Protecting Your Transmission from Winter Hazards

By Mister Transmission

Winter conditions vary geographically, but there are a few conditions that are common to most of Canada during the winter months. How you deal with those conditions can have a dramatic effect on your transmission.

So What Happens?

  • As temperatures drop, fluids thicken, reducing their ability to lubricate.

Solutions:

  • Driving slowly for the first few miles, until your engine and transmission reach normal operating temperature.
  • Invest in an engine heater that plugs into a wall outlet and warms the engine before you come out in the morning. A timer will let the engine warm up a few hours before you’re ready to leave, saving you money on gas, and reducing engine wear.

Did you know for many transmissions, you may be damaging the internal components with excessive engine idle? That’s because some transmissions don’t lubricate the internal components with the shifter in park. Oil doesn’t start moving in park so internal transmission components are spinning — ice cold — with no lube flow. Not good.

Snow and Ice — for much of the country, driving on snow and ice is part of a normal winter. But there are specific hazards to your transmission on those frozen roadways.

So What Happens?

  • When stuck, too often, drivers spin their wheels in the hope of freeing themselves from a snow drift or icy patch.
  • The transmission in today’s cars use a computer to control transmission operation. When you spin the wheels, when the speedometer registers 40-or-so MPH, the computer identifies driving conditions as being right to engage the converter clutch. Now the engine is locked directly to the drive wheels.
  • If the wheels regain traction, all that force is applied directly to the drive line components.

Solution:

  • The best way to get out of a drift or icy patch is to rock the car back and forth… forward and reverse… until you can get moving again. Or, better yet, get someone to push or pull you out of the snow. Avoid spinning the wheels excessively or make sure there is not excessive wheel spin when you contact a surface with better traction as you could end up damaging the transmission.

Water in the Transmission — No major component of your car can survive indefinitely with water in its internal components. But no other component can be damaged as quickly by water as your transmission. Even a small amount of water in an automatic transmission almost always results in serious failure and major repair bills.

So What Happens?

  • The reason is the band and clutch linings absorb water, even if they have to push transmission fluid out to do it.
  • This water quickly finds its way down to the metal backings, causing them to rust and lift the linings off. The result is metal-to-metal contact, which always means serious damage to the transmission.

Solution:

  • Steer clear of deep puddles, should you find your car submerged, don’t start the engine. Your only chance of avoiding a big repair bill is to have your car towed into a transmission shop and have the oil drained out and replaced immediately. If not, your auto insurance may cover part or all of the damage. Mister Transmission will be happy to supply the necessary technical information to your insurance company.

So whether its snow and ice, water, or just plain cold out, winter delivers a whole new set of conditions just waiting to damage your transmission. Whether it succeeds or not depends on how you deal with those conditions.

Mister transmission specializes in transmission and drivetrain repairs and service. Mister Transmission is a member of ATRA — the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association — and adheres to its requirements for honest, reliable, quality service.

Want to know more?
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Customer Reviews
When mechanics know what they...
Marco
When mechanics know what they are doing they use honesty to win business. The team here really understands transmissions and because of that they have saved me a lot of money. I highly recommend these guys!
Date: July 14, 2025
Website: Google
My husband and I had...
T S
My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting and dealing with both Luke and Brian this morning (July 14th). They were both very professional and upfront about the process and timelines. Brian test drove and diagnosed my husband's vehicle and was very honest and transparent with his findings. We greatly appreciate his time, knowledge, and expertise, and we are very satisfied with our experience!!!
Date: July 14, 2025
Website: Google
The service was excellent today....
Bob Taylor
The service was excellent today. went in for 8am and out by 830am. highly recommend the Windsor ont business. will return any time i feel i have issues.
Date: July 14, 2025
Website: Google
Frank and his team did...
Tom Anderson
Frank and his team did an awesome job on short notice to diagnose and to repair my transmission. I was extremely impressed and pleased with their great service.
Date: July 14, 2025
Website: Google
Knowledgeable staff and prompt service....
Angelina Minor
Knowledgeable staff and prompt service. They diagnosed the issue and got the car back on the road within a few days. It's been a couple weeks and everything is running really well. Thank you!
Date: July 14, 2025
Website: Google
Jamie was super professional and...
Shay Flower
Jamie was super professional and very honest. Best service ever, thank you!
Date: July 12, 2025
Website: Google
I couldn’t be more impressed...
Alla Toronto
I couldn’t be more impressed with the service at Mr. Transmission in Barrie! After taking my car to a dealership I ended up with a substantial quote to fix the transmission issue. A friend suggested me to take my car to Mr. Transmission and I’m so glad I did. They performed a thorough diagnosis and found the issue that the dealership completely missed. Mr. Transmission team was professional, honest, and clearly very knowledgeable. I really appreciate that they were able to fix an issue on the spot without even charging me. If you’re looking for a place that truly knows what they’re doing and puts customers first, I highly recommend Mr. Transmission. Thank you again Jason for your expert help—I’ll definitely be back if I ever need transmission work done!
Date: July 12, 2025
Website: Google
My family was passing through...
Alex Pate
My family was passing through Canada and the transmission went on our minivan. Barry showed his care and concern for our situation since my wife and kids were stuck in another country. He rushed a new transmission in and made it a priority to get her back on the road. I never met Barry myself, but I want the world to know that they will get good quality service at Mister Transmission. Thanks for treating my family like your family, Barry!
Date: July 12, 2025
Website: Google
Experience and knowledge in all...
Eduardo Gallon
Experience and knowledge in all aspects of transmissions, with fast turnaround time on repairs
Date: July 11, 2025
Website: Google
My car faced a shifter...
Victor Fernandes
My car faced a shifter malfunction related issue. I was referred to Mister Transmission and I must say that Aki and his crew went above and beyond to assist. Every member of the team including Aki, Victor at Front Desk, the Technicians working diligently on the workshop floor were all supportive and keen to assist. Aki also took the time to explain the issue in detail and also demonstrated the problem my car faced with a diagrammatic representation to help me better understand. I am extremely pleased with the levels of service, support and reassurance offered. In addition, Aki’s knowledge of transmission systems reigns supreme and it is evident that this expertise has been acquired practicing his trade over decades. Customers benefit most from this experience as Aki has an extremely thorough understanding and a deep sense of what is causing the issue on hand. Would strongly recommend Mister Transmission (Dundas and Shawson/Britannia) in Mississauga.
Date: July 10, 2025
Website: Google
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