Pro-Tech Transmissions

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5 Must-Do Checks to Get Your Car Ready for Summer

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Summer’s heat, high humidity, dust, heavy rain, and stop-and-go traffic take a toll on your car. Fortunately, you can help minimize the odds of mechanical failure by getting your car ready for summer. Keep your car on the road – not stranded beside it.

get your car ready for summer

1. Check your Cooling System  

The biggest cause of summer auto breakdowns is overheating. We recommend you completely flush and refill the cooling system every 24 months. However, you should check the condition, level, and concentration of coolant periodically to ensure a good 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. While you can check the fluid level by removing the radiator cap, it is recommended that drive belts, hoses, and clamps be checked by a professional.  Even if you think you can get your car ready for summer on your own, it’s better to trust a professional than create additional car repairs. 

2. Change your Transmission Fluid  

If your car has an automatic transmission, check your owner’s manual to determine how to check the fluid level. ATF should be a bright shade of red, and at the level recommended by the manufacturer. Too little fluid can burn out the torque converter, while excess fluid can cause overpressure issues, like slippage and rough shifting. Get the fluid checked by professionals to ensure that it is refilled with the right mix as indicated by the SAE number in your owner’s manual.  

3. Change Oil and Filters

Regular engine oil should last between 4,000 and 5,000 miles with no problem (3,000 miles if you make extended trips with much luggage, tow a trailer, or make frequent short trips). Synthetics can reach 6,000 – 7,000 miles between changes. Check the oil level and color by pulling out the dipstick. If amber in color, ensure that it’s at the right level. If it’s black, consider getting it changed. Also change the oil filter, air filter, and other filters (fuel, PCV, etc.) as recommended.  

4. Check your Brakes  

You should inspect your brakes every 6 months or sooner if you notice noises, pulsations, grabbing, or longer stopping distance. This is often caused by wear due to extreme temperature differences during winter. You should remove the wheels to perform proper brake inspection.  

5. Change your Tires

Your tires have a considerable impact on safety and performance. Worn or under-inflated tires can interfere with handling and braking, and even lead to blow-outs when speeding. If you have different sets of summer and winter, inspect the rubber when swapping them out. If you use all-season tires, check for uneven wear, bubbles in the sidewalls, or visible wear bars, and replace if needed. Ensure that your spare tire is in good condition.

Timely inspection and maintenance of your transmission is important to avoid expensive repairs. Getting your car ready for summer can save you a lot of time, money, and heartache. If you notice something unusual about your transmission or fluid, bring your car to Pro-Tech Transmissions for maintenance.

What It Takes To Be A Great Mechanic

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What It Takes To Be A Great MechanicSome people say that a great mechanic is born, not made. Sure, you can go to school to learn the mechanical aspects of your job, but if that’s all you’ve got then you’ll be perfectly competent, but you won’t be out and out great. Here are the characteristics a mechanic has to possess in order to take it to the next level.

Patience

The reality is that most people who drive cars only have a limited understanding of what makes them go. Most people understand that you’ve got to put gas in regularly and change the oil, but beyond that, their understanding is, turnkey, press gas. Because of that, when something breaks down on the car, they’re at a loss and are suddenly well outside their comfort zone. A great mechanic has the patience to listen to the tales of woe that accompany the car into the shop and sift through that story for information that might help diagnose the problem.

Good Detective Skills

Building on the above, it takes real investigative skill to separate the wheat from the chaff. Some elements of the customer’s story will be interesting but irrelevant to actually solve the problem they’re having with their vehicle, while other elements might provide critical clues that can shave tons of time off the diagnostic step. This is not something that just anyone can do. It takes a special kind of person with just the right kind of eye and ear for detail to pick out the golden nuggets of information from what the customer is describing.

Persistence

Sometimes, problems are more involved than they first appear. Worse, some problems may actually be symptoms that point to an even larger problem. The only way around that is straight through it. That takes dedication and persistence. A good mechanic never gives up and doesn’t approach a repair job thinking that the first thing he tries is going to magically make the car better. It’s great when that happens, but sometimes things are a bit more complicated than that. A great mechanic is undaunted and will slog through the process until the problem is identified and corrected.

Come and meet our team of great mechanics, they just love to figure out transmission problems!

What Can You Learn from the Color and Smell of Automatic Transmission Fluid?

