Transmission Flush in Tulsa, OK
One of the most vital systems in your motor vehicle is your transmission. The transmission consists of a set of intricate moving parts that change gears to move your vehicle forward and backward. As the powerhouse of the vehicle, your transmission is one of the hardest working systems in your car or truck. Because the transmission is constantly moving and needs to operate smoothly for the vehicle to operate correctly, it requires its moving pieces to be well lubricated with transmission fluid.
What Your Vehicle’s Transmission Fluid Does
As your transmission is working hard to move your vehicle, high-quality transmission fluid is necessary to help protect the shifting gears and moving components of your transmission from friction, wear, and abrasive contact with all the other components. As you drive and shift gears, your transmission fluid will begin to break down and build up small particles of debris that can cause the transmission fluid to be less effective.
Whenever your transmission fluid starts to grow older and be less effective, it may become necessary to have a transmission flush performed on your transmission to replace your transmission fluid.
How a Transmission Fluid Flush Works
When you bring your car or truck into a Tate Boys Tire & Service to have a transmission flush performed, you can expect the process to be handled by our expert mechanics and it will be done as quickly as possible. Though the entire process will take some time, keeping the transmission fluid in your vehicle in good condition is much better than a potential breakdown or a damaged transmission.
When you choose Tate Boys Tire & Service for your transmission fluid change, you are getting our years of expertise to ensure that your vehicle is in the best hands around. Our team of ASE-Certified mechanics will follow these basic steps when they perform a transmission flush on your vehicle:
- Drain and remove the old fluid from the entire transmission system.
- Install a new pan gasket and check all seals.
- Replace the transmission fluid with new fluid.
When we perform a transmission fluid change on your vehicle, it can help prevent the need for a transmission repair and further transmission issues in the future.
Signs That Your Transmission Fluid Needs to Be Replaced
There are going to be several signals that your vehicle may need a transmission flush. You know your vehicle best and can tell when there’s something not quite right with the way it’s operating. If you start to experience any of these signals, you should have your vehicle looked at by our professional mechanics:
- Clanking or rattling while changing gears.
- Rough transitions when shifting between gears.
- A hesitation when changing gears.
- Gears grinding when accelerating.
- Gears slipping or skipping when trying to transition between gears.
- The check transmission light is illuminated on your dashboard.
Any of these symptoms could mean that changing your transmission fluid is necessary to prevent more serious issues from developing in your vehicle. Even if you are not experiencing any of the symptoms of degraded transmission fluid, you should have your transmission fluid changed around every 30,000 miles. Keeping up with your transmission fluid changes and reading the signs of your vehicle is your best defense against a major breakdown because of poor-quality transmission fluid.
Benefits of a Transmission Fluid Flush
When it comes to the transmission system in your vehicle, you do not want any issues. Having a transmission fluid change periodically in your car or truck will help keep your transmission running smoothly and well-lubricated as it moves. By removing the old, dirty transmission fluid and replacing it with new, clean transmission fluid, all the dirt and debris particles are removed and cleaned away.
Changing transmission fluid helps avoid debris getting lodged in the transmission and causing friction as it shifts and transitions between gears. Your transmission can’t operate at peak performance with obstacles or poor-quality lubrication, so transmission fluid flushes are a vital piece of the preventive maintenance of your vehicle.
What Could Go Wrong If I Do Not Change My Transmission Fluid?
Though not as common as having your oil changed or tires rotated, having a transmission fluid flush is an important part of the preventative maintenance of your vehicle. As the name suggests, preventative maintenance helps prevent a major issue from occurring within the systems of your vehicle. If you ignore the signals that your vehicle gives you indicating an issue with your transmission fluid, it could lead to a disastrous breakdown.
By ignoring the symptoms of poor transmission fluid quality, the debris begins to build up in your transmission and your fluid begins to break down. As the transmission fluid is an essential part of the correct function, this breakdown would cause the moving parts in the transmission to have friction against each other as they shift and move and could lead to them slipping, misfiring, breaking, or malfunctioning.
If the transmission fluid has built-up debris or is wearing down, it can cause damage to the clutch and other transmission components and that could lead to a full transmission repair. A full transmission repair can be one of the most expensive auto repairs performed on a vehicle and could even be a death sentence for the whole vehicle.
What Does a Transmission Flush Cost?
