Post your Automatic Transmission tips and tricks.

[Eli]

Give 'em to me.

Is it better to idle in Neutral? My thoughts behind this are that extended idling in Drive just unnecessarily heats up your transmission fluid.

OTOH, is it "hard" on the transmission to shift in and out of drive?

Also, in my Focus, the "2" on the gear selector causes the car to even start in 2nd gear. I've never encountered this in any of the other automatic cars I've driven.. is it common?

Anyway, I've been doing this when appropriate.. ie: don't need to accelerate quickly. I move the lever to Drive at ~15mph, after it would be out of first anyway.. so it shifts into 3rd as it would if I were in Drive the whole time. I was thinking that I could save some gas.

I don't think this should hurt the transmission at all, if anything it will save wear on 1st. Is it causing unnecessary heating/stress on the transmission fluid, though?

What is the proper way to check the transmission fluid? I've always been kinda baffled.. I swear every time I've ever checked the fluid level on an automatic, it's way over the F mark on the dipstick. Such is the case with my car.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Every shift the trans makes takes a tiny fraction of life away from it. The heat generated at idle in gear is negligible. Both are pretty insignificant, but if we're splitting hairs, I'd say leaving it in gear is better than putting it in neutral.

Yes, lots of Fords will let you manually select 2nd gear as you describe. Other brands do, too, but Ford has been doing this for decades, particularly in their trucks.

If you want to heat up the transmission, start out in 2nd gear. When you do that, the converter has to work harder and that's the component in an auto that generates the most heat. That feature is mostly for starting off on slick surfaces. But it works the hell out of the converter if you do it all the time.

Generally speaking, you warm the car up, park it on level ground, then check the fluid. I have seen some dipsticks (present company excluded ) that have separate markings for "full cold" and "full warm".

 

[Zenmervolt]

- Leave it in drive at a stop light. It doesn't heat the transmission fluid appreciably and shifting in and out of neutral like that will put extra wear on your transmission's brake bands.
- "2" making the car start in 2nd is pretty common, most will have at least some mode that allows a second-gear start. This is for winter situations when you might not want to start in 1st for traction reasons.
- No need to shift the automatic manually like that, you aren't going to be saving enough gasoline to worry about. Would you start in second all the time if you had a manual? I know that I wouldn't.
- The transmission dipstick will have two sets of marks; a "cold" min and max and a "hot" min and max. Check your owner's manual to see how long you need to let the car sit before the transmission fluid is at the right temperature to check with either scale.

As far as tips/tricks, I don't have any. Just drive it and get used to how it shifts. Don't bother trying to shift it manually unless you need the engine braking going downhill. And turn off overdrive if you're going to be towing or have the car heavily loaded. Other than that, just flush and change the fluid every 30,000 miles or so and you should be good.

EDIT: Damn you Pacfan! One step ahead of me!

ZV

 

[CrackRabbit]

My Auto transmission tips.
1. Pick a deity.
2. Pray profusely.

Seriously, keep the fluid cool by adding an aftermarket cooler if possible and change the fluid every 30k miles or so. That is all I have to offer.

 

[theMan]

Yeah, too bad there isn't a deity shaped like a transmission...

 

[Blain]

I've had a trans that was slow to go into gear (350 Turbo).
I tried a trick someone told me about... 1/2 can STP oil treatment.

The trans did start acting better after that. It wasn't like a rebuild or new, but it did start into gear faster.

It's worth a shot on a beater you don't want to pour $$ into. :laugh:

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: Eli
Give 'em to me.

Is it better to idle in Neutral? My thoughts behind this are that extended idling in Drive just unnecessarily heats up your transmission fluid.

OTOH, is it "hard" on the transmission to shift in and out of drive?

Also, in my Focus, the "2" on the gear selector causes the car to even start in 2nd gear. I've never encountered this in any of the other automatic cars I've driven.. is it common?

Anyway, I've been doing this when appropriate.. ie: don't need to accelerate quickly. I move the lever to Drive at ~15mph, after it would be out of first anyway.. so it shifts into 3rd as it would if I were in Drive the whole time. I was thinking that I could save some gas.

