Has this McHenry winter been hard on your car’s transmission?

McHenry winters can be tough on your car's

transmission. What can you do to spare
from really hard work?

You’re trying to drive out of the snow but your tires are having trouble getting a grip on the pavement below. This is the kind of thing you’ve come to expect with a McHenry winter. But it doesn’t help your vehicle’s transmission any.

Sitting in one place while the tires spin is hard on your transmission. Worse yet, going from an icy surface to clean pavement can be even worse. And we see plenty of that around here in McHenry when winter rolls into town.

Think about it – there’s a patch of ice and then there’s exposed asphalt. If the tires are fighting to grab hold while you’re on that patch of ice, and then you finally hit the pavement, it can have a jarring effect on the car.

While you may feel the transition from ice to pavement, your car’s transmission definitely feels it. From your transmission’s perspective, it’s like getting hit with something solid.

Have you ever run and slid on a snowy sidewalk? What was it like when you went from snowy sidewalk to a stretch of sidewalk where someone shoveled and salted? Suddenly, your feet stopped sliding and, if you weren’t careful, you might have toppled over as centrifigul force wanted everything above the soles of your shoes to keep going. It’s somewhat the same principle with your transmission only, since the parts are all connect, instead of toppling over, the parts jam hard against each other.

We can’t make winter skip the McHenry area. But we can do our parts to look after our transmissions.

Caring for our automatic transmissions starts with timely maintenance. Fortunately, you don’t have to change the transmission fluid often. In fact, depending on the vehicle, most Owners Manuals call for changing the transmission fluid, and the transmission filter, every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. But it’s important to follow that schedule.

Otherwise, trying to take it easy on your transmission is a good thing. If you get stuck in the snow, try to gently rock the vehicle rather than stomping on the gas as the tires burn their way through the snow.

If you see patches of ice, take it easy so your transmission isn’t experiencing sudden shifts in traction.

Fortunately, we shouldn’t have too much more winter here in McHenry. But giving your transmission a little consideration will go a long way no matter how long winter lasts.

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