As one of the most expensive components in most vehicles, it makes total sense to wonder just how long you can go before it needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, estimates for average transmission lifespan vary widely, from as low as 10,000 miles in some cases to up to 300,000 miles for \well-maintained transmissions.
What factors affect transmissions life?
There are two main factors that affect a transmission’s lifespan, preventative maintenance, and driver behavior.
Preventative maintenance
Preventative maintenance is pretty easy for transmission and not required as frequently as many vehicle maintenance tasks. However, you do need to consider if you have an automatic vs. manual transmission. Since the transmission fluid in a manual transmission tends to get contaminated quicker with metal shavings, manual transmissions should be serviced every 30-60K miles. Automatic transmissions also require preventative maintenance due to fluid contamination, but only every 60-100K miles in most vehicles.
Using the correct fluid when performing any type of maintenance on your transmission is critical. There are literally dozens of different types of transmission fluids on the market, each made for a specific purpose and specific equipment. Using the wrong transmission fluid during a flush will almost certainly devastate your transmission’s functioning and leave you walking to the dealership for something new.
Driver behavior
Driver behavior is a HUGE influence on how often your transmission needs service and how long it will last overall. All those bad driving behaviors that insurance companies dislike – hard braking, hard acceleration, excessive driving – are bad news for your transmission’s health. If you know you drive on the rough side, be even more diligent about servicing your transmission on or ahead of schedule, and consider taking it easy as the transmission ages.
Most people replace their vehicles every 5-10 years and only drive locally anyway, so they’ll likely not have to worry about major transmission work during that time. But for those who keep vehicles longer, travel a lot, or have a lead foot, transmission service and replacement may be in your future. If you live in or around Sarasota County, FL, trust your vehicle to the experts here at Ralph’s Transmissions. Whether you just need a fluid flush or a full transmission replacement, we have the know-how to get the job done right on time and on budget. Call us at (941) 921-3559 to discuss your transmission needs today.
