Frequently Asked Questions
How to Extend the Life of Your Transmission
- Check Your Transmission Fluid Regularly: Check your vehicle’s owner manual to ensure you check it correctly. If your fluid is low, you have a leak!
- Service Your Transmission Regularly: Transmissions should be serviced once a year or every 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. When it’s time to have your transmission serviced, bring your vehicle into Interstate Transmission in Auburn, Mass
- Maintain External Coolers: One of the main causes of transmission failure is from excessive heat. Maintaining your external coolers will help extend the lifespan of your transmission!
- Problems Checked Right Away: Having a problem checked right away may save you money in the long run. Transmission problems usually start out small and can escalate quickly to a more serious problem. If you are experiencing any problems with your transmission, bring your vehicle into Interstate Transmission in Auburn, Mass right away!
What Can Decrease the Life of Your Transmission?
- Driving Before the Engine is Warm: Especially during the winter months, it is important to let the fluid inside your transmission warm up to operating temperature (usually takes about 30 seconds).
- Rocking Your Vehicle When Stuck: Doing this can make your vehicle’s transmission heat up quickly and can damage internal parts.
- Shifting Into Reverse While Your Vehicle is Still Moving Forward: Make sure you always stop completely before shifting into another gear to avoid grinding the gears in your transmission.
- Racing: Doing so can severely damage the drive-train.
- When having transmission repairs done it is always important to seek help from repair centers who specialize in these problems. The expert technicians at Interstate Transmission in Auburn, Mass use the latest technology and skills to address all of your transmission needs!
When Should You Have Your Vehicle Checked?
Shifting Problems: Problems can come as a delay in shifting (such as when it takes a few more seconds for your vehicle to shift into a new gear), an unexpected shift or a rough shift, such as a “clunking” feeling when it goes into gear.
Slipping While Driving: You may notice your vehicle is not accelerating normally. If you notice this problem with your vehicle, bring it into Arrow Automotive to service right away!
Vehicle Just Won’t Go: This can be a sign of a major problem; your fluid maybe low, overheated, or an internal problem may be occurring.
Transmission Leak: If you notice red fluid in your driveway or your transmission’s fluid is low, you may have a leak.
Check Engine Light is On: Sometimes this light indicates a transmission problem.
Unique Sounds: Sounds such as a hum, a low whine, rumbling, clunking, chattering, or squealing can indicate a transmission problem.
What Other Problems Look Like Transmission Problems?
- Engine requires a tune-up
- Electrical problems
- Broken transmission or engine mount
- Poor fuel system adjustment
- Dirty fuel injectors or filter
- Defective oxygen sensor
- Computer sensor malfunction
- Clogged catalytic converter
What is a transmission?
The transmission takes the power from the engine to the wheels by using gears. In other words, your car won’t move without a transmission. What should I do so my transmission doesn’t fail? Most importantly, you should have your transmission serviced every 30,000 miles. Check the fluid regularly; making sure it is full and red. Check your owner’s manual for information about any specific transmission fluid your vehicle may require.
What is a torque converter?
The torque converter distributes the power from the engine to the transmission. The torque converter allows the car to remain stopped while the car is in gear.
How do I know if something is wrong with my transmission?
There are many assumptions of a failing transmission. A strange noise, a slipping transmission, no reverse or skipping gears. These can all be signs of a failing transmission.
Why does it cost so much to have my automatic transmission repaired?
It doesn’t. At least, it doesn’t when you understand what we need to do to repair your transmission. You see, repairing an automatic transmission is not as simple as changing the spark plugs or adjusting the carburetor. Today, automatic transmissions — particularly those with front wheel drive technology or computerized systems — are extremely complicated units. There are over 3,000 parts in today’s average automatic transmission. And the parts for some late model imports can cost ten times as much as parts for older, larger cars. Just getting to the parts you need to see to find out what’s wrong often calls for major surgery — especially in smaller cars where the manufacturer has tightly packed different mechanical systems on top of and around each other.
Why can’t you tell me what it’s going to cost to fix my transmission over the phone or without seeing the vehicle first?
Aside from the fact that a consumer might easily miss a symptom a trained mechanic would see or hear when the vehicle is brought in, can you tell the difference between a rattle, buzz, grind, whine and a slip? And do you mean the same thing by those words that we do? Over 50% of the vehicles that customers bring in for transmission issues, don’t need a transmission. The problem is somewhere else in the vehicle. The plain truth is, we simply can’t be sure of what’s wrong with your transmission until we take a look at the vehicle. Nobody can.