Keeping Transmissions Working During Winter
Hartford is the capital of Connecticut and home to over 124,000 residents. It’s also one of the oldest cities in the nation, with a history dating back more than four centuries. While it’s a wonderful city to call home, there’s no question that the harsh northern winters can be difficult to deal with. Temperatures plummet to below freezing and average snowfall amounts are around 45 inches annually. Keeping yourself warm during this time is important, and so is keeping you and your car safe on the roads.
A big issue during the cold months is the stiffening of fluids. With winter temps in Hartford getting down to zero degrees regularly, the transmission fluid and oil in a car can get extremely stiff and make it difficult for a car to operate properly. Letting a car ‘warm up’ before you drive it will certainly help, but there’s more to it than that. The majority of transmissions fail during winter due to fluid issues, combined with low temps. Nothing is worse than your car’s transmission locking up when you’re on the road.
To prevent transmission issues, you’ll want to not only make sure that you keep your fluid levels checked but that you’re using the right kind of fluid and changing it when needed. Flushing and replacing transmission fluid in an automatic transmission should be done every 30,000 miles on average. For manual transmissions, using a lighter oil could have a big influence on performance.
Your best bet is to let a professional at an automotive transmission repair shop in Hartford take a look at your car as the temperatures begin to fall. Talk to them about any issues you may have noticed and see what your options are. They can usually help you determine whether or not it’s time to change fluids or address any transmission issues.
It’s vital that if a problem arises you get it worked on quickly. If your transmission ‘slips’ during use or if you notice a leak, get it taken care of immediately. Ignoring the problem could lead to total transmission failure, and while an auto repair expert can replace your transmission, the price will be in the thousands of dollars range due to the complexity of the job. Preventative maintenance and repair is a much smarter option, and one that is a lot easier and cheaper to have done. Your transmission will be working overtime during the winter, so be sure you keep it in topnotch condition.