Facts About Transmission Fluid

By Mister Transmission

Facts About Transmission Fluid

Transmission fluid is the lifeblood of your transmission. Your transmission requires fluid to operate properly. Without fluid, it won’t work. It’s as simple as that. But transmission fluid itself can be quite complex. It can tell you lots about your transmission’s health and efficiency. If you know how to read it. That’s why transmission fluid is so important to transmission service. Not only must the fluid be serviced itself, but it can also indicate what else in your transmission might require service.

Transmission fluid

Let us begin with the basics. What do most people know about transmission fluid? They know that it’s the fluid that works in the transmission to keep it operating properly. Every transmission needs fluid. As such, they know that patches or streams of fluid underneath their vehicle is certainly not a good sign. Such a sight indicates that your transmission has sprung a leak and requires service immediately.

Furthermore, most people (we hope) know that transmission fluid should be changed regularly. At Mister Transmission, we can change your transmission fluid for you as part of the routine transmission service that we offer. Changing your fluid will help ensure that your transmission keeps running at optimal levels for years to come.

Frequency

Everybody wants to know how often they should change their transmission fluid. But of course, there is no one answer to this question. Just how frequently you should change your transmission fluid depends on the make and model of your vehicle, how much you drive, where you drive, and a number of other factors. You should consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual for more information, or you can bring in your vehicle for transmission service to Mister Transmission and we can help you figure it out. For a very rough number, the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association recommends changing your transmission fluid about every 50,000 kilometers or every two years. But again, this is just a rough estimate.

Pan examination

As part of our transmission service, we at Mister Transmission perform a multi-check inspection. In doing so, we examine multiple facets of your transmission for problems. Including your transmission fluid. If the the fluid is a clear red colour, your transmission is probably working well. However, discoloured fluid and/or fluid with an unpleasant odour indicates that your transmission has experienced wear and damage.

As part of our pan examination, we check for metallic particles and friction material. We expect to find these in all transmission fluid, but an inordinate amount of particles or material indicate wear and damage. As part of our transmission service, we will survey the amount of particles and material present in the fluid and then determine further action from there. If a minor adjustment cannot fix the problem, we will suggest an inspection service to determine exactly what is going wrong inside your transmission.

Contact Us

If you have concerns about your transmission’s fluid or would like to know more about transmission service in general, please get in touch with us today. We will do our best to have your transmission up and running perfectly in no time.

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Customer Reviews
Great reliable friendly service
Joe Macdonald
Great reliable friendly service
Date: July 7, 2025
Website: Google
Thses guys are pros after...
Nathan Chartrand
Thses guys are pros after dealing with another transmission shop not checking endplay in the crankshaft my engine is destroyed a standard practice any reputable shop should be doing
Date: July 6, 2025
Website: Google
Hi I had my 1966...
Craig
Hi I had my 1966 Chevelle Malibu SS in at Mister Transmission Sarnia to have the transmission worked on last year. Mike in the back shop worked on my car (pride and joy). He did the repairs that was needed done and a few extra things done without request. The car ran like a dream when I got it back. The cost was lower then they said it would be. I'm very fussy on who works on my car. The owner (manager) was awesome to deal with. Then this week 04 July 2025 I needed a shift cable repaired as I was headed out with my car . I went to the shop and they were over loaded with work. Mike made time to get my car fixed so I could use it on the weekend. They went the extra mile to get my car fixed and again I could not complain about the cost to repair the cable. I fully recommend them and the people that work there are outstanding. A special thanks to Mike who worked on my baby(my car) thanks so much guys. They are my go to shop with my Classic car and all my vehicles.
Date: July 5, 2025
Website: Google
Hi I had my 1966...
Craig
Hi I had my 1966 Chevelle Malibu SS in at Mister Transmission Sarnia to have the transmission worked on last year. Mike in the back shop worked on my car (pride and joy). He did the repairs that was needed done and a few extra things done without request. The car ran like a dream when I got it back. The cost was lower then they said it would be. I'm very fussy on who works on my car. The owner (manager) was awesome to deal with. Then this week 04 July 2025 I needed a shift cable repaired as I was headed out with my car . I went to the shop and they were over loaded with work. Mike made time to get my car fixed so I could use it on the weekend. They went the extra mile to get my car fixed and again I could not complain about the cost to repair the cable. I fully recommend them and the people that work there are outstanding. A special thanks to Mike who worked on my baby(my car) thanks so much guys. They are my go to shop with my Classic car and all my vehicles.
Date: July 5, 2025
Website: Google
I had a fantastic experience...
Xavier Montenegro
I had a fantastic experience with the whole Mr. Transmission team. Jordan and Jason are fantastic at their jobs, and they are truly willing to be honest and completely transparent with you. I took my 2018 Sierra to them for some transmission work (shocker), and they were quick, and the transmission now works fantastically. There were some small hiccups, the transmission initially acted a little weird, but they were quick to correct that. I had my spark plugs and a few coils swapped over here. One of the coils they got from GM blew up and took a couple of fuses with it. They comped the tow and had it fixed quickly, and were incredibly apologetic about the whole thing. Overall, if you are looking for quality service from a tried and true team, this is the place you want to go.
Date: July 5, 2025
Website: Google
Excellent service, and fantastic staff....
KoiLady
Excellent service, and fantastic staff. We’re from BC and travel full-time. Our GMC diesel truck needed a ATF and filter change, and these awesome guys got us in next day. The cost was what they quoted, and we waited while they did the work. We’d absolutely go there again, and recommend them to others.
Date: July 3, 2025
Website: Google
These guys do good work....
Hunter Frederick
These guys do good work. And a fair price. 👍👍
Date: July 3, 2025
Website: Google
Mandy was extremely helpful in...
Don Brindle
Mandy was extremely helpful in getting out 2009 VW beetle back on the road, we are from out of town and he was very compassionate to our situation and helped at every level, if you are in Cambridge and need help, Mandy is your man!
Date: July 3, 2025
Website: Google
Excellent service, and fantastic staff....
KoiLady
Excellent service, and fantastic staff. We’re from BC and travel full-time. Our GMC diesel truck needed a ATF and filter change, and these awesome guys got us in next day. The cost was what they quoted, and we waited while they did the work. We’d absolutely go there again, and recommend them to others.
Date: July 3, 2025
Website: Google
Amazing customer service from Dan...
Justine Butka
Amazing customer service from Dan and the crew. Took my 2018 Tuscon there with acceleration problems and Dan took the time to investigate and solve the issues even without my vehicle showing any codes. I had previously had 4 visits to other shops without any results to solve this issue and was told because there was no engine code they couldn’t do anything. But, Dan was able to diagnose and solve the problem and in 2 days had my car back on the road. It was a clogged catalytic converter. Thank you for your professionalism and experience.
Date: July 1, 2025
Website: Google
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