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what can you learn from the color and smell of automatic transmission fluid

The color and smell of your automatic transmission fluid (ATF) can give you an indication of the overall state of your transmission, and help in diagnosing transmission problems like low fluid levels, leaks, and worn out fluid.

Checking the state of your ATF should be done routinely before you even notice a problem. So, how do you check the color and smell?

First, it is recommended that you warm up your car before checking the fluid. The fluid should be under normal operating temperatures to ensure accurate results. The car should be parked on a level surface.

Keep the engine running, and locate the transmission dipstick (usually next to the engine dipstick). Pull it out of the filler tube and inspect the color and smell of the fluid on the end of the dipstick. You may also place a few drops of the fluid on a clean white sheet of paper to achieve a better color reading.

What the Color Says About Your Automatic Transmission Fluid

New transmission fluid is bright red and transparent, and depending on the last time you had your last service, the ATF should reflect it in color. Keeping your fluid in this condition will significantly reduce the risk of having serious transmission problems. Other color variations include:

  • Light brown, semi-transparent: The fluid is still in good condition and does not need changing
  • Dark brown, opaque fluid: Any change that is closer to dark brown indicated that the fluid is old and dirty. It should be changed as soon as possible before it causes serious damage, as this fluid condition tends to increase heat within the transmission, making it more likely to fail. You should also change the filter.
  • Very dark or black fluid: Very dark color means that the fluid is old, dirty, and oxidized (if there is a burnt odor). It could also indicate some damage inside the transmission. If the transmission is working properly, you should take action immediately by changing the fluid and filter. If the transmission is damaged, a rebuild may be needed.

What The Smell Says About Your Automatic Transmission Fluid

New fluid is odorless, but transmissions that have developed internal problems that cause overheating will produce oxidized fluid with a burnt smell. The result is poor lubrication, increase friction and heat, and excessive wear or damage to internal components. In most cases, burnt smelling ATF means that internal damage has occurred, and your transmission needs to be serviced.

For professional transmission maintenance and repair, bring your car to Pro-Tech Transmission. Our technicians will check the condition of the fluid, computer system codes, the operating condition, and a bunch of other things to ensure your transmission outlasts the life of your car.

Transmission Problems Caused by Battery Terminal Corrosion

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The notion that the condition of your car battery can affect the performance of your transmission may seem absurd at first. But it actually makes sense when you consider that nearly every shift in modern transmissions is operated electrically via a computer system that is powered by the battery.

A sporadic voltage drop from the battery can be the cause of all sorts of unusual transmission problems. For instance, cases of delayed transmissions shifts or completely missed gears that appear occasionally and resolve themselves (only to reappear again) can be attributed to corroded battery terminals.

Even if your car starts on the first pull, battery corrosion can still lead to transmission problems.

Starting the engine requires a lot more electricity than shifting gears. And bad connections can make good contact when a huge load is applied to the circuit. It seems like the extra current is able to get past the resistance, providing sufficient power to start the engine. Unfortunately, the small amount of current needed to operate transmission solenoids is not always enough to push through the resistance, resulting in poor transmission performance.

How to Fix Transmission Problems Caused by Battery Corrosion

Once you establish that the battery is the cause of the transmission problems you can fix it easily and fairly cheaply. A good battery service that includes cleaning the terminal ends should fix the problem completely. But if the connections seem faulty, it may be necessary to replace the terminals or cables. Either way, you will be back on the road in no time.

Can you do it yourself?

While cleaning the terminals and/or replacing the terminals or cables is a rather straightforward task, it is best that you take your car to a professional for two key reasons.

First, disconnecting the car battery will wipe off all the memories in your car’s computer systems. This will cause all kinds of drivability problems as the car systems relearn their bearings.

Second, disconnecting the battery could also disable a radio with a theft deterrent system until you input the theft code. If you don’t have the code, the radio will have to be sent to the manufacturer to reset it.

Many shops use a memory saver before disconnecting the battery. This device applies a low voltage to the system so the memories are not erased when you disconnect the battery. If you’re experiencing transmission problems caused by your battery, it is best that you let the professionals at Pro-Tech Transmissions handle all the servicing work.

