the old accumulated gunk and that in itself causes new problems.  So against logical thinking if you have never done it then you are much better off not doing it.

The other thing to pay attention to is making sure you use only the transmission fluid that has been specified for your vehicle.  Modern cars and trucks use manufactured ATF that is made for that particular make and model and you can be doing damage to your transmission and its hard parts if you use the wrong kind of transmission fluid.

Hopefully that helps you!  We at PDQ have been working on transmissions for decades now and we know that in today’s economy nobody wants to face a major repair bill or replacement parts for a transmission so preventive measures can save major dollars down the road (pardon the pun).  We at PDQ Transmission Parts specialize in transmissions, transmission parts and hard parts.  The pros at auto shops come to us for their transmission needs and we are gratified by that fact.  If this blog has helped you in preventing future transmission problems then we are more than happy that we posted it.  Drive safely, keep your motor vehicle happy, and may you have a trouble-free drive wherever you are going today.

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