Tips & advice
Service and oil change…
… of an automatic gearbox is something that car sales people don’t mention. The reason may be that it would make the service costs higher in the tests carried out by motor journalists. The fact is that an automatic gearbox requires an oil change on a regular basis in the same way as an engine, in order to maintain ease of gear change, reduce fuel consumption and extend its life. In normal circumstances the oil should be changed after every 50,000 km but more often when pulling heavy loads or when the vehicle is subjected to other types of stress! Another important aspect is the right type of oil. We will be happy to advise you.
Three advantages of regular maintenance:
- Increased life
- Enhanced gear function
- Lower fuel consumption
Towing an automatic transmission car…
Should you be so unfortunate that your automatic transmission car needs to be towed, it is important that you do it correctly. When the engine is not running the transmission will not receive any lubrication. This means that the car under no circumstances may spin the drive wheels. It is NOT enough to put the shift lever in N-position, since there are components in the transmission which spin and need lubrication as soon as the drive wheels turn. If you have a car that is permanently all-wheel drive (AWD), it should be loaded onto a trailer or a truck.
Want to know more…
If you would like to know more about how automatic transmissions work, this website explains and outlines its components and features in a straight forward manner:
www.howstuffworks.com/automatic-transmission.htm
