If you want to avoid long-term and potentially costly car repairs, you need to get your vehicle serviced as recommended. This is why mechanics change the engine, gearbox and transmission oils and pay attention to filters as they carry out this pre-emptive work. When it comes to the transmission, in particular, it may also be necessary to flush through the system to get rid of contamination that may be trapped in difficult-to-reach areas within. Yet while this work may be recommended, it may only be doing a partial job, and your transmission may still be at risk unless you go one step further. What additional effort should you make?
Protecting the Transmission
Mechanics recommend flushing out a transmission because any contamination that may remain in place could become dislodged down the road. It could then find its way into the torque converter or other sensitive system parts and quickly cause significant damage.
Extra Cleaning
This is why these mechanics will use a special solvent after they have removed the old fluid. As the name suggests, this solvent will dissolve or dislodge the contamination, which will then be flushed out during the next stage.
Going One Step Further
So what is the additional step? This involves the transmission cooler, which is a part of the system that is often overlooked.
With a cooler in place, the lubricant is pumped through to a forward-facing radiator, where it is cooled down before being pumped back to the transmission itself. Unfortunately, some of that contamination can also become lodged within the narrow tubes and fins of the cooler's radiator. Again, this could be a disaster waiting to happen if it becomes dislodged at some stage in the future and finds its way back to the torque converter.
Flushing the Cooler Mechanism
So, when you get your transmission serviced, ensure that the mechanic also runs some solvent through the transmission cooler mechanism. They will then need to flush this through as well to ensure that every piece of contamination is removed from the entire system.
These devices work in different ways, and you should ask your mechanic for their advice. Some use pulsating pumps to dislodge any mess, while others may use a process of flow reversal.
Completing the Job
This type of attention to detail is important if you want to avoid costly transmission failure in the future. So, remember to get your transmission cooler cleaned and flushed when you present your vehicle for the next service.
You may also want to consider visiting a service shop that caters to your specific make of car. For example, seek BMW servicing if you have a BMW.