While the cost will vary with each auto repair shop, on average, having the transmission fluid changed should be very reasonable in comparison to any transmission repair. When you bring your vehicle into a Tate Boys Tire & Service, you can be certain that our work will be quality and our prices will be fair. Plus, check our coupons page for fluid specials.
Let Our Professional Team Handle Your Transmission Fluid Flush
When it comes to auto repair, preventative maintenance and diagnostic services, there is none better than Tate Boys Tire & Service. Our team of ASE-Certified auto mechanics has the experience, the knowledge, and the skill to help maintain the health of your vehicle and will perform any repair we do with expediency and honesty.
If you are experiencing any issues with your transmission and need a transmission fluid flush, request a quote today and let us handle all of the preventative maintenance on your vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
A car’s transmission is essential to its operation. The transmission’s job is to ensure that the right amount of power is sent to the wheels at various speeds. It shifts the gears based on the speed of the car.
In a car with manual transmission, the driver steps on a pedal that disengages the gears. Then the driver manually shifts from one gear to the next. With an automatic transmission, the torque converter senses changes in speed and shifts the car automatically to another gear.
The transmission is a complicated system that interacts with many other systems in the car. The transmission fluid assists in this interaction by keeping all the systems working together seamlessly.
Over time, the transmission fluid deteriorates, becoming depleted and filled with contaminants. These foreign particles interfere with the normal operation of the transmission. The result is more friction, which then causes more heat. If the transmission fluid isn’t flushed out periodically as part of a preventative maintenance plan, it can result in damage to the transmission. Or, the transmission might fail completely because sludge can interfere with shifting and acceleration.
A transmission flush gets rid of this old, ineffective fluid plus all the contaminants it holds. It is replaced by new, clean fluid that eliminates damage to the system. Transmission fluid service adds thousands of miles to the life of a transmission. In general, that equates to years of more service from your car. Plus, it can prevent expensive repairs.
No! The fluid change might be sold to you as a cheaper fix, but it is less effective than a fluid flush. A transmission fluid change simply means only the fluid in the oil pan is removed, and a clean variant is added to the pan. This changes less than half of the old fluid circulating in the transmission.
A transmission fluid flush is just that: ALL the fluid is flushed out and new fluid is put in. There are times when a fluid change might be acceptable, but check with one of Tate Boys’ service staff for more information to make the best decision.
If you need more information about the cost of a transmission fluid flush, contact us at Tate Boys to have all of your questions answered.
Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual to see how often your manufacturer recommends a transmission fluid flush for your model. Your make and model may need a different schedule than your neighbor’s, so be sure to check the manual.
Some recommendations state the transmission fluid should be either changed or flushed as often as every 30,000 miles. Others recommend this service at 100,000 miles.
There is more to consider, though. How you use and drive your car is important, too. If you drive mostly in stop-and-go traffic, pull heavy loads or drive aggressively, you will probably need more frequent transmission service.
Check out our coupons and specials before having your car serviced!
Here are some signs it’s time to flush your transmission:
- Fresh transmission fluid is bright red. If the fluid on the dipstick for the transmission is dark red or brown, contaminants have accumulated in the fluid.
- The transmission is slipping. There should be good coordination between the engine and the vehicle shifting. If you hear the engine engage but your vehicle doesn’t respond quickly, there might be a leak or other problem.
- The shifting feels or sounds different. Either can mean problems that need to be inspected by a professional.
A full transmission fluid flush can be done in three to four hours by a trained mechanic like those at Tate Boys. They use a commercial flushing machine or pump inlet that helps with the process.
A transmission fluid change only takes about 30 minutes.
It’s possible, but there are some things to consider first. It’s a messy job, and one where problems can be hidden from the untrained eye. This task also requires special equipment which many do-it-yourself (DIY) mechanics don’t have on hand. Many of those DIY mechanics don’t look for signs of burned, overused fluid causing blockage in the transmission. However, the professional mechanics at Tate Boys can detect signs of this and will run the necessary tests and procedures to protect your vehicle from further damage.
If done by a professional, your transmission won’t be damaged. But there are risks if the job is done without the proper equipment and safeguards.
Some of the pitfalls:
- Wrong oil can be pumped into the system (if the same machine is used for more than just transmission fluid)
- A flush pump doesn’t remove all the fluid
- Forceful fluid removal can lead to clogs
- Flushing chemicals, if used, can damage the transmission
A transmission that is already compromised should not be flushed. The risks are too great.
