How to Prolong the Automatic Transmission Service Life?

Nowadays, more and more cars are equipped with automatic transmissions rather than with manual transmission solutions. There are several important reasons in favor of this trend: automatic transmissions are easier to operate, thanks to automatic transmission the driver pays more attention to the road and it helps to prevent road accidents, it is much easier to drive in traffic jams when your car is equipped with the automatic transmission, and most importantly – the car engine doesn’t get overloaded.

However, despite such significant positive factors, automatic transmissions still have some disadvantages: complex maintenance and costly repair, decreased durability, driver feels less engaged in the process of driving. In this article, we will consider what can go wrong with this crucial car component and what the owners should do to prolong its service life.

Do Manual Transmissions Last Longer?

Due to its complicated structure, automatic gearboxes have more potential vulnerabilities than its manual analog which does not require any complicated hydraulic drives, or solenoids to worry about. Only a clutch pedal, several gears, and a gear shifting lever. Basically, the simpler manual gearbox is supposed to be more durable than an automatic one. Reasoning from this fact, owners of cars with manual transmissions in most cases limit the transmission repair to occasional replacement of the clutch (the component that separates the engine from the gearbox while the driver shifts gears). But, depending on the car, a new clutch may also be high-priced.

Today, most drivers choose cars with automatic transmissions, but not all car owners are familiar with elementary operating rules of automatic transmissions. One would think that it is enough just to press the gas pedal – and you start moving, press the brake pedal – and the car stops.

If drivers limit themselves only to superficial knowledge about automatic transmissions, then it is very likely that the service life of the transmission will be two or even four time lower than its potential resource. With proper maintenance, automatic transmissions can serve as long as manual transmissions without any serious problems. So how to use the automatic transmission to ensure prolonged service life and high reliability? How to monitor its technical status and how to recognize the first signs of approaching failures? Let's clear it up.

What Can Reduce the Life of a Transmission?

Most of problems with automatic transmissions start from overheating. For example, high loads during towing of a heavy trailer; another example being when the car is stuck in snow and wheels start slipping when the driver attempts to get out. The transmission may overheat when the driver drives in an aggressive manner. At high temperatures, ATF in the automatic transmission becomes oxidized and loses its lubricating qualities. As a result, due to oxidation, oil deposits build up in the gearbox. If you check the oil dipstick of the transmission immediately after overheating, then you will find that the ATF has become dark and dirty and has a burning smell. Moreover, high temperatures have a negative impact on automatic transmission rubber seals and O-rings, which become hard and brittle. In addition, metal parts of the transmission become deformed (for example, transmission valves which regulate the ATF pressure in the gearbox).

However, the automatic transmission overheating is not the only reason why this car component may get out of order. Sometimes, the automatic transmission may fail because of fault of construction or production defect. Also, automatic transmissions frequently fail due to improper maintenance or lack of this important procedure. The automatic transmission is a complex hydromechanical unit which may easily break down under unfavourable conditions.

Owners of cars equipped with automatic transmissions should know that it is not recommended to drive without preliminary transmission warm-up, to endure long-lasting towing (especially when the car speed exceeds 50 km/h), and to allow engine push start, slipping, driving in neutral.

Push starting a car

Frequent errors of car owners

One of the most common errors when driving the car equipped with the automatic transmission is the N gear actuation each time when the car stops or during coasting (for example, when moving downhill). Many drivers (especially who previously used to drive a car with the manual transmission), do it out of sheer habit. However, the N-gear in automatic transmissions is not the same as in the manual analog.

Moreover, when it comes to the N gear in the automatic transmission, then it’s better to shift to the next gear as soon as possible. The extra actuation of this gear in the automatic transmission is absolutely unnecessary. This is not fiction, but the information indicated by the automaker in the car manual, but unfortunately, many drivers ignore this information. The thing is that there is not enough pressure when the N gear is engaged in the automatic transmission, therefore friction clutches do not receive required amount of lubrication and they start burning.

In cars with automatic transmissions, when driving in reverse you should not try to immediately shift to D and go forward without stopping the car (and vice versa). Otherwise, it may result not only in mechanical damages of gears and clutches, but also may lead to the transmission case failure. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until the car stops, switch the shifter to the required position and not to remove the foot from the brake pedal until the new gear is engaged.

If the car gets stuck in snow (or mud), then it is absolutely useless to press the accelerator pedal. It is also absolutely unacceptable to try to swing the car back and forth by shifting gears as usually done in cars with manual transmissions.

This problem may be solved the following way: engage the L gear, try to drive at low revs, while using the brake pedal as the clutch and ensure slow rotation of the wheels. When the car starts moving, you can release the brake pedal and smoothly start accelerating. Then, it is necessary to reach the hard road surface with the help of the electronics and to prevent repeated wheels slipping.

When you want to park the car at a steep hill, then you have to consider one important aspect. It is not enough just to leave your car in the P mode, because it gives an additional load on elements of the automatic transmission parking mechanism and the shaft lock-up may become faulty. In this case it is necessary to use the hand brake.

It should be done in the following manner:

- When pressing the brake pedal, shift to the N gear and pull the handbrake.

- Release the brake pedal, the car will move slightly forward and brake pads will take a part of the load (part of the car weight).

- The gear shift selector is switched to the P gear. It helps to reduce the load on the shaft lock-up mechanism and significantly reduces the possibility of its breakdown.

