The red transmission fluid bleeds out them like blood from a hospital patient. It is terrifying for many technicians. Have you experienced this? You call your local mechanic with a story of your check engine light on and your vehicle won't go over 30 mph without screaming at you. That's your transmission.
Chances are your mechanic shuddered and said better call the tranny shop. Don't fret though people, transmission repair is a simple and easy thing. There's this wonderful thing in your glovebox called your owners manual. Pull that bad boy out, dust it off, and get ready to read. There's knowledge in there and power that can save you thousands of dollars.
Every vehicle has a designated maintenance schedule that you are supposed to follow but almost no one ever does. It's fast and simple and a lot times can save you money. Most vehicles 10 years or older require your to change the transmission fluid every 12- 24000 miles. thats maybe once every year or two. Compared to the every 3000 miles your engine needs it's a very long time. That's why it's important to check your transmission fluid every time you change your engine oil.
To check your transmission fluid you need to have your car running and in either park or neutral depending on the make. Again open your magical owners manuel and check to see what it says. The fluid should be between the hashes. The fluid should also be red in color and not smell burnt at all. There also should not be any metal or other contaminates in the fluid. If by chance you do find some horrible smell or some shinny chunks of metal in the fluid it's time to call your friendly neighborhood transmission shop.
Check to make sure that they are BBB, ATRA certified, and that they have a clean nice shop area. Call and ask them if they offer a free diagnostic or road-test. Make an appointment don't just show up. How would you like it if your friends just showed up at your house and wanted you to make them dinner or something. Same basic idea.
Drop your car off if you can that way they have lots of time to look into things. You may be asked if it's ok if they drop your transmission pan. Tell them yes this is the only way they can get a look inside your transmission. there's probably a minimal fee for it so don't worry about it. You should get a call in a couple hours after that and they will let you know what's happening.
