If you live pretty much anywhere in New Jersey, then you probably rely on your vehicle to get you where you need to go. That’s why it pays to do whatever it takes to keep your car in good working order, from changing the oil to having your tires rotated as necessary.
When it comes to preserving your car so that it serves you well for the long haul, it’s also important to know what not to do to cause it harm – especially when it comes to your transmission. Although most people are aware of the fact that transmission repairs and replacement jobs can be rather costly, many, for some strange reason, do not tend to go out of their way to protect theirs from sustaining damage. Incidentally, this happens to work out quite well for Rich Varjan. As the owner of European Exchange, a Hackensack business that offers a wide variety of transmission services for both foreign and domestic vehicles, Varjan spends his days repairing and replacing transmissions while educating his customers on the importance of proper maintenance.
If you’re looking to hang onto your vehicle – transmission and all – then it’s imperative that you treat it with a certain degree of care. Varjan says that the following habits are likely to result in transmission problems, so unless you happen to enjoy spending money on repairs, you should make it your business to avoid them:
Spinning in snow
As a driver, it’s natural for you to want to push your car to its limits when it comes to tackling snow. After all, you have places you need to get to, and a foot or two of snow really shouldn’t get in your way, right? Wrong. According to Varjan, trying to work your way out of a snow bank is one good way to blow your transmission. If you find yourself stuck in the snow, then call for help; a one-time towing fee will be cheaper than paying to have your transmission replaced.
Switching gears when you shouldn’t
As you’re driving around, you’re likely to come across numerous situations in which you’ll need to change gears, from parking to realizing that your destination is actually in the opposite direction of the one you’re heading toward. While switching gears is obviously something that your car was designed to do, you should always make certain to come to a complete stop before shifting into park or reverse. A failure to do so could put undue strain on your transmission and cause it to fail over time.
Improper towing
If you’re going to use your car as your own private tow truck, then you’ll need to do so in a manner that won’t harm your transmission. Adding an extra load without compensating via extra cooling can easily cause your transmission to go kaput.
Skimping on maintenance
One final way to blow your transmission is to simply neglect it altogether. By failing to take your car in for preventative maintenance, you can do your part to wreck your transmission – at which point, you’ll have only yourself to blame for the costs involved in replacing it.
Remember, replacing a transmission – or even having it repaired – is not usually a quick and inexpensive endeavor. Transmission work tends to take time, so unless you’re prepared to face the notion of forking over the big bucks and being without a car for up to a week, your best bet is to do whatever it takes to keep your transmission functioning at an optimal level.