If you are like most Americans, you drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission. Automatics have outsold manuals consistently for many years now and do not show any signs of slowing down. The reasoning is simple, most people do not care to learn to drive a manual anymore. With that in mind, automatics are much more easily damaged than manuals in general and much more susceptible to neglect.
Your Fluid Is Burnt
ATF, or automatic transmission fluid, is supposed to be a bright red color. If you have never seen fresh ATF then go to the nearest supermarket and buy a cheap quart, they are usually only a few dollars. Don’t use this in your car though unless it is the correct type. Open the bottle and pour some of it into a glass jar and look at the fluid. Get some on your fingers and feel and smell it. You are trying to establish a baseline to compare your car’s ATF to.
Once you have your baseline, go to your car and pull the transmission dipstick. Smell the fluid; it should not smell burnt. Look at it, it will not be the same red as the fresh fluid, but it should never be dark brown or black, and there should not be any metal shavings. Last, feel it, the consistency should be smooth, not gritty.
It Is Shifting Hard
This is more of an indicator to check your fluid than to actually change it, but if your car is shifting hard, then the fluid could be burnt. If it is, then it is time to change it. If this happens consistently, then you may want to look into adding an auxiliary cooler to keep it from getting too hot.
It Is Time
This one is obvious, but most often gets overlooked. Check your owner’s manual to find out how often your transmission fluid should be changed. Many mechanics recommend every 50,000 miles, but many manufacturers recommend every 150,000 miles or even more. Some even ship their transmissions as sealed units now that are not serviceable at all, but this is rare and usually restricted to high-end luxury cars.
Your car’s ATF is the life blood of your transmission, so be sure not to neglect it. Any time you replace the fluid, you should also replace the automatic transmission filters in your cars.