I don't think this should hurt the transmission at all, if anything it will save wear on 1st. Is it causing unnecessary heating/stress on the transmission fluid, though?

What is the proper way to check the transmission fluid? I've always been kinda baffled.. I swear every time I've ever checked the fluid level on an automatic, it's way over the F mark on the dipstick. Such is the case with my car.

Not sure about that but when i got given an old 320i a while ago it got abused, i used to rev it to about 5000 in neutral and move the shifter to drive, after a few repeats of that it gave up the ghost, lol. It used to feel like it had a really worn out clutch, (i know it doesn't have a clutch so i'm not sure what that was) the car would move, and you could hold a steady speed but try and accelerate hard and the revs would rise but it wouldn't match the acceleration. And it had alot of vibrations. I miss that car. 135,000 miles and i killed it.

 

[j00fek]

my tips: get a 5sp, less maintenance

 

[Aikouka]

Heh, before I moved, I used to shift my Altima into neutral when going down a certain road. The CVT locks up earlier than most auto transmissions, so I can't roll down hills while in Drive like most auto cars can . Being able to roll down an entire hill at 60mph > having to use the gas the entire way just to stay at 45.

 

[Gillbot]

Put it in drive and go.
Don't use OD when hauling alot of things and climbing many hills. (This mainly applies to trucks but i've seen a few cars loaded down also.)
Transmission oil coolers will help extend life, heat kills an auto trans.

 

[Arkaign]

I had a Civic with 200k+ miles that the auto tranny started clunking, taking a long time to shift, etc, and my mechanic buddy told me to try THIS

It's a super thick goop, took like half an hour to pour in, but MAN, I never expected such a difference. Within an hour of driving around, the transmission got progressively smoother, until there was no longer any obvious problems to notice. Tranny was still good when I sold the car at nearly 300k miles.

If you notice any roughness, give it a try!

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
I had a Civic with 200k+ miles that the auto tranny started clunking, taking a long time to shift, etc, and my mechanic buddy told me to try THIS

It's a super thick goop, took like half an hour to pour in, but MAN, I never expected such a difference. Within an hour of driving around, the transmission got progressively smoother, until there was no longer any obvious problems to notice. Tranny was still good when I sold the car at nearly 300k miles.

If you notice any roughness, give it a try!

Snake oil. If you'd been flushing your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles like you're supposed to you would not have needed to pour gunk into the transmission to mask the problems. That crap didn't "fix" anything, it just covered up the problem by essentially pouring glue into your transmission.

If a mechanic ever recommends anything from Slick 50, run the other way. No qualified mechanic would even suggest it.

ZV

 

[Arkaign]

The guy has been working on cars since the '60s, and he didn't recommend the Slick 50 engine/oil treatment, but a treatment for transmission fluid.

Also, I didn't have the car until getting it basically free, when it ALREADY had 200k miles on it. The tranny was very rough when I got it, but smoothed out for the 90k+ miles that I drove it afterwards, with no additional problems.

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Arkaign
I had a Civic with 200k+ miles that the auto tranny started clunking, taking a long time to shift, etc, and my mechanic buddy told me to try THIS

It's a super thick goop, took like half an hour to pour in, but MAN, I never expected such a difference. Within an hour of driving around, the transmission got progressively smoother, until there was no longer any obvious problems to notice. Tranny was still good when I sold the car at nearly 300k miles.

If you notice any roughness, give it a try!</end quote></div>

Snake oil. If you'd been flushing your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles like you're supposed to you would not have needed to pour gunk into the transmission to mask the problems. That crap didn't "fix" anything, it just covered up the problem by essentially pouring glue into your transmission.

If a mechanic ever recommends anything from Slick 50, run the other way. No qualified mechanic would even suggest it.

ZV

I agree, snake oil. I've seen many transmission bandaids over the years from heavy weight motor oil to gear lube to quiet them down and increase pressure so they'll last through a test drive.

 

[Arkaign]

Well, in my one experience with it, it took a car that was very hard to drive, and made it last a couple of years until I sold it. It was certainly cheaper than repairing/rebuilding/replacing the automatic transmission in the car, although of course that would have been the best option if money wasn't an object.

