Is Your Car Ready For Winter? How To Prevent Transmission Trouble

Now that winter weather is finally settling in, it's time to start worrying about your transmission. Winter can wreak havoc on your transmission, especially if you don't take steps to protect it. Here are four simple steps you can take to prevent transmission troubles this winter.

Change Your Transmission Fluid

If you're like most people, you don't give much thought to your transmission fluid. Unfortunately, that's a good way to destroy your transmission. If you're using the wrong transmission fluid, it can stiffen up and get too thick on those cold winter days. When that happens, your transmission won't have the lubrication it needs to prevent damage. To avoid winter damage, be sure to use a synthetic transmission fluid. If you haven't had your transmission flushed in a while, now's a good time to take care of that.

Give Your Engine Time to Warm Up

If you like to start your car and take off right away, you could be doing irreparable harm to your transmission, especially during the winter. While your car is sitting out in the cold all night, the transmission fluid is getting a little thick. When you take off right after starting your car, your cold transmission fluid won't have time to reach your transmission. To make sure your transmission fluid has time to get flowing, let your car warm up for a few minutes.

Steer Clear of Deep Puddles

If you're going to be driving in the rain this winter, you'll want to steer clear of the deep puddles. Water doesnt' just harm your engine. It can also do considerable damage to your transmission. Each time you drive through a deep puddle, your transmission is immersed in water. Unfortunately, all that water sits on your transmission, allowing rust and corrosion to develop. To protect your transmission this winter, you should never take your car through puddles that may be too deep.

Don't Spin Those Wheels

If you get stuck in the snow this winter, resist the urge to spin those wheels. Many people sit in the snow and spin their wheels, assuming that the spinning motion will set them free. Unfortunately, spinning the wheels won't break you free from the snow. However, it will heat up your transmission and cause your engine to think that it's driving. To prevent transmission damage when you're stuck in the snow, slowly move your car from drive to reverse for a few minutes. The forward/reversing motion will get your car going without damaging the transmission.

For more tips and information, contact a local transmission shop.