How Often Should I Check My Transmission Fluid?
How Often is 'Regularly'?
Assuming you have a new or only moderately old car, that is subject to standard usage; it is recommended that you change your transmission fluid every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. For the average person, this means changing fluid roughly every two to three years. At a bare minimum, you should check your transmission fluid every other year. Preferably, though, you will check it every time you change your oil.
Furthermore, if your car is older, is regularly used for heavy-duty activity like towing, or is driven much more than the average car annually, then you should, at a bare minimum, check your transmission fluid every year.
Is There a Best Time to Schedule a Transmission Fluid Check?
Unless there is a specific reason not to, you should probably have your transmission fluid checked at the same time you get your yearly car inspection. This makes it easy to remember and doesn’t require an additional trip to your auto mechanic.
There is one reason, though, that you might schedule your transmission fluid check at a different time. In cold weather, like the kind found in winter and fall in Fairview Heights, IL, fluid can look lower than it actually is. This false reading of low fluid can result in fluid being added when it isn’t necessary. It is best to avoid this by checking the fluid in warmer months, usually at the same time that you get your oil changed.
