What is Power Transmission

Not all car owners understand what it is that their vehicle’s transmission does – likely because it’s a complex part of your vehicle that can be difficult to decipher unless you’re trained to do so. How long does a transmission repair take?

A transmission is a machine in a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Often the term transmission refers simply to the gearbox that uses gears and gear trains to provide speed and torque conversions from a rotating power source to another device.

The amount of time required to replace a transmission often depends on the type of transmission and the vehicle. It usually only takes a day or two to replace a transmission in most rear wheel vehicles. However, some late model, front wheel drive vehicles can be quite labor intensive and take three to four days.

If you drive a stick-shift car, then you may have several questions floating in your head.

How does the funny "H" pattern that I am moving this shift knob through have any relation to the gears inside the transmission? What is moving inside the transmission when I move the shifter?

When I mess up and hear that horrible grinding sound, what is actually grinding? What would happen if I were to accidentally shift into reverse while I am speeding down the freeway? Would the entire transmission explode?

The transmission works to maximize the efficiency of your car’s engine so it can reduce the fuel consumption without negative effects on the driving dynamics.

When taking off from a stoplight, your vehicle’s transmission uses a lower gear ratio which provides more torque at lower RPMs which provides enough power that the wheels to get the car moving. During highway driving, the transmission uses a gear with a much higher ratio to move the vehicle at much higher speeds while keeping engine RPMs relatively low.

How Do You Check Transmission Fluid?

First, read your car’s manual to determine whether or not it should be running when you perform the check. This varies by model, and you won’t get an accurate reading if your engine is off when it should be running. Open your hood and look for the transmission fluid dipstick (be sure not to confuse it with your oil dipstick). The dipstick should be covered in fluid when you remove it, and it should go all the way up to the full indicator line on the dipstick. To verify accuracy, wipe the dipstick with a clean rag, and perform the check again. If everything is OK, replace the dipstick and close your hood.

When to Change Transmission Fluid

Each manufacturer has different recommendations for when to change the transmission fluid in their cars. Some recommend as often as every 30,000 miles, while others don’t recommend a change until 100,000 miles. Check the maintenance schedule in your car’s manual, and remember that following that schedule may be necessary for keeping your warranty valid. The regular maintenance schedule isn’t the only thing to consider, though. Regular means just that — regular, average, typical-situation driving. The way you use your car could require you to make more frequent transmission fluid changes or allow you to risk going longer without a change. If you frequently push your car with hard accelerations, stop and go traffic, or pulling trailers, you’ll need to check your transmission fluid more frequently than recommended to make sure it’s still in good condition.

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