Can the Transmission be Damaged By Changing the Transmission Fluid? Let’s Find Out

Careful upkeep is just as important as quality parts if you want your car to last. However, changing transmission fluid regularly is one of many maintenance items. Your vehicle has transmission fluid that needs to be changed on a regular basis, and this is true regardless of whether it has a manual transmission or an automatic transmission. But can the transmission be damaged by changing the transmission fluid?

Do read this article in its entirety so that you can have the answer to this question.

How Often Should We Change the Transmission Fluid?

It varies. If you want to know how often you should change your vehicle’s transmission fluid, you should consult the owner’s manual for your specific model of vehicle. Pulling the dipstick on the transmission is another method for determining whether or not the transmission fluid needs to be changed.

This method is useful if you are ever rummaging around under the hood of your car. To check the level and condition of the transmission fluid, you only need to take the dipstick out of its housing, clean it with a clean rag, put it back in, and look at it again. This process is analogous to checking the oil in a car’s engine.

If the fluid level is low or normal, the marks on the dipstick will show you. These markings can be found on the end of the dipstick. Also, if the transmission fluid is more recent, it will look pinker and cleaner. You should definitely change the fluid in your vehicle if you discover that it is dirty or black in color.

It is important to keep in mind that many new cars on the market today do not come equipped with a transmission fluid dipstick. So, either the dealership where you bought the car or an experienced mechanic will need to check it out for you.

As a general rule, the recommendation will be somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 miles. Changing it earlier than the manufacturer’s recommended service interval will not cause any damage to anything, and it may help the fluid stay cleaner for longer. Just make sure that you use the appropriate fluid and keep up with the schedule.

Transmission Change vs. a Transmission Flush

If you decide to change the transmission fluid in your own car, you should know that it is usually a “drain and fill” kind of job. You will need to begin by locating the “drain” and “fill” plugs on the transmission. The “fill” plug should be removed first. The reason for this is because you won’t be able to refill the transmission if the “fill” plug gets stuck after you drain it and then try to refill it later on.

When you pull out the plug for the drain, you might notice that a little bit of fluid comes out with it. This happens because about two-thirds of the transmission fluid is still in the torque converter and other parts of the transmission. As a result, it is critical to change the fluids on a regular basis in order to remove all of the debris and dirty fluid that has accumulated over time.

You can perform a flush if you don’t want to wait for all of the fluid to be clean. To do a full fluid flush, you need a special machine that can hook up to the transmission lines and pump clean fluid into the system while flushing out the old, dirty fluid at the same time.

Keep in mind that a proper flush can cost between $100 and $150, depending on the vehicle, and that it can clean the transmission internals more thoroughly than simply replacing the transmission fluid.

Can Changing the Transmission Fluid Damage the Transmission?

Can the transmission be damaged by changing the transmission fluid? Changing the fluid won’t cause any damage by itself; if everything is working properly within your transmission, then everything will continue to work properly after you change the transmission fluid. When your transmission’s clutch packs are already worn down from use, you start to run into issues when you change your transmission fluid.

If you replace the transmission fluid at a time when the clutch packs in your automatic transmission are already worn down, this could cause your transmission to start slipping. This is because the old transmission fluid has bits of clutch pack in it, which actually help the transmission shift.

Because of the materials from the clutch pack that are floating around in the transmission fluid, the fluid will become grainier than brand new transmission fluid, which will improve the clutch packs’ ability to grip the transmission. When you change gears, the transmission may slip because the new fluid will be clean and won’t have any clutch material.

It is possible that adding new transmission fluid will cause your vehicle’s transmission to begin having problems; however, in all likelihood, the transmission problems were already present before you changed the transmission fluid; you simply brought them to light by doing so.

The Bottom Line

To conclude, can the transmission be damaged by changing the transmission fluid? The answer is no; there is no situation in which changing the fluid might be harmful to your transmission.

If this is the case, would a transmission flush damage your transmission? No!. A flush is never anything to be concerned about. However, if your transmission is already broken, a flush may make the problems more obvious. The problem wasn’t caused by the flush, though; it was caused by the way the transmission was cared for in the first place.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it necessary to change the transmission fluid in an unmaintained vehicle?

When you change the fluid in a vehicle, you flush out any particles and debris that may be present. These components will continue to be pushed through the transmission as long as the transmission fluid is not drained at some point. They don’t hurt the transmission, but they help it keep shifting smoothly over time.

If your vehicle is older and the transmission fluid hasn’t been changed as often as recommended, you should consider waiting until the clutches have worn out before doing so.

Should you change the transmission fluid on a properly maintained vehicle?

As long as you keep up with fluid changes, your transmission should last you a long time. Keep up with the maintenance schedule as defined by your vehicle manufacturer, especially if your vehicle is still under warranty.

When your transmission starts slipping, what should you do?

There are a lot of different things that might be causing your transmission to slip, and most of them can be connected to the kind of transmission that you have. When there is not enough transmission fluid in an automatic transmission, the transmission will begin to slide. With manual transmissions, the clutch will start to slide as it struggles to keep a hold on the flywheel until it reaches the point where it is starting to wear down.

When the transmission fluid in an older automatic transmission is changed, if it was never updated in the first place, the transmission may start to slip. Pouring a transmission stop slip product into your transmission is another straightforward and low-cost solution that you may try before having your transmission repaired or replaced.