Automatic transmissions are among the most complex mechanical devices ever assembled into a mass-market consumer product. As a result, automatic transmission fluid (ATF) has a tremendously difficult task. It has to lubricate the myriad of moving parts, providing sufficient protection to components that will rotate literally billions of times over the life of the transmission. It also has to provide enough friction to the various clutches within the transmission. ATF also provides the vast majority of the transmission's heat dissipation, and serves as a means of transmitting hydraulic signals and power. Yes, the demand on ATF is significant, but yet it's often neglected when performing routine maintenance. You can see below the huge difference in clean fluid and dirty fluid. Transmission service is certainly not as easy or straightforward as oil changes, but considering the frustration and inefficiency of a transmission that isn't operating properly and the jaw-dropping cost of a rebuilt unit, we'll happily roll up our sleeves and crawl underneath your car to show how it's done.
