Is a Transmission Flush Really Necessary?
Cars, trucks, and SUV’s are lasting longer. Automakers are now designing their automobiles with parts and systems that can outlast their predecessors by several years. That’s not to suggest that you should ignore regular maintenance items, especially if they’re recommended in your owner’s manual. Among them, keeping your fluids topped off will play a key role in avoiding costly repairs down the road. With that in mind, it’s worth exploring the value of having your vehicle’s transmission flushed. A lot of repair shops and dealership service bays recommend it, but is the service worthwhile?
In this article, I’ll describe how a flush is performed and what happens during the process. I’ll also explain some of the dangers of having it done to your car’s tranny. Lastly, we’ll take a closer look at the reasons auto garages and dealership technicians recommend the service.
How Is A Transmission Flushed?
The fluid in your tranny is similar to motor oil. When you put it in, it’s healthy. Over time, it breaks down and becomes polluted with contaminants. Once the level of contamination reaches a certain level, the fluid become far less capable of doing its job. Damage to the system becomes imminent. At that point, it’s important to have the old fluid replaced.
A transmission flush is a procedure that mechanics often recommend to force the old, contaminated material out of the system. This is accomplished by hooking a flushing machine to your tranny and using pressurized force to send cleaning solvents through the system. While this process sounds effective, it can lead to long-term – and costly – problems.
The Potential For Creating Blockages
Throughout your vehicle’s transmission, there are small corridors through which fluids travel. Consider how a flush works. As noted, pressurized force is used to blast cleaning solvents through the system. During this process, collected gunk and sludge is broken loose. If these masses are large enough, they can partly clog the small corridors – often without the mechanic noticing the problem.
While you’re on the road (after having your tranny flushed), the partial blockage can impede the flow of the fluid and thereby, hamper your car’s ability to shift properly. Given enough time, the clogged corridors can result in expensive damage.
Why Is Flushing Recommended?
So, if the service is dangerous to your car’s transmission, why is it recommended? The answer is simpler than it seems. As noted, vehicles are built with parts that are lasting longer than ever. As a result, many auto repair garages are looking for alternative ways to boost their revenue. Flushing is an effective strategy to do that, even if there is an inherent danger to your vehicle’s tranny. After all, you’re not likely to be able to diagnose what caused a blockage in the system.
Another interesting note – and this is perhaps the most illuminating – is that automakers rarely, if ever, recommend flushing within their respective owner’s manuals. While it is worth having your transmission’s fluid drained periodically in order to remove the contaminated material, say no to flushing.
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