Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid is a lubricant, a detergent and the driving force inside a modern automotive transmission. Some manufacturers have increased their recommended transmission fluid change service interval to 100,000 miles but this doesn’t mean you should overlook your periodic fluid level inspections. Since most transmission failures are directly related to lack of maintenance, most major problems can be prevented if the transmission and fluid levels are checked on a regular basis.
 To understand how important a role the fluid plays, its a good idea to know a little about how transmissions work Typical Transmission Layout The diagrams depict a few simplified versions of a typical vehicle transmission systems. The top image represents a front-wheel-drive vehicle and the niddle image represents a rear-wheel drive vehicle. You may notice that both vehicles drive systems contain many of the same types of parts that deliver power from the engine, to the wheels in a slightly different configuration. Power is generated by the engine and is then transferred to the transmission either through a Torque Converter if the vehicle has an automatic transmission or through a Clutch if the vehicle has a manual transmission. The Transmission contains the gears that step up the power from the engine to turn the output shaft at different speeds. The speed of the output shaft determines the speed that the wheels turn. On front-wheel-drive vehicles, the transmission connects directly to the Differential which splits the power to the two front wheels. The output shaft on the differential connects to the Drive Shafts through Constant Velocity (CV) Joints. These joints allow for suspension flex and are identified by the flexible rubber boot that keeps the grease-packed joint clean from dirt and grit. The outer CV Joints connect and deliver power to the front Drive Wheels On rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the output shaft on the transmission connects to the Drive Shaft through Universal Joints. The drive shaft then connects to the Differential that is part of the Rear Axle assembly. The differential splits the power to turn the drive shafts that are housed inside the rear axle. The drive shafts connect to and delvier power to the rear Drive Wheels. Transmission Gearing and Fluid FlowThe diagram above shows a typical automatic transmission layout. The engine delivers power to the transmission through the Fly Wheel. The fly wheel is bolted to the outer half of the Torque Converter and spins it as the engine turns. Both halves of the Torque Converter have fan-like blades that push transmission fluid as they spin. |
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The power side of the torque converter pushes transmission fluid into the blades of the opposite half of the torque converter to drive the transmission. The torque converter and the tranmsission fluid create a liquid joint betwen the engine and transmission. With the engine running, and the transmissin in Drive, the vehicle will not move forward until you release the brakes. When moving and you apply the brakes, the liquid joint allows the engine to continue running and only the tranmission is stopped.
Power Steering Fluid acts as a lubricant, as a cleaner and also as a method to disipate heat inside the tranmsission housing. Gear shifting is accomplished by a series of Clutch Housings that contain inner and outer geared Friction Plates. As a Clutch housing is activated, the friction plates lock-up and transfer energy from an outer housing to an inner housing and from there through various gear ratios to the main shaft. Once the transmission reaches a specific speed, the next gear housing is activated to shift gears.
Energy traveling down the main shaft reaches the Sun and Planetary Gear housing where it is transferred to the Output Shaft and on the the Drive Shaft. The sun and planetary gear housing and clutch housing assemblies allow for multilple drive gears as well as changing the outpup direction when the transmission is shifted into reverse.
Transmission Fluid Break-Down
Over time, heat and friction cause transmission fluid to break-down. Automatic transmission fluid break-down can result in lower fluid viscosity and power loss, or loss of lubricating qualities that could lead to excess heat and transmission wear. It’s important to check and, if needed, change your automatic transmission fluid as part of your automotive preventative maintenance schedule.
Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid Change
EZ Lube’s Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid Change uses a motorized vacuum system to remove 99 percent of the worn transmission fluid along with any suspended contaminants in the system. The transmission system is then refilled with new transmission fluid that matches your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.
