Transmission fluid is one of the many important fluids your car needs in order to function optimally (not to be confused with the completely made up blinker fluid gag). Transmission fluid is made to specifically lubricate and protect your cars’ transmission components, avoiding wear and tear. This allows you to shift gears without any damaging friction. Automatic transmission cars should change transmission fluid every 60,000 to 100,000 miles while some manual transmission cars may need a change as often as every 30,000 miles. Worried you’ve maybe missed that milestone? It may be time to check the color of the transmission fluid.
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Healthy transmission fluid ensures that your car won’t overheat, have trouble shifting gears, or even grind or shake from a compromised transmission. If you check your transmission fluid and see that it’s bright red, that means it’s like-new and your car is good to go. Dark red indicates that some debris have gotten into the mix while driving but your car is still protected. Brown means the transmission fluid has started to oxidize and it may be time to schedule a fluid change or flush to be safe. If the color is dark brown (almost black), your transmission is in danger — with little to no lubrication left, your transmission may need to be repaired if you keep driving. Pink means there’s a leak in the radiator and the fluid has been diluted — this can cause significant damage so you’ll need to call a mechanic right away.
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