Pro-Tech Transmissions

Professional Transmission Repair Services by Certified Automotive Technicians

Automatic Tranmission

5 Signs It’s Time for a Transmission Fluid Change

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It’s no secret that your transmission is an important part of how your car operates. The gears in your transmission take the power from the motor and convert it into the driving force for your car. That means your transmission is always hard at work helping you get where you want to go.

Those gears aren’t just simply sitting in the transmission waiting to be called on to work, they are sitting in a pool of fluid that helps keep them lubricated for when you need them. This fluid keeps your gears cool and helps your transmission operate properly without damaging itself.

Transmission fluid is extremely important to the life of your car, and that means changing it at the proper times. So, when should you change your transmission fluid? Here are 5 signs that it might be time.transmission fluid change signals

1 – Distance

The typical mile marker for a transmission fluid change is around 45,000km to 80,000km. That means you won’t have to worry about changing the fluid right away, but you need to be aware of the distance between each change.

Generally, the first change will happen closer to the 80,000km mark, and all the others should be around the 45,000km mark afterward. So what happens if you don’t change it? Well, you might end up not being able to later on down the road. If you take your car to 120,000km without a transmission fluid change, chances are you are better off keeping the fluid you already have. The fluid could be holding your transmission together due to metal shavings being in the transmission fluid without being changed. While shavings are a normal part of transmission wear-and-tear, too much could result in the transmission failing from a transmission fluid change.

If you have hit your mile marker, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your local transmission specialist. Click the button below to set up an appointment with Pro-Tech Transmissions.

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2 – Don’t Grind My Gears

If you drive a manual car, you never want to hear a grinding noise when you shift. It’s just not a good sign. A grind from your transmission could mean a number of things from low transmission fluid to the destruction of part of your transmission.

No matter what it means for your transmission, it’s time to get your car to the shop. Sometimes, grinds can be fixed with a simple transmission fluid change, but you never know. A transmission specialty shop, like Pro-Tech Transmissions, would be able to let you know what you really need to keep that transmission going.

3 – What’s That Smell?

Transmission fluid has a distinct smell, especially when it’s burning. There is a truly sweet smell that is emitted from your engine bay when transmission fluid starts burning, and that smell will make its way into the cabin of the car. If you smell that sweet burning smell, you aren’t smelling the sweet taste of victory, you’re smelling transmission fluid.

4 – The Ol’ Dusty Trail

Do you drive on dusty or unpaved roads a lot? Did you know that can affect the life of your transmission fluid? Dust is so fine that it can sneak its way through cracks, seals, and tiny openings anywhere on the transmission. That means if you spend a lot of time driving on dirt roads, you need to get your transmission fluid checked. If you aren’t careful, those fine dust particles can ruin the quality of your transmission fluid and clog your transmission mission fluid filter. When the quality of the fluid is compromised, it’s more likely that your transmission can start overheating.

5 – Stop-and-Go Hauling

Stop-and-Go traffic can cause a further breakdown of your transmission fluid. The constant strain of stop-and-go can lead to higher operating temperatures due to higher levels of stress. That means the more you are stuck in stop-and-go traffic, the more pressure you put on your transmission fluid.

Hauling does the same thing to the transmission fluid. The added force of the extra weight can take its toll on the fluid and cause it to break down faster.

If you are doing both of these, it’s important to get regular transmission fluid changes.

Don’t Drop Your Transmission, Change Your Transmission Fluid

It’s very easy to forget about your transmission fluid and neglect the changes altogether. This will lead to a shorter life for your transmission in general. If you forget the initial change, you could end up stuck with the same fluid until the transmission dies. Things could be worse if you are out hauling and your bad transmission fluid comes back to bite you on the open road.

If you need help with your transmission, you can always reach out to your friendly neighbourhood transmission specialists at Pro-Tech Transmissions.

Automatic Transmission Problems: Whines and How to Sense Transmission Issues

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Your transmission is arguably the most important part of any vehicle, and taking care of it can extend the life of your vehicle.

How can you tell if you are having automatic transmission problems that need to be taken care of?

By using your senses to listen to your transmission.

There are a number of different issues that can happen inside and outside your transmission, and they all make sounds, feel certain ways, or make specific smells. Luckily, we are transmission experts here at Pro-Tech Transmissions, so we’ve put together a guide to help you sense transmission issues.

It’s important to realize that automatic transmission problems are never a guaranteed fix.

The truth is, there is never a real answer to an automatic transmission problem until the transmission is opened up. The sounds and feelings of transmission issues can be similar, but the actual issue could go from a solenoid swap to a full rebuild in the blink of an eye.

The only way to truly diagnose a transmission issue is to schedule an appointment with a transmission expert.

This is not a DIY blog, but there are a few DIY tips for you to take into account. The more info you give us, the easier the job gets, so here we go!

automatic transmission planetary gear ring set up problems

Transmission Whine

Transmission whines can be a simple filter swap, or they could be the end of days for your transmission.

These transmission whine sounds can be caused by a clogged filter or low fluid. If the filter gets too clogged, it will start to whine while it attempts to pass the fluid through the filter.

If you are hearing a whine, contact us for an appointment, asap.  

