You’ve probably heard of a transmission fluid change, and you’ve probably heard of an engine oil change, but what exactly is a transmission oil change?
There are a number of different fluids in modern automobiles, and many of them need to be changed, topped up, and flushed out periodically. There’s hydraulic steering fluid, brake fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and more. When we talk about auto oil, we’re usually referring to engine oil, also known as motor oil. This oil lubricates an internal combustion engine and is critical to its operation. Your transmission requires a fluid that serves a similar function.
A strong majority of Canadians drive an automatic transmission vehicle. An automatic transmission shifts gears automatically for the driver whereas a manual transmission requires the driver to use a clutch pedal and gear shifter to shift gears to achieve higher speeds. Automatic transmissions use automatic transmission fluid which lubricates and cools the transmission.
Some manual transmissions also use automatic transmission fluid. Other manual transmissions use heavyweight hypoid gear oil and some just use regular motor oil. For manual transmissions that use transmission oil, there is an obvious question: does transmission oil need to be changed much like automatic transmission fluid does?
Yes, transmission oil needs to be changed periodically. Just like automatic transmission fluid, manual transmission oil has to be changed so that your transmission receives the lubrication it needs to operate properly. If you’re driving with the transmission that your vehicle came with, then your vehicle owner’s manual should indicate how often you ought to change your transmission oil.
Speaking very broadly, manual transmission oil needs to be changed on a slightly more frequent schedule than automatic transmission fluid. The usual recommended interval for a manual transmission oil change is about every 50,000-95,000 kilometres. That’s clearly a very wide range. Where your transmission falls within that range depends on a number of factors including the age of your transmission and how you use your vehicle. For example, whether you do more city driving or country driving affects your transmission oil change interval, as well as if you use your vehicle for work-related tasks, such as towing.
At Mister Transmission, we’re happy to perform manual transmission service that includes transmission oil changes. We also service automatic transmissions and CVT transmissions. We can change and flush automatic transmission fluid, transmission oil, and hypoid gear oil. To learn more, please contact us. Please note that we have a comprehensive COVID-19 policy to keep everybody safe.
The evolution of transmissions has made these machines and systems increasingly complex. When transmission repairs are required, determining the cause and cure for what ails can be tricky.
Read More
At Mister Transmission we have access to leading-edge diagnostic equipment, enabling us to offer you the fastest and most accurate findings about what’s going on inside your vehicle’s transmission.
Read More
Just as you have other parts of your car serviced, your transmission needs maintenance to ensure a long life and avoid transmission problems.
Read More