Busting the Myths of Driving a Manual Transmission Car

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Busting the Myths of Driving a Manual TransmissionWhen choosing between an automatic and manual transmission car, it is a simple question of whether you prefer to let the car change gear or to remain in full control of the gear selection yourself. Driving a stick shift tends to become tiresome in start-stop urban traffic or when you have to take off from a hill, but this cannot deter enthusiastic drivers who swear by manual gearboxes, often claiming that they offer more involvement with the car.

It is, however, unfortunate when shift stick enthusiasts operate their manual transmission car incorrectly resulting in costly damage over time. Here are some myths about manual transmissions that could cause you grief in the future:

Myth #1: There is no problem with “riding” the clutch

The clutch connects two rotating shafts: the driving member (engine) and the driven member (power output shaft to the wheels. It should be fully depressed when shifting the gear or fully released when driving at a certain speed. Whenever the clutch is partially engaged, you’re putting wear on it. So, the less time spent when changing gears, the better for your transmission.

Myth #2: You can hold your car in place on steep hills using the clutch

This means “riding” your clutch, which will wear your clutch faster. If you have to stop on an incline and are afraid that the car will roll back when starting motion again, you can use the emergency brake to hold the car in place as you balance the gas and clutch. Release the E-brake the moment you start moving forward.

Myth #3: You can save your brakes by decelerating with downshifts

You can slow down the car by downshifting, but this is usually more trouble than it is worth. Furthermore, if the process is not smooth, you will be putting more wear on your clutch. Even if you are able to downshift smoothly and release the clutch properly, it will not prolong the longevity of your brakes that much.

Myth #4: It is not always possible to engage the clutch without jerking the car

You can actually enjoy smooth shifts by learning the exact position of the clutch pedal when the clutch starts to engage. Once you are familiar with this position, you will be able to shift gears and quickly release the pedal to that point, allowing you to start and stop easily on an incline.

Myth #5: Lurching when downshifting is normal

Lurching happens when you downshift without matching the engine speed to the vehicle speed. When you are not coming to a complete stop, try to “rev-match” by increasing the engine rpm as you release the clutch when downshifting in order to closely match your engine speed to the wheel speed.

Improper use of the clutch can cause it to wear faster. In case of any manual transmission car troubles, stop by the Pro-Tech shop for a full check-up. 

How Driving Conditions Affect Your Automatic Transmission Car

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How Driving Conditions and Habits Affect Your Automatic Transmission

There are many factors that affect the longevity of your automatic transmission car, some of which you have control over and some that you don’t. For instance, many people think that using your car less often, and for shorter trips, will keep it new and in optimum condition for longer, which is not true.

Vehicles driven for short distances or occasionally are subjected to unusual strain and wear. Driving your car for short distances prevents the engine from warming up to optimal operating temperature, resulting in excessive engine wear.

Low mileage transmissions for city or stop-and-go traffic usually experience far more wear than automatic transmissions with the same mileage for highway driving. Your vehicle’s mileage does not result in the same amount of wear caused by the frequency of your transmission changing gears, such as when you slow down and accelerate in heavy traffic.

Many other driving conditions that are seemingly normal or favorable can also affect your transmissions, such as icy or snowy roadways, dirty air quality, mountainous terrain, and extreme temperatures. Under what automakers consider normal driving conditions, it is recommended that you service your automatic transmission after 100,000 miles.

So, what are these normal conditions?

  • Covering 12,000 – 15,000 miles annually
  • A mixture of 1/3 city driving and 2/3 highway
  • Maintaining the optimal operating temperature for the engine and transmission for most driving
  • Driving in dry and clear road surfaces
  • Driving in clean air quality
  • Avoiding excess speeding, hard braking, or jackrabbit starts
  • Most driving in straight and level roadways, and minimum driving in mountainous terrain
  • Ensuring the correct fluid levels and condition, and proper tire pressures
  • Maintaining light to moderate loads, or carrying only one or two passengers at most with very little weight in the cargo space

Considering these requirements, very few drivers can manage to operate under normal driving conditions, and any variations tend to increase vehicle wear and damage.

Under most driving conditions, you should consider reducing the mileage and/or time between transmission maintenance services. Most transmission repair professionals recommend automatic transmission servicing at least once a year, or more frequently if you operate your car under more extreme conditions.

Looking after your car’s automatic transmission is critical, so don’t neglect it. In case of transmission problems, bring your car to Pro-Tech Transmissions.