Avoid Costly AutoTransmission Repair Services: Change Your Transmission Fluid Regularly

Transmission fluid lubricates the moving parts inside your transmission, but when it's levels are low, or old and lost its protective capabilities, there's no noise or smoke to warn you, so you must check and change the transmission fluid regularly to avoid costly auto repairs in Salt Lake City Utah. Tom at Hillside Tire shows in this video why it is important to service and change your automatic transmission fluid regularly.

Automatic transmission fluid also serves as a coolant-like the anti-freeze in your car radiator- to keep the transmission parts from overheating, and transmits power from the engine. Regular servicing will give your transmissions longer life, keep shifting smoother, and boost performance.

Car owner manuals vary considerably about when to change transmission fluid-from 30,000 to 60,000 miles. They all have one thing in common though: they don't account for how or where you drive. Severe driving conditions means the fluid will break down sooner.

What are severe driving conditions? Driving in Salt Lake City, and throughout Utah.

• Spending hours in commuter traffic;
• Hauling heavy loads (boats, trailers, towing);
• Driving in Utah, where the temperatures go below freezing, and soar over 100 degrees. Driving in and around Salt Lake City and Utah, changing your transmission fluid may come at 30,000 miles, or sooner, with a combination of the above factors.

Check for driving symptoms, and transmission fluid color and odor.
If your car shifts gears with a lag or a lurch, or is "mushy" or takes extra time to shift on cold mornings, it's time to check the transmission fluid.

Fresh automatic transmission fluid (or ATF) is bright red and has a slightly sweet petroleum smell. If your dipstick level is below full and the fluid is brown, or dark and smoky with a stench of burning (or smells like cheap perfume), it needs changing immediately---and damage may already been done.
Automatic transmission fluid that is reddish brown, without a pungent odor, tells you that it is time for a fluid change.

If there's a pool of fluid underneath your car, it could be transmission fluid leaking out of the cooler line that runs to the bottom of the radiator. Get it fixed and top up the fluid.

At Hillside Tire and Service, we are your experts for all makes and models of auto repair in Salt Lake City. Come in to any of our 5 Salt Lake Valley tire stores: Salt Lake City (Cottonwood Heights), West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy or Draper, and get to know us, like Bill Gephardt does,  through our auto repair service specials (see coupons). We also check your Braking System-at no charge! See us also for tires (we have tire discounts from manufacturer factory rebate specials going on right now), alignments, oil changes, inspections, emissions, and complete auto repair services.