Chill out! Tips for keeping your transmission cool
If your transmission overheats, it can cause all kind of expensive damage to your car. When the transmission reaches temperatures which it simply isn’t made for, it will temporarily harm the car’s ability to run at all, and have a lasting impact on the mechanism itself, which may require costly repairs or even total replacement. Transmission issues can certainly be irritating, but like many car problems mitigating them is just a matter of education. Here are a few helpful pointers for keeping a cool transmission.
One of the easiest ways you can make sure you’re keeping your transmission cool is using an additive. There are a certainly a lot of gimmicky, “snake oil” products on the auto market today, but a good transmission fluid additive certainly isn’t one of them. These mixtures contain coolants, which are designed to reduce the temperature of the transmission during use, particularly when you’re straining it through stopping and starting or driving up steep hills. The change brought on by an additive isn’t immediately noticeable. However, using one regularly will certainly help to improve your driving experience, and save money in the long run. You can buy these and other transmission products at auto supply stores. Just remember that in order to get the best performance out of it, you need to have your transmission’s cooling system checked twice a year, ideally be specialists like www.trannyman.net.
One of the most little-known ways to stretch out the life of your transmission is simply going neutral. A lot of us are used to staying in gear no matter where we are, or how long we have to wait. If you can get out of this bad habit and stay out of it, you’ll make a huge difference to the overall state of your transmission. Whenever you come to a long queue behind some lights, or you know that you’re going to be waiting somewhere for some time, put it into neutral and let the car idle. The beauty of this tip is how simple it is. When you’re not working the engine so much, the transmission doesn’t get as strained. It therefore lasts much longer!
Finally, using external coolers to prevent overheating. This is an especially effective tip if you know you’re working your transmission a little harder than the manufacturers foresaw. Transmissions in vehicles which are used to haul other cars around, or carry heavy loads like tools and raw materials, are extremely prone to overheating due to the strain caused by the excess weight. This is even more of a concern when you’re regularly driving over steep, hilly terrain. When you install an external cooler, it can make all the difference. When your transmission is working too hard, an external cooler will cool it down and keep it at a safe, regulated temperature. This, in turn, will help to prevent a lot of expensive damage to your transmission. You can buy a good external cooler from pretty much any auto supply store, and you won’t need to pay a big service charge as they’re easy to install.
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