Transmission service

So you’re a car owner and your confused wanting to know is a transmission flush necessary? well after reading this article you’ll be more than educated on this matter.

The answer to this question is a yes and no answer and really depends on a few things.

What if my transmission is already bad should I flush it?

Many car owners do not follow their car maintenance schedule but wait until their car’s transmission is acting up to try and throw any possible fix at including doing a transmission flush.

News flash, if your transmission is coming apart and worn on the inside a transmission fluid service will not save you from your misery.

Well, you may be wondering how you can find out if your car’s transmission is on the verge of dying. Simple thing to do is remove the transmission pan and have it inspected.

You may not be a gearhead and wanting to attack this task on your own so seek professional help from a local transmission shop or your general mechanic shop if necessary.

Should I do a transmission flush as part of my regular vehicle maintenance schedule?

Most transmissions do not need a transmission fluid flush everytime the service maintenance schedule is due. I do recommend a transmission flush if, for example, your coolant mixes with your transmission fluid because your radiator broke internally.

Because this is a normal occurrence that happens with cars it would be a necessary action to take to try and save your transmission from failing.

In some cases, I have heard transmission flushes that were performed on high mileage transmissions began to fail just a short time after doing the transmission fluid flush.

What’s the difference between a transmission flush and drain and refill?

A transmission fluid drain and refill usually include transmission filter replacement and obviously the fluid replacement.

Not all transmission is able to change its filter as it is located on the internals of the transmission. The only way to change this filter is to rebuild the transmission.

A drain and refill may not replace all the fluid inside of the transmission and in the torque converter and upon checking the transmission fluid after the drain and refill, the fluid will still look as if you did not do a transmission fluid service.

A transmission fluid flush is a much more detailed process. The process includes a technician removing your car’s transmission fluid lines and connecting fittings to the transmission lines.

A machine with clean transmission fluid is then turned on while the car’s engine is running for an extended amount of time. The technician pays close attention to the fluid color to see if it completely changes to a clean looking fluid.

A transmission fluid exchange usually does not require a filter replacement. As seen in the image below is what your transmission fluid should look like before you get it done and after it has been flushed completely.