Press Release
Caution – Possible flood damage to your car!Without trying to scare motorists, be aware that if you have driven through over 150 millimeters (“6” in the old scale) at anything over 20Kph there is a strong possibility that the transmission has ingested water.
The problem is there will be no noticeable change in the transmissions performance for low levels of water contamination. Without taking precautions, such as checking the fluid condition, there could be a time bomb in the making. Let me explain.
Even a small amount of water will result in rusty bearings, swelling of internal seals, and dissolving of clutch plate materials as they are paper based. This will lead to transmission failures which will show up anytime from one week to three months after driving through the water. The time will depend on the amount of water ingested and the mileage covered.
Don’t assume because your transmission is a “sealed for life unit” you are safe.
All transmissions breathe through a vent to allow for expansion of the fluid and also they are harder to detect water contamination due to the fact they have no dipstick. Most 4WD vehicles have extended breathers to avoid this happening but this is not so with cars and AWD vehicles.Remember a hot transmission hitting cold water will very quickly suck through the breather due to a sudden drop in temperature so be smart and ask a transmission shop to examine the fluid quality as soon as possible. This situation can also affect other driveline components such as transfer cases and differentials.
From experience the 1992 flood that affected Coolum and surrounding areas resulted in a lot of major transmission overhauls that could easily have been avoided if owners only had the knowledge of what water contamination can cause to vehicles and acted promptly.
Ron Hill
