Transmission Service & Repairs

1. Why service my transmission?
The transmission is the most expensive and complex component in your vehicle and benefits from fluid and filter changes just like your engine. The transmission is what transfers the power of the engine to the driving wheels of your vehicle.

2. Does my transmission get serviced with my regular vehicle servicing?
Generally not. Most vehicle manufacturers now regard this component as "sealed for life".

3. When should my transmission be serviced?
We recommend that you have your transmission serviced once a year if your transmission uses a non synthetic fluid, and once every two years for synthetic fluid.

4. What happens if I don’t service my transmission?
The transmission life is shortened and drivability, together with
fuel economy is affected.

THE REAL AGENDA!

The vehicle manufacturers are in the business of selling vehicles. The competition is fierce and large volumes of vehicles are sold to fleet buyers, Banks, Government Departments, etc. These are repeat customers and they compare the service costs of operation of competing brands for the 3-4 years of service life before they buy. “Sealed for Life” and “Non Service Items” is part of keeping operational costs to a minimum. The owners of these fleets don’t have a problem with that strategy and in practice the transmission appears to be fine for the 100,000 kilometers or so before the vehicles are replaced again. Private buyers want to have reliability and a service life well beyond the manufacturers 3-5 year warranty and typically expect to get 7-10 years and in excess of 200,000 kilometers before having to replace the vehicle.

WHAT WE SEE!

Transmissions are failing after the manufacturers warranty period and require extensive repairs. Hydraulic control systems are wearing out due to lack of service (oil and filter changes). This results in slipping clutches and of course expensive transmission failure. 115,000 to 130,000 kilometers is not unusual!! It begs the question - Is “sealed for life” the life of the warranty? (this works for the fleet buyers – being the Manufacturers biggest customers).

People who have had to repair their transmission are educated and become regular service customers.
If we can convince more private owners to service their transmission on a regular basis, and avoid a failure, together with all the associated inconvenience, we have done our job well.