- To start moving, press the brake pedal, shift to the D gear, and take off the car’s handbrake. After that, it is necessary to release the brake pedal.

Tips to prolong the transmission service life

• Check Your Transmission Fluid Regularly

It is absolutely necessary to check for the signs of possible ATF leakages at the parking lot. Remember that ideally you should not see any fresh fluid spots (apart from water strains) on the road surface under your car. Timely detection of ATF leakages helps to prevent a lot of trouble with the automatic transmission. Otherwise, leakages may reduce the ATF level to the minimum (or even below the minimum), which, in turn, naturally leads to overheating and serious damages of transmission components. Therefore, regular checks of the ATF level is a must to prolong the life of the automatic gearbox.

If the car is not equipped with a dipstick, then the ATF level can be checked only at the workshop. For example, some BMW and Volkswagen models do not have the dipstick. Thus, owners of such cars have to visit the auto workshop at least once a month and have the ATF level checked. If the ATF level is below normal, then there is a leakage and it should be eliminated as soon as possible. It is also important to keep an interval between ATF changes in the automatic gearbox according to the fixed schedule of planned technical operations specified by the automaker. If ATF in the gearbox becomes too dark or cloudy, then it is required to change ATF. It is necessary to use only the type of ATF specified in the car manual. On some vehicles, the type of ATF, allowed for use, is indicated on the oil dipstick.

Many modern cars are extremely sensitive to the type of ATF used in the gearbox. For example, the manual for Honda Civic 2008 says the following: “Usage of ATF other than Honda Genuine ATF-Z1 may lead to the transmission performance deterioration, reduction of its service life, or even damage of the transmission”.

• Shift only after you stop

To keep your gearbox in the operating condition as long as possible, never shift to “Parking” or “Reverse” gear until the car stops. Do not engage “Parking” and do not shift to this gear from others, when the engine RPM is too high. Otherwise, it may lead to a serious failure of the automatic transmission.

• Do not tow heavy loads.

Remember that the automatic transmission may be damaged when towing heavy loads or other cars. If your car is equipped with a “towbar” (drawbar hitch), then it is better to examine the car manual which should contain recommendations on the correct towing of trailers. If you plan to frequently tow trailers or other vehicles on the car equipped with the automatic transmission, then it would be reasonable to install an additional ATF cooler.

• Well-timed maintenance

Another frequent reason of premature transmission failure is considered to be a poorly timed or improper maintenance. Some drivers, who previously drove cars with manual transmissions, think that automatic transmissions do not even require the maintenance. But it is a big misconception, because drivers of cars with automatic transmissions have to undergo this procedure every 30-40 thousand kilometers. It should be noted that this value may be different depending on operation conditions of the car and its mileage, transmission manufacturer and type of ATF used. In cases of stop-start city driving, intensive off-road driving, or when the car mileage exceeds 200 thousand kilometers, then it is necessary to visit the car-care center after 20 thousand kilometers. When the car is a new one or the transmission has been recently repaired and you drive mainly on highways for long distances, then the maintenance procedures can be performed after 50-60 thousand kilometers. Transmission repair specialists also recommend changing ATF every time when there are any signs of oxidization or contamination. Some transmissions, including several modifications used by GM, apply an aluminum valve body. This soft material is less resistant to dirt and abrasives, therefore the manufacturer recommends more frequent ATF changes to prolong the life of this component.

The automatic transmission maintenance bears certain similarity of the engine maintenance. The list of required procedures includes oil change, replacement of the oil filter and the automatic transmission diagnostics. Basically the whole maintenance process is not complicated, however, it requires strict adherence to the rules of maintenance implementation, usage of high-quality materials (ATF) and spare parts (filters). It should be remembered that in some automatic transmissions the filter replacement is not performed during maintenance services due to the transmission design, i.e. to replace the filter it is necessary to dismantle the gearbox and disassemble it. Such filters are designed to last for the transmission lifespan and they should be replaced only during the gearbox overhaul.

• Warm up the gearbox before driving

After starting the cold engine, while it is warming up, it is recommended to warm up the transmission as well. It is done in this way: when the brake pedal is pressed shift from the low gear up to the top one and then downshift, stopping at each gear for several seconds. It is done to spread ATF throughout the transmission and to lubricate all friction clutch packages. After that you can drive without any worries.

• Consider Your Driving Style

Driving aggressively from a stop leads to overheating, as does frequent accelerating and decelerating. So if you want to prolong the service life of your gearbox, don’t get too carried away with the gas pedal application, and drive more carefully. This will decrease the load on the gearbox, and you’ll still arrive at your destination in about the same amount of time.

Drive carefully

• Find a Quality Repair Shop

A skilled repair specialist will be able to save you time and money, because they already know what gearbox issues to look out for on your particular car. They also know how to quickly solve existing problems and are able to prevent potential issues before they damage your car.

• Use Synthetic Fluid

Over time, heat eliminates the organic compounds in ordinary ATF, making it much less efficient. Synthetic fluid on the other hand, is much more heat-proof, making it the ideal heat extraction agent if you frequently tow/haul heavy loads, or drive under conditions that cause strain on the gearbox (like the mountains or queuing traffic).

Learn more about synthetic fluid

• Address repairs and damage signs timely.

Don’t delay in having your car checked when you notice signs of a transmission issue. This might include a burning smell, grinding when shifting gears, or an unusual sound. Disregard of these concerns is very likely to result in a far more serious and costly problem.