Transmission Services Services in Asheville, NC

An Overview of Transmission Maintenance

Every car has a transmission—most of them automatic, some manual—and all of them do basically the same thing: The job of the vehicle transmission is to regulate the amount of power that goes to your wheels, always relative to the speed at which you’re traveling. The transmission actively shifts gears, much like on a multi-speed bike. Of course, there are some key distinctions between automatic and manual transmission, but what’s the same across every vehicle is that attending to regular transmission maintenance is vitally important.

What Makes Transmission Fluid Necessary?

Your transmission system itself works a bit like a bike. When pedaling a multi-speed bike in a low gear, it’s easy to get acceleration, but hard to work up much speed. By shifting into a higher gear—once the bike is on level ground and moving at a decent clip—higher speed can be achieved. That’s essentially the same function that transmission serves within a car—regulating the power relative to speed. And that requires the use of transmission fluid, which serves a critical function—lubricating your gears and minimizing the effect of daily wear and tear. All of this points to a basic point about vehicle maintenance: You should have transmission fluid inspection—and yes, transmission flush—as part of your regular preventative maintenance schedule.

How Does Your Vehicle Transmission Work?

The transmission is one of the most important systems in your vehicle, yet many drivers don’t quite understand how it works. Essentially, the transmission regulates the amount of power your engine sends to the wheels, relative to the speed you’re going—ensuring an optimal performance. To accomplish this, your transmission needs transmission fluid, which lubricates your gears and prevents wear and tear. Additionally, vehicle owners should be aware of the need for routine transmission maintenance—and in particular, transmission fluid inspection and replacement. You can have this done at Meineke in Asheville NC, and we recommend making it part of your routine preventative maintenance schedule.

Why A Transmission Flush?

One of the most common forms of transmission maintenance is the transmission flush—basically, having your dirty transmission fluid cleaned out and replaced. This is needed for a simple reason: As your transmission fluid becomes dirty, it ceases to function the way it’s meant to, and that can lead to more wear and tear for those gears. It’s recommended that you get a transmission flush done on a quasi-regular basis, much like you do with your oil change and tire rotation.

Scheduling a Transmission Flush

A common question from vehicle owners: How often is a transmission flush needed? The short answer: It just depends. Some vehicles require a transmission flush more often than others. You can check your owner’s manual for a general recommendation. Also remember to get your transmission fluid checked on a routine basis, helping you stay on top of any transmission maintenance needs.

Where Does Transmission Fluid Go Wrong?

The reason you need to have your transmission serviced on a regular basis is simple: The fluid gets dirty, and loses its lubricating power. From there, the wear and tear done to your gears can be major—and if you don’t get it checked out quickly, it could snowball into an even bigger problem down the road. The urgency of transmission maintenance cannot be overstated!