The fact remains, however : the clunking & late shifts went away, and did so not for a 'test drive', but for 90k+ miles of hard driving in a congested metropolis. Not bad for a car I got for $200 that someone owed me. Even better considering all I ever did maintenance-wise was change plugs, wires, oil, a battery, and the auto tranny fluid treatment.

Btw, the mechanic, whom worked for a dealership specializing in large SUV's/off-road vehicles, said specifically that the Slick 50 engine treatment/oil was worthless or worse, regarding bearings, etc. Even so, he said that short of pulling the transmission and doing serious work on it, my best bet was to take a $15 shot with the high mileage ATF treatment, not much to lose in that situation. Luckily for me, it worked in my case. What's the cheapest automatic transmission repair going to run?

 

[DougK62]

Moving the gear selector on an automatic car is hard on the transmission. You want to move it as little as possible. Put it into Drive and leave it there.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Gillbot
I agree, snake oil. I've seen many transmission bandaids over the years from heavy weight motor oil to gear lube to quiet them down and increase pressure so they'll last through a test drive.

Yup, it's the equivalent of dumping straight 50 weight oil into an engine to "cure" leaks and blow-by.

ZV

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Gillbot
I agree, snake oil. I've seen many transmission bandaids over the years from heavy weight motor oil to gear lube to quiet them down and increase pressure so they'll last through a test drive.</end quote></div>

Yup, it's the equivalent of dumping straight 50 weight oil into an engine to "cure" leaks and blow-by.

ZV

I respect your opinion and indeed value your presence and experience here on the boards. I must say honestly, though, my experience with the high-mileage civic (1991 LX Sedan, 4-speed auto tranny) was great with the product. $15 got me another 90k miles of use, and it was still shifting fine when I sold it.

Big note, in case anyone's not paying attention. I don't debate, and indeed my mechanic friend also said, that Slick 50 engine treatment/oil was/is a waste. In this situation, however, the Slick 50 High Mileage ATF treatment is an utterly different product, though it's from the same company. Some companies make both good and bad products.

Now, obviously my experience is anecdotal at best, but I'm relating it honestly. I have not known of anyone else personally using it, so I can't speak for the stuff being good in every situation.

That said, in a situation where you've already changed the ATF, but the tranny is still shifting rough/late/clunking, then what's $15 to try it? Assuming there's no warranty left on the tranny of course. I was skeptical too, but it saved me a TON of money.

 

[thomsbrain]

I'm curious about the transmission fluid change intervals for modern cars. the interval for my accord is either 120,000 or 130,000 miles IIRC. that's way higher than my old accord (which i think had 30,000 mile intervals). anyway, can the newer tranmissions really make the fluid last that long? i would have it changed at the 105K major service anyway, to save hassle, but even that seems like a long time. it has a 7500 mile oil change interval for regular oil, which also seems high, but the oil really does seem to last a lot longer without getting dark in this car.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
I don't debate, and indeed my mechanic friend also said, that Slick 50 engine treatment/oil was/is a waste. In this situation, however, the Slick 50 High Mileage ATF treatment is an utterly different product, though it's from the same company. Some companies make both good and bad products.

Now, obviously my experience is anecdotal at best, but I'm relating it honestly. I have not known of anyone else personally using it, so I can't speak for the stuff being good in every situation.

That said, in a situation where you've already changed the ATF, but the tranny is still shifting rough/late/clunking, then what's $15 to try it? Assuming there's no warranty left on the tranny of course. I was skeptical too, but it saved me a TON of money.

I understand that it kept your car going. And straight 50 weight will keep a car going too.

My biggest issue with those sorts of "fixes" is that they aren't really "fixing" anything, they're just compensating for what's broken. I'm philosophically opposed to "fixing" things that way if it can be avoided because it's not mechanically sound.

If it's the difference between having a car and not having a car, then I can see it being helpful to keep a junker going, but I really don't care for it.

ZV

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Arkaign
I don't debate, and indeed my mechanic friend also said, that Slick 50 engine treatment/oil was/is a waste. In this situation, however, the Slick 50 High Mileage ATF treatment is an utterly different product, though it's from the same company. Some companies make both good and bad products.

Now, obviously my experience is anecdotal at best, but I'm relating it honestly. I have not known of anyone else personally using it, so I can't speak for the stuff being good in every situation.

