Don’t Want to Pay for a New Transmission? Try These Tips
Own an Audi? When it comes to regular Audi repair, one of the easiest ways to support the longevity of your vehicle is to pay attention to your transmission. For example, most people don’t even think about changing their transmission fluid; but the fact is that it will lose its lubricating potential over time. If it’s not lubricating properly, it puts hard wear and tear on your transmission. The fluid can’t properly dissipate the heat generated by the constant movement of the transmission if it’s not getting into all of the nooks and crannies.
Tricks to Increasing the Life of Your Transmission
In addition to making sure to have your transmission serviced regularly by your favorite auto repair shop, there are a couple of simple things you can do to keep your transmission in the best shape for as long as possible.
- Use your parking brake: if you have ever parked on a hill without using your parking brake, you may be familiar with the unfortunate clunking sound that your transmission makes when you put it back into gear. The pressure of putting your car into drive on a hill isn’t the best for your transmission, so make sure to use your emergency brake to keep things in place until you put it into drive—especially if you have to park on a hill regularly.
- Stop your car before you reverse: though we have all seen a car chase scene in a movie where the driver pulls a handbrake turn and then immediately slams it into reverse, we don’t suggest pulling this maneuver at home for a myriad of reasons. In this case, changing from drive to reverse—or from drive to park for that matter—while your car is moving is rough on the transmission.
- Warm up your car: like humans, transmissions don’t like it when its too hot or too cold. If you wake up on a cold day, its a good idea to let your car warm up for a few minutes before you hit the road. One reason this is a smart move is that when the transmission fluid is cold, it is less effective at lubricating the gears, which will cause more wear and tear in a short amount of time.
More Advanced Tips and Tricks for Transmission Health
You might also want to consider using oil cooler in your transmission to further bring down the temperature of the moving parts in the transmission. Gears should be regularly checked, as they can suffer from heat and friction through the movement of the transmission. If you have to have your transmission repaired or replaced, you might want to consider using ceramic gears, which can greatly cut friction and keep the transmission cooler. A larger transmission pan can also allow for more oil to enter the transmission and increase the lubrication, further limiting friction.
If you have any questions about the health of your transmission, or are interested in learning more about any of these upgrades that can keep you on the road for longer, feel free to call one of our Cincinnati car mechanics. We can answer any questions that you have and let you know how long it will take to repair your car. We’d love to take a look under your hood.
