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Car Maintenance You Shouldn't Try at Home

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Car Maintenance You Shouldn't Try at Home

In a troubled economy, many people look for ways to cut costs by doing household tasks themselves. Some automotive jobs can be done fairly easily at home, particularly if you know something about cars. However, taking on the wrong job on your own will only cost you more time, stress and money in the long run. My name is Jill, and I want to tell you about which car maintenance tasks you can safely tackle on your own and which really do require some help from a pro. I'll break down the needs of a typical car and tell you exactly why you might need to ask for help sometimes.

3 Things To Look For In Your Transmission

2 February 2016
 Categories: Automotive, Blog

Transmission problems happen to every car at some point. It is not unusual to experience transmission failure as the car ages and gets more miles. This is why it is important that every driver know what to look for in their car so they can spot a transmission problem early. Here are some things that you should be aware of so you can protect your car.

1. Loud Noises

When you shift back and forth from gears does your car make any noises, such as grinding or thumping? If so, you have a problem with the transmission. The shift from each gear should be essentially silent. The grinding sound means that the transmission is giving out, and it could mean that there is not enough fluid in the transmission. If you ignore this problem and don't get it fixed, it could cause the transmission to completely give out.

2. Leaking Red Fluid

As a general rule, your car shouldn't be leaking any fluid when you are in park or when you are driving. If the car is leaking black fluid, it means that you have a problem with the engine and that you are leaking motor oil. Although this problem should be attended to, it doesn't signify a problem with the transmission. Instead, leaking red fluid indicates that you have a problem with the transmission. As the transmission gets lower and lower on fluid, it will cause serious damage. This is why you should be replacing any fluid that is leaking until you have get the transmission in for repairs from a skilled mechanic.

3. Unresponsive Gear Shifts

If you notice that the car is slow to respond when you shift gears, this is another serious sign. If the car is taking a long time to go back and forth from the gears, or if you have to try a couple times to get the car to shift, you have a problem.

If you are unsure if you have a problem, you can try putting the car in park and then go back and forth between park, reverse, neutral and drive. This will help you see how fast each shift is responding and if you need to take your car in for repairs.

These are just a couple signs that you should look for in your car. If you notice any of these problems, talk to a mechanic right away. 

For auto repair, contact a company such as Automotive Specialties.