That said, in a situation where you've already changed the ATF, but the tranny is still shifting rough/late/clunking, then what's $15 to try it? Assuming there's no warranty left on the tranny of course. I was skeptical too, but it saved me a TON of money.</end quote></div>

I understand that it kept your car going. And straight 50 weight will keep a car going too.

My biggest issue with those sorts of "fixes" is that they aren't really "fixing" anything, they're just compensating for what's broken. I'm philosophically opposed to "fixing" things that way if it can be avoided because it's not mechanically sound.

If it's the difference between having a car and not having a car, then I can see it being helpful to keep a junker going, but I really don't care for it.

ZV

And I think the point is, yeah, it worked for you, but for the most part, it won't work...therefore, a true professional will not recommend it.

 

[Arkaign]

Well you're not incorrect in any way, and I am pretty much of the philosophy of actual fixes >> bandaids. I guess richer people might look down on the Civic, but my '91 LX was in incredibly good condition. All the power locks/windows/mirrors worked great, the car ran smooth, no pinging/knocking. The little 1.5L got me mid-low 30s in gas mileage, and the original maroon/burgundy paint still looked polished and fresh many years later (I drove it from mid '02 through '04, as both a primary and a backup family car). I thought about getting a 1.6/1.8 engine and a 5-spd for it, the rest of the car was in such good shape. As it turns out, I just couldn't justify the expense, and sold it to a friend.

I have to say, though I might have been the luckiest guy on earth with the stuff, my tranny went from clunky and hard shifting to presenting no audible or discernible lack of smoothness after the treatment. It drove just like any other 90s honda automatic, and stayed that way indefinitely, AFAIK. I drove the crap out of it too, can't count the number of traffic jams (Dallas traffic FTL!!) that I sat through in that thing.

It really is interesting, I now have a big Buick LeSabre 4dr 3800, and am having great luck with the drivetrain on it, engine still strong @ 200k. The big difference is the rest of the car. My paint is fading, the passenger front seat is messed up, the drivers power window is broken, the dash is cracking, the motor mounts needed to be replaced, the turn signals no longer work correctly, the tape player stopped working, etc, etc, etc. I'm not complaining much, as I'd much rather have a smooth-running car with minor or cosmetic problems than a beautiful but unreliable car. It just seems that with my old Civic I had pretty much the best of both worlds, though a Civic is a small car for me. I'd love to get another Prelude, but I can't afford one ATM.

Anyways, pleasure to see you on here, I read a lot in this forum, and you're polite, knowledgeable, and an asset to the group. I hope you take my positive anecdotal experience with this stuff just as it is, maybe it was lucky, but it sure saved my bacon. There was no way I could afford the hundred$ to get that tranny fixed at that time.

Cheers

 

[Eli]

lol..

I'm not going to be pouring any 3rd party products into my transmission, kthx. I know better.

The transmission seems to shift pretty nicely. I'd just like to extend its life. I honestly don't know a whole lot about them, although if I apply my general mechanical knowledge and common sense, I can figure things out.

I don't think the "problem" I had with first was a problem at all, it was just as ZV described... The transmission really likes to stay in second if you're still moving at 10-15mph... If you give it too much gas, it will downshift to 1st. This tends to be fairly violent, since its such a low gear and you're giving it gas while already moving.

I should probably have it flushed, since I don't know when it was last done.. and I need a reference point for future changes.

I think I'd like to get an aftermarket oil cooler, though. Maybe even install a transmission fluid temperature gauge. That'd be kinda neat.

Needs a tachometer too.... grumble

But yeah.. I guess I'll just keep it in Drive.

 

[Gillbot]

You don't need a tach if it's an automatic.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Gillbot
You don't need a tach if it's an automatic.

I know but I still like having one. The more input I can receive from the engine, the better, IMO.

My manual cars haven't had tachometers either. So it kinda pissed me off that this one didn't have one.

If I had it my way, the dash would include RPM, coolant temp, oil temp, oil pressure, cylinder head temp and exhaust gas temp.. and transmission fluid temp, if its an automatic.

May as well throw Air/Fuel ratio and anything else you can think of in there.

I :heart: data.