Transmission service and fluid change
For years many manufacturers listed automatic transmission fluid as a lifetime fill — meaning the life the manufacturer plans for, not the life the gearbox could reach. Transmission fluid ages under heat and shear, and the clutch packs wear; the debris stays in the fluid. A change at the right time costs far less than a rebuild.
What it covers
- A fluid change to the manufacturer's approved specification — every gearbox type has its own
- Sump, filter and gasket where they form one unit
- Setting the level at the prescribed fluid temperature, not by quantity
- Observing the separate, shorter interval on dual-clutch gearboxes
What tells you it is due
- Shift shocks, especially in the lower gears and when the gearbox is cold
- A delay between selecting a gear and drive engaging
- The gearbox holding revs briefly before the next gear takes
- Oil spots under the car around the bellhousing
Worth knowing
A common piece of advice is to leave a very high-mileage gearbox alone if the fluid has never been changed. That is not superstition: fresh fluid with different friction properties can cause slip in a worn gearbox. A workshop that raises this openly, rather than simply selling the service, knows what it is talking about.
Find a workshopOther services
- Servicing and inspection
- Oil change
- Brake service
- Tyres and wheels
- Air conditioning service
- Timing belt
- Timing chain
- Clutch
- Fault diagnosis
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- Battery and starter
- Exhaust and emissions system
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- Periodic roadworthiness test