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?
Visit one of our locations

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Customer Reviews
Had outstanding service from this...
Tim V
Had outstanding service from this shop, particularly the Manager George S. who is about one the nicest individuals you will ever meet. He put me at ease for what was suspected to be a very large issue as diagnosed from another shop. In the end, it was another issue entirely, one significantly more affordable than expected. George was prompt with follow ups, went the distance to find a new part, and had me back on the road in a few days. George is a gem, and the work done at the shop was top notch. Highly recommend for any transmission/driveline issues.
Date: March 31, 2023
Website: Google
Raman is a great mechanic...
Tim Togeretz
Raman is a great mechanic and business owner, what ever jobs i send him they are always done professionally and with pride.
Date: March 30, 2023
Website: Google
A great dealership to work...
KIM KUEHL
A great dealership to work with. Will recommend to everyone I know that needs transmission work done!!
Date: March 29, 2023
Website: Google
We had purchased a used...
Jennifer Lock
We had purchased a used honda civic from a used car dealership for our son to commute to university. Just our luck not even 3 months later a check engine light was on as well as a flashing D light and check transmission on the information Center console. We had taken it to a reputable dealership on Mapleview drive to get it diagnosed, after a full service that included a transmission fluid service the technician told us that he would erase the code and if the code came back to find a transmission shop . Well the code came back! I had called several local garages and was told that they don’t work on Honda civic C V T transmission. Luckily I called “Al” at (mister transmission Barrie) I told “Al” the history and he said to bring the civic to Essa road location and where he can diagnose it for free . Al gave me an Honest diagnosis with a break down of how much it would cost . And within a week we had a total rebuilt transmission and I feel he was a trustworthy person to deal with no matter what transmission problems you have even if it’s a Honda C V T .
Date: March 29, 2023
Website: Google
So i was basically trying...
Burak Ozbek
So i was basically trying to figure out if Honda CVTs were reliable. I was doing research and decided to call this place to see if they could humour me briefly. The guy i spoke to, cant remember his name, 43 years old, very friendly, told me everything i needed to know, clearly takes customer service very seriously and was willing to HAVE A CONVERSATION which no one does anymore. Will be going here for everything from now on. And if you want to know, without insulting other car makers, toyota and honda are the usual suspects for reliable CVTs.
Date: March 29, 2023
Website: Google
Many Thanks to all the...
Nadiia Kaidan
Many Thanks to all the team.
Date: March 28, 2023
Website: Google
Professional transmission rebuilt
Max XIAO
Professional transmission rebuilt
Date: March 27, 2023
Website: Google
Mandy's customer service was second...
Vanessa Orchard
Mandy's customer service was second to none. Not only did he make sure the work they could do on our truck got done in a timely manner, but also made arrangements for other services to be completed that are outside their scope. PLUS, he took care of getting our truck there and back! Like Mandy said, we hope we don't need to see him for that truck again, but if we need transmission services for any of our other vehicles, we'll be back! Thank you for your great customer service Mandy!
Date: March 27, 2023
Website: Google
Highly recommended! I wasn't sure...
Akash Kachchhi
Highly recommended! I wasn't sure where to take my car for a transmission repair. Had quotes from other shops, which were all around the same, but no one was offering warranty on their work more than one year even after spending so much money. Only Mr. Mandeep offered me three years warranty, which makes me assured to go forward with the repair. Mr. Wes is really knowledgeable technician and he did a fantastic job, car works like new! Incredible staff that go above and beyond for their customers. Their customer service is great and the car was done on time.
Date: March 27, 2023
Website: Google
Nav and his crew are...
Darrell Govereau
Nav and his crew are always there for me. Give them a call for exceptional service! Not only transmissions!
Date: March 26, 2023
Website: Google
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