In addition, the wear on the gears and clutch plates are also under the added stress of towing and thereby also experience increased wear and tear that will shorten the life of a transmission.Īll of this wear of parts releasing metal particles that exacerbate further wear, and the chemical breakdown of the transmission fluid that results in decreased lubrication is undeniable however, also invisible since with a sealed automatic transmission, you no longer have a dipstick or in some cases even a drain plug with which to collect a sample of the oil to have some idea or indication of the actual condition of a transmission. Towing a trailer greatly increases the temperature of the transmission fluid and thereby shortens its life. In other words, the overall stresses placed on a transmission are widely different when comparing a car that is used to tow a trailer as opposed to the same model car that never pulls more than its own weight and that of its passengers. In fact, some auto experts have pointed out that cars with sealed automatic transmissions actually have caveats in small print recommending that changing the fluid in a sealed automatic transmission may be necessary by 50,000 miles when exposed to dusty conditions or used for off-road driving and/or towing. What is undeniably true is that when it comes to transmissions of all types is that it’s really about the conditions a transmission is exposed to-not so much the miles. This all sounds good on paper, but are sealed transmissions really any more durable and long-lasting than the non-sealed transmissions? A search of this question yielded at least one common theme amongst mechanics and car experts-that they do not believe this to be totally true. Is totally unnecessary due to the advances made with synthetic oil.ĭo Sealed Automatic Transmissions Last Longer?.Will save on significant oil production and disposal.Will provide customers with what they want by making vehicles almost entirely maintenance-free.Will no longer require the past 50,000 to 60,000 mile oil check and change requirement.The automotive makers extoll the virtues of a sealed automatic transmission in that it: Why? That’s a good question, but one without an easy or perhaps even truly honest answer. Nor are you alone with many other car owners who believe the dealership manager or garage tech when they tell you that changing the transmission fluid in your vehicle is no longer needed.Īs it turns out that missing dipstick and claim that your new car transmission is “filled for life” (as ambiguous as the old “guaranteed for a lifetime” claim) are all due to a change in an automotive industry that is increasingly installing sealed automatic transmissions into new cars. Have you ever inspected a recently used car or a new car to buy, but could not find the transmission dipstick and did not want to say anything at risk of sounding like a rube? You are not alone.
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