Transmission

Stop and go driving, mountain or hot weather driving, rocking a vehicle in snow or mud, or boat or RV towing affecting your transmission? 

All of the above driving conditions create problems for the second most expensive mechanical component of today's vehicles, the transmission.

If your vehicle is subjected to any or all of these conditions or if your transmission fluid is losing its pink or red color, a transmission check should be high on your list of preventative maintenance. Unfortunately, many people neglect the transmission until rough or hard shifting has begun or until the fluid has the odor of burnt toast. Most vehicles today have no band adjustments as older vehicles did and most are set up to allow only a partial drain (which is similar to changing your oil and throwing a quart of dirty oil back in).

Another reason for the accelerated schedule of transmission checks is that failure of the vacuum modulator could result in complete transmission failure. 

• Here at Petersen's Automotive we recommend a change of transmission fluid every 60,000 miles.