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A vehicle
with automatic transmission is one that changes gears
automatically as the vehicle moves meaning that the driver
doesn't have to do it. You’d be able to recognise an
automatic car because where you’d usually see a gear stick
with the gears marked on the top, you’ll see something that
looks a bit more like a lever – this is automatic
transmission gearbox and will have various letters on the
casing - including (P) - Park, (R) - Reverse, (N) Neutral or
no gear and (D) - drive. |
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Automatic is
the most common form of transmission in the USA; however
manual gearboxes have always been more common here in the
UK. This is changing though as in recent years more and more
cars have been manufactured with either option available for
both the markets. |
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To operate
the automatic transmission, a car will need Automatic
Transmission Fluid (ATF). This stops corrosive damage,
provides essential lubrication and is mostly made up of
refined petroleum that has gone through a process that
results in properties that assist a smoother transmission
and increase the life of the system - although the ATF
system will need to be kept in tip-top condition with
regular services as the car gets older. |
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It's fair to
say though, hardly anyone ever makes the effort to change
the transmission fluid - in fact many drivers wouldn't even
know where to start looking because it's usually quite well
hidden away. |
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You'll know
that you need to pay attention to the automatic transmission
fluid, if you find that the gear changes aren’t happening as
smoothly as you might expect. Ideally, you should really aim
to check the ATF once a month anyway so that you can spot
any potential issues before they become a real and expensive
problem to fix. |
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To check the ATF
on your car you should take the following steps: |
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First of all,
make sure that you find out which type of ATF fluid you
should be using. This information should be in your owner's
manual - if not contact the manufacturer who should be able
to tell you. |
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Park your car so that it is level on the ground
(slanting in either direction will alter
your fluid readings) and leave the gears in
either Park or Neutral. This is one of the few
procedures that might require an idling engine
but it does depend on the car so you need to
check your owner's manual first and find out. If
it does require the engine to be running, start
the car up and wait for it to warm.
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Locate the ATF dipstick - it is often a lot
shorter than the dipstick for the engine oil but
should look virtually the same. In some cases it
will have a label on it, so your job will be
made much easier!
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Take the dipstick out.
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Wipe the dipstick down with a cloth or rag, put
it back into the hole it came from, make sure it
goes all the way back down to the bottom and
pull it out again.
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The colour and smell of ATF can also indicate
problems. Wipe the fluid onto a white sheet of
paper or kitchen towel. It will usually be red,
and should be transparent and clean in
appearance and free of black bits or flakes. It
does become a more reddish-brown with age but
should not be dark or black or smell of burning.
If the fluid has any of these characteristics,
seek professional advice.
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Check the top of the dipstick and see if the
fluid marking comes up to the 'full' line. Also
check that you are looking at the warm reading -
there should be one for 'warm' and one for
'cold'.
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If the fluid does not come up to the 'full' line
then you will need to add some. Remember that
ATF shouldn't be 'used' as such, so if it is
low, it's likely that there is a leak. You will
need to get this checked out as soon as possible
as if left, it can lead to expensive repairs on
the transmission system.
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To add the fluid simply use a funnel to pour it
into the system (usually the hole will be tiny).
You should add it slowly and keep checking the
dipstick until it reaches the 'full' point.
Remember that if you add too much you'll have a
heck of time taking it out again!!
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Make sure the dipstick is back in securely when
you've finished.
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