Driving habits can have a big impact on your vehicle's transmission. It's important to understand the different ways these habits can affect your automatic transmission and what you can do to minimise the damage. Here are five ways that driving habits can impact your automatic transmission services;
1. Driving In Hot Weather
Driving in hot weather is one of the biggest causes of transmission problems. The heat can cause your automatic transmission fluid to break down and reduce its ability to lubricate and cool your car's parts. When this happens, you may notice that your vehicle has a hard time accelerating or shifting gears smoothly. To prevent this from happening, make sure that you check the temperature gauge on your dashboard before driving in hot weather (as well as cold weather) and consider scheduling automatic transmission services if needed.
2. Regularly Shifting Into Gear While Going Downhill
Driving habits such as regularly shifting into gear while going downhill can put stress on the automatic transmission and cause damage. This is because when you shift into gear while going down a hill, you are forcing the vehicle to shift gears while under load. This can cause excessive heat build-up in the fluid and components of your transmission and could cause damage over time. Regular automatic transmission services can help address this issue.
3. Driving In Stop-And-Go Traffic
In stop-and-go traffic, you're constantly stopping and starting, which puts strain on the transmission. When you come to a stop, the engine needs to be idle to prevent stalling. This means that when you start again, the RPMs are much lower than they were previously. This takes longer for the transmission to adjust and get back into gear smoothly. It also puts unnecessary wear and tear on your transmission.
4. Idling
Idling is a common practice, especially during cold weather. However, it causes significant damage to your automatic transmission because the engine isn't running at full speed. The oil pump inside the transmission doesn't have enough power to circulate lubrication throughout the system, which leads to wear and tear on the gears and other parts.
5. Cruising In Neutral
When you're driving in neutral, you're forcing your engine to work harder than it should be working. This will cause premature wear on your clutch and shift valves — which are located inside the transmission case — as well as other internal components. If you frequently drive in this mode, consider getting an aftermarket shift interlock device that prevents you from accidentally shifting into gear while stopped at an intersection or light.
Scheduling automatic transmission services can help mitigate the damage caused by the habits listed above. Chat with a mechanic about how they can help you extend the life of your car's transmission.
