How to Maintain Your Vehicle’s Transmission

Apr 3, 2025

As we’re sure you know by now, April is National Car Care Month! We’ll be helping our readers learn more about proper car maintenance through a series of helpful tips, tricks, and tasks shared on our social media accounts and blogs. You’ll learn all sorts of valuable advice to keep your car in tip top shape for years to come, so be sure you’re following us so you don’t miss a single tidbit of knowledge. To get the ball rolling today, we’re sharing our car care tips to help maintain your vehicle’s transmission! And be sure to check out our social media feed for ongoing tips, tricks, and hacks to keep your car fresh, clean, and functioning.

Depending on the type of vehicle you drive and how old it is, your vehicle will eventually need some transmission care. It’s important to regularly maintain your transmission during the vehicle’s life to avoid costly repairs.

Check your transmission fluid on the regular. Always be sure to use the proper transmission fluid for your make and model. We recommend doing this each time you check your vehicle’s oil Your owner’s manual will specify what type of fluid and how much you’ll need. If you’re not the DIY mechanic type, you can consult your friendly neighborhood mechanic with assistance in locating the right transmission for a refill or top-off.

Here’s how to check your vehicle’s transmission fluid: turn your vehicle on and let it idle, then locate the transmission fluid (refer to your vehicle’s manual). Pull out the dipstick and wipe it off, reinsert it, then pull it out again to get an accurate reading. You should have a dipstick with bright red fluid that has a slightly sweet odor; if the fluid is dark, or has a rank, fishy smell, it needs to be looked at by a mechanic or specialist.

Just like an oil change, it’s important to have your vehicle’s transmission should be flushed regularly by a professional mechanic. This is generally done annually, or according to your vehicle manufacturer’s manual if it directs you to do so more frequently. The longevity of the transmission fluid depends heavily on your driving habits and the running temperature of your vehicle, so you should have this checked at each service call just to be on the safe side..

While it can be tempting to volunteer your large truck, SUV, or crossover for hauling heavy things, be sure you adhere to the tow capacity limits. Avoid using your vehicle to frequently tow heavy loads, especially in extreme temperatures such as high heat or below freezing temps. Exceeding the towing capacity or frequently pulling heavy objects can do significant damage to your transmission, especially if you’re doing so on a regular basis. Towing capacity limits are a guideline to prevent your transmission from over exertion; each time you go over the limit, the transmission has to work harder to manage the increased load weight. This can lead to overheating as well as damage to the transmission and increased stress on the rest of your vehicle, meaning costly repairs will be in your near future.

Maintaining proper service tasks at regular mileage intervals can affect the vehicle’s health as a whole! Be sure to keep up with routine maintenance, such as servicing the vehicle’s cooling system as part of your regular preventative service schedule. Why is this important? Well, the transmission fluid cooler is nested inside the radiator. When everything is properly working in the engine’s cooling system, the fluid is able to pass over the transmission cooler within the radiator. This helps excess heat from the transmission be carried out and expelled from the vehicle. However, if the vehicle overheats and cannot keep the engine cool, this can lead to transmission overheating and it may be damaged or fail entirely.

Be sure to check out our previous blog posts about vehicle maintenance to learn more about regularly scheduled mileage service appointments, and follow us on social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc) so you never miss a tip!