#Check automatic transmission fluid professional

If you don’t feel skilled enough to change the transmission fluid yourself, you must take your vehicle to a professional shop. The most important consideration is to purchase the right transmission fluid for your vehicle, as there are different kinds. If you can change the transmission fluid yourself, you may only spend an average of $50. Cost to Change Automatic Transmission Fluid

#Check automatic transmission fluid manual

If you suspect your automatic transmission has an electronic transmission level sensor, check your owner’s manual for the correct procedure for finding the transmission fluid level. However, there are also vehicles with sealed transmissions but with an electronic level sensor instead of a dipstick. According to the manufacturers, you will never need to perform maintenance on the transmission, so there’s no reason for the dipstick. These high-end transmissions don’t come with a dipstick because some of them are hailed as being maintenance-free. Modern vehicles are now being built with sealed transmissions. What if There’s No Transmission Fluid Dipstick? However, this interval seems to alarm most professional mechanics, so you must use your own discernment about what’s best for your model. Many newer vehicles have intervals set at 100,000 miles or more before the first automatic transmission fluid change. You might also consider a transmission fluid flush every 90,000 miles. However, the recommendation is usually to have the transmission fluid changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. The guidelines will be outlined in your owner’s manual. Every manufacturer sets a maintenance schedule that you should follow. You should also check it more often if you drive in severe climates, such as dusty and sandy environments.Īside from checking the transmission fluid, regular maintenance is also important. If you are hard on your vehicle, such as regularly towing or hauling heavy equipment, you might want to check the fluid level weekly. However, there are times when more frequent checks are recommended. With all of these tasks together, you ensure that problems are caught early, so permanent damage is less likely. You can pull the transmission dipstick, check the oil, fill up the windshield washer fluid and evaluate tire pressures. When it comes to checking car fluid levels, it’s best to have a monthly appointment to give everything a quick glance. RELATED: Overfilled Transmission Fluid (What to do?) How Often Should You Check Transmission Fluid? Either way, you want to take quick steps to correct the problem before it becomes worse. Additionally, if the liquid has become foamy, you might have used the wrong type or the transmission has been overheating. Any metal shavings in the fluid could indicate possible transmission failure. If you see particles or contaminants, you need to look closer. You should still be able to see through the fluid, showing that there are no particles inside. The closer to new fluid it looks like, the better the condition is.

This shouldn’t cause you to worry at all. It’s natural for automatic transmission fluid to appear a little thicker than when it was new. It’s probably also black-colored, as discussed above. This burnt smell means that the transmission is suffering from issues. If the fluid smells like burnt toast, you should be alarmed. Transmission fluid can have a quite strong smell, but it shouldn’t smell burnt. RELATED: Transmission Fluid Color Chart (5 Different Colors) 2. You should see a transmission specialist to figure out what’s going on. The fluid has become burnt, likely due to some kind of transmission issues. If you see black transmission fluid, you are in a worse situation. It would be wise to change the fluid at this point. These darker colors reveal contamination of the fluid. If the transmission fluid starts to look brownish or a darker red, it might not be new anymore. When transmission fluid is new, it’s normally bright and red. If it needs more, add the appropriate automatic transmission fluid, but don’t overfill it.

#Check automatic transmission fluid full

You want the transmission fluid line to hit the Full mark on the dipstick. Pull the dipstick back out and check how full the system is. With the dipstick wiped clean, put it back in the tube.