Your transmission is one of the most important parts of your vehicle, and it's costly to buy a new one. Luckily, it's fairly rare for a transmission to fail, and you can help yours last longer with the following tips.

1. Check Fluids on Manufacturer's Schedule

Generally, your logbook should tell you how often you need to get the fluids on your transmission checked. Follow that schedule, and get the fluids changed as needed. In between scheduled maintenance, keep an eye out for leaks—if there's a puddle of sweet, orangish liquid under your vehicle, that usually means an issue with the transmission.

2. Use Brakes as Needed

Ideally, you should only use your brakes when needed. Tap on them to slow down, but don't hold them down or "ride them" whilst going down a hill, for example. Riding the brakes can cause stress on your transmission. Instead, downshift. Then, rather than pushing constantly on the brakes, hit them firmly at regular intervals.

3. Stay in the Correct Gear

Make sure you are using the most advantageous gear at all times. For example, if you are going 15 kph or less, you should be in 1st or 2nd gear, and if you're going 30 kph, you should be in 2nd or 3rd gear. If you're driving at 46 kph in 1st gear all the time, that can damage your transmission.

In addition to ensuring your know how to use the car correctly, make sure that you don't let anyone drive it who doesn't know how to use a manual transmission.

4. Don't Shift Automatics Unless You Are Stopped

If you have an automatic transmission, this issue is a bit simpler, but you still have to be careful not to accidentally throw the gear shift into reverse when driving quickly. Making mistakes like that can lead to issues with your transmission. Always make sure the car is completely stopped before shifting the transmission.

5. Don't Tow Too Much Weight

Towing other vehicles or trailers also puts strain on the transmission. If your car isn't designed to tow anything, make sure that you don't tow with it. If your car is strong enough to tow something, make sure you don't exceed its towing capacity.

6. Add Extra Cooling

Transmissions can overheat easily. To keep your transmission cool, you may want to add extra cooling. For instance, an extra fan or ensuring the coolant levels in your radiator are high are perfect.

For more information, contact transmission services in the area.