Back to all

The Tuffy Clinton Township Guide to Caring for Your Transmission

September 30, 2018

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Clinton Township drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Clinton Township. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there's an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you're doing.

Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That's what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on Michigan roads. And it automatically shifts back down to climb Clinton Township hills, pass or start up again.

Vehicle automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five is very common.

At Tuffy Clinton Township, we routinely service transmissions with six speeds and several have seven or even eight speeds. As you can imagine, this means more parts. Any they all have to fit into roughly the same space.

Transmissions are computer controlled these days, with some high end transmissions having two or three computers. Transmissions are engineered to last. But they are also engineered to tighter tolerances. If a portion of the transmission is starved for lubrication, it can lead to failure.

Not enough fluid can starve the transmission, or dirty transmission fluid can clog small passages in the transmission. Then the lubricant is blocked and can't get to all the parts to protect them, so they wear out prematurely. The technicians at Tuffy Clinton Township see far too many transmissions that needlessly failed due to neglect.

And, as you can imagine, repairing one of these new transmissions at any Clinton Township service center can be quite costly. That's why owner’s manuals have a schedule for how often you should change the fluid and what type of fluid to use.

It's really important for Clinton Township area drivers to carefully follow the manufacturer's transmission service schedule.

At Tuffy Clinton Township in Clinton Township, we hope you never become shiftless in Clinton Township because you didn't take care of your transmission.

Tuffy Clinton Township
19535 15 Mile Rd
Clinton Township, Michigan 48035
586-792-6660
http://www.tuffyclintontownship.com

 

More articles from Tuffy Clinton Township

Steering You Right (Tie Rod End Replacement)

March 2, 2025

For drivers, S stands for safety. And there are three other words that start with S that are all equally important: starting, stopping and steering. For your vehicle to be at its safest, all three functions must be in top shape. Steering is one of those things we take for granted. After all, y... More

Tracking True in Clinton Township: Wheel Alignment

February 23, 2025

At Tuffy Clinton Township, we occasionally see severe tire damage that could have been prevented with proper wheel alignment. During a Tuffy Clinton Township alignment service, your vehicle is put on an alignment rack where the tires, steering and suspension parts are inspected for problems. The... More

When "Shady" is a Good Thing

February 16, 2025

Just like your skin can burn from too much sun, so can the paint on your vehicle. It can turn dull, oxidize and fade the more ultraviolet rays beat down on it. One solution is to park in a shady spot, or you can buy a cover for your vehicle and put it on when you know it's going to be sitting in... More