Common Driving Habits That Can Damage Your Transmission

Transmissions are built to last a long time and can handle so many different types of weather and road conditions.  After normal wear and tear and high mileage, they may need to be repaired or replaced but certain driving habits can reduce the life of your transmission.  If you have questions or notice problems with your transmission, certified technicians at Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care, in Durham, North Carolina, can help you by offering expert advice and service.

 

Common Driving Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Transmission

Transmission experts have noticed that certain driving habits can detrimentally affect the life of your transmission.  Here are some common mistakes drivers make:

  1. Shifting from Reverse to Drive (or vice versa) before your car comes to a complete stop (which can damage your transmission gears, suspension and driveshaft).
  2. Towing heavy loads that exceed your car’s capabilities (which puts a huge strain on the transmission and can cause it to overheat).
  3. Running too low on transmission fluid (causing gears to grind together, overheat and with time, fail).  Low levels may also indicate a leak.
  4. Using the incorrect type of transmission fluid, which can affect lubrication and cooling abilities.
  5. Delaying or skipping your transmission tune-up – dirt and contaminants can build up in your transmission, causing problems.
  6. Ignoring warning signs – such as strange sounds, shaking, shuddering and stalling, and red puddles – these indicate that something is wrong.  When the opportunity to fix minor problems is lost those warning signs can escalate into major problems.

 

Expert Transmission Care

With proper care, driving habits and service, you can extend the life of your transmission and your car.  If you have a question, need transmission service, or a transmission repair, the experts at Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care can help you, especially as their technicians attend a minimum of 40 hours of training annually (through ATRA ATSG).  Independently owned and locally operated, they are conveniently located at 4503 N. Roxboro Road, in Durham, North Carolina.  Making an appointment is easy – just call 919-372-0133 or go online.  They can help you with all of your transmission needs!