While automatic transmissions are durable and flexible systems for most vehicles, they are not fail proof. Motorists need to take regular care of their transmission to prevent the likelihood of costly repairs.

With proper driving and basic maintenance steps, you can keep your transmission in good condition for many years to come. Here are some popular driving habits that motorists carry out without realising how much they're damaging their transmission.

1. Switching gears before the car stops

Many drivers are guilty of this; constantly switching the gear back and forth while the car is still moving. While it's certainty fun to do, it is simply damaging to your automatic transmission.

In particular, avoid switching from drive to reverse, or from drive to park while the car is moving. This habit wears down the components of your gearbox, because unnecessary friction is exerted on the bearings and other moving parts.

2. Driving with low fluid levels

Low levels of transmission fluid can cause high friction levels in the moving parts of the gearbox. Unnecessary friction within an automatic transmission system is a sure way of incurring high repair costs.

Therefore, it is important to regularly check your transmission fluid levels. If you notice a sharp drop, there could be a leak in the system that needs to be fixed. 

3. Revving while changing gears

Most people driving automatic cars have tried this trick at least once. It involves revving the engine and then quickly changing the gear while driving. As fun as this may be, you will face a heft repair bill sooner than you think.

Revving the engine before switching gears not only exerts undue stress on the system, it also results in high levels of friction and can wear down internal components faster.

4. Keeping a neutral gear in traffic

On the surface, it makes sense to switch to neutral when stuck in traffic. You think that you're saving fuel, and you don't