Your car’s transmission isn’t just one of its most important parts – it can also be the most expensive part to repair and replace. Frequent car transmission inspections can help you avoid more serious repairs, but every car eventually needs transmission work done.
Below are a few tips to help you better understand and predict the cost of transmission repairs in Chattanooga shops:
Determine the age of your vehicle
A general rule of thumb is that the older your vehicle is, the less you will have to spend on a transmission repair.
The engineering of older cars is generally simpler than newer cars, which means mechanics have less hassle repairing older transmissions. There is also the added inconvenience of computer components to newer automatic transmissions which can significantly increase the cost of transmission services.
Determine the state of your transmission
One of the easiest ways to do this is to check your vehicle’s mileage. If you keep a vehicle long enough, transmission rebuilders will eventually have to rebuild it, even if its fluids have been properly maintained.
If your vehicle has more than 100,000 miles on it, you can expect your transmission to show signs of deterioration within the next 50,000 miles or so.
Another way to check the state of your transmission to watch for symptoms of deterioration or failure. If your car is struggling to accelerate, or if it is making grinding noises when switching gears, you need to take it in for a car transmission inspection.
Manual vs. Automatic transmissions
Manual transmissions are generally cheaper to repair and rebuild, and they require less maintenance. Automatic transmissions have more parts and electronic components, which means they are more likely to malfunction.
There are also shiftless transmissions – a type of automatic transmission – which is very expensive to repair and are notoriously unreliable. Service for these transmissions can exceed $7,000, so it’s important to know if your vehicle is outfitted with one.
Visit the transmission auto repair shop in Hixson and Chattanooga to learn more about what kind of transmission your vehicle has, and how you can maintain it.