Another reason an automatic transmission whine has to do with the alignment of gears. Most people think automatic transmissions are just special gears floating in magic liquid, but they are really just a planetary ring design setup. That means there is a center gear, a stationary outer ring gear, and a few extra gears between them to hold it all together. Needless to say, an automatic transmission is a very precise piece of machinery, and a whine signals something is off. If even one of the gears in the setup isn’t performing as it should, it could lead to a total transmission failure.

If your car only whines in gear but doesn’t whine in neutral or park, you may have a bad torque converter. A torque converter serves the same purpose for an automatic transmission as a clutch does for a manual. The converter pressurized the fluid in the transmission and helps it change gear. If there is no pressure, the gears will have issues shifting.

Transmission Clunks

automatic transmission repair gears

Transmission clunks aren’t good for your transmission, and they should be a major red flag.

That is if you haven’t caused the clunk yourself.

Here’s how to avoid that clunk on start-up:

  1. When you park, put your vehicle in neutral.
  2. Engage your emergency brake (yes, that one that you almost never use!).
  3. Now that the emergency brake is set and holding the vehicle’s weight, put your car in gear or park.

This simple procedure will take the weight off of your gears and any clunking that was happening as you moved in and out of gear on startup.

This works for any type of transmissions.

If your clunking sound happens when you are driving, we focus on a few different areas like the transmission mounts and low or bad transmission fluid. Clunks can also be from faulty speed sensors that aren’t getting your transmission gears up to the speeds it needs to shift properly, or spinning them too fast.

Harsh Shifts

Harsh shifts are really annoying. They make you bounce, shake, wiggle, and jump when you engage your gears.

Luckily, there is really one major cause for an issue like this.

Those harsh shifts are most likely the result of a faulty transmission control module (TCM) or electrical problems such as bad solenoid or wiring. The TCM works with various other parts of the cars to provide the best shifts for your automatic transmission based on the data sent to it. It’s what lets you rev your automatic all the way to redline with your foot down or shift at 3k RPM when you leave the red light.

If your TCM isn’t working, your transmission won’t know what’s going on. The result is harsh or strange timing on shifts.

We can help get your TCM shifting smoothly. Contact us now for an appointment.

Do You Smell Something Burning?

If you are ever driving down the road and smell a burnt smell, it’s not you, it may be your transmission overheating. If your transmission fluid gives off that burnt smell, it could be a number of different issues from temp sensors to bad or low fluid.

Schedule an appointment as soon as you smell burning oil to prevent further damage to your transmission.

The longer it goes, the worse it gets for your transmissions and your wallet.

Take Care of your Transmission Problems with Pro-Tech Transmissions

Whether it’s automatic or CVT or sequential, your automatic transmission needs to be properly aligned to shift like a champ. Any of these signs should be a red flag that your transmission is in need of some major help. It’s important to attack these automatic transmission problems head-on as quickly as possible to keep your vehicle on the road.

Lucky for you, you’re already reading a blog from the best transmission repair shop in Edmonton. Pro-Tech Transmissions is here to service your transmission from top to bottom.

Having an automatic transmission problem?

Schedule an appointment with Pro-Tech Transmissions for any transmission repair in Edmonton and the surrounding area.

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.

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.

 

Modern Automatic Transmissions Get a Boost

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Auto manufacturers are using every strategy to increase their automobile’s mile per gallon (MPG). They are looking at reducing the weight of vehicles, installing more fuel-efficient engines with smaller displacements, and increasing the number of forwarding gears available in modern automatic transmissions.  

Four and five-speed automatics ruled for years, with a few luxury brands offering seven or eight-speed automatics. Today, six-speed automatics are quickly becoming the norm, even on economy cars and big-volume vehicles. CVTs – continuously variable transmissions have also become pretty much the standard. But automakers are not stopping there.  

Where Modern Automatic Transmissions Are Headed

modern automatic transmissionsThe idea behind increasing the number of forwarding gears in modern automatic transmissions is based on the assumption that fewer engine revolutions translate to less fuel consumption. With rising fuel prices, environmental concerns, and government mandates for fuel economy, automakers have advanced further with new innovations that deliver 9 or 10 speeds. You can now find seven, eight, and nine-speed automatic transmissions in any kind of car, from large luxury sedans to subcompact SUVs. The more gears an auto transmission has, the more efficiently it can match engine speed to the driving conditions at any given point in time.  

The additional top gear plays a huge role in making modern automatic transmissions. With more gears, they’re more economical than the conventional counterpart. An eight-speed in top gear on the highway does not have to work as hard as a five-speed. It is running at lower RPMs, which saves on gas. Besides highway speeds, these transmissions also offer benefits across the operating range of the engine. The more gears in the transmission, the greater the likelihood of the engine running at its most economical speed in any situation.

Modern automatic transmissions offer better performance, with smoother starting and maneuvering.  There is more driver comfort, owing to shorter shift times and a smoother transition between gears; and increased fuel efficiency, which is pocket and environment-friendly.  

Among the automakers working on new and improve modern automatic transmissions are:

  • GM and Ford – looking to roll-out a 9- and 10-speed automatic transmission in 2017.
  • ZF – a German car-maker with a new 9-speed automatic that only works on front-wheel-drive cars.
  • Hyundai – with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
  • Volkswagen – currently developing a 10-speed automatic transmission. For Volkswagen, more gears and better fuel efficiency could lead to reduced CO2 emissions to 95g/km by 2020.