If you are faithful about your vehicle’s preventative maintenance, then you will have the transmission fluid changed every 30,000 miles. This is the general recommendation for this service, and it helps to keep the transmission protected and operating smoothly. The most telltale sign that the transmission fluid needs to be changed is its color. Let’s talk more about this below.
Red
Transmission fluid that is in excellent condition is red and translucent. This is the color you want your transmission fluid to be. You do not want it to be cloudy or opaque. You should be able to see through the fluid. When the transmission fluid is red and translucent, the transmission operates smoothly and maintains a normal operating temperature. In fact, you may not even notice the transmission.
Orange
Once the transmission starts to get older, it will turn orange or light brown. Normally, the transmission fluid remains translucent and is still able to do its job. You may notice a slight change in how smoothly the transmission operates, but the change will be so slight that you may not notice it. Even though you don’t need to change the transmission fluid just yet, you will need to change it soon.
Brown
Once the transmission fluid turns brown, it is oxidizing. This means the see-through color turns opaque and the transmission fluid is not protecting the transmission. Aside from the brown color, your transmission may also start to get rough. In addition, it may make noises when it is in neutral or when you shift gears. Finally, the transmission may also overheat.
Black
All of these things will definitely happen if the transmission fluid turns black. At this point, if you leave the black fluid in the transmission, you will damage the transmission unnecessarily. In addition, the transmission may become unresponsive and refuse to shift gears. It may also slip out of gear. It is important to have the transmission fluid changed immediately if it is black.
Pink
Finally, it is crucial that we discussed pink transmission fluid in this blog post because this is a sign of serious transmission damage. If your transmission fluid looks like a strawberry milkshake, there is a breach between the cooling system and the transmission. The reason it is pink and milky is that it is filled with coolant. As you can imagine, this can seriously damage the engine.
If it has been over 30,000 miles since you have had your transmission fluid changed, call our shop today. We will set up a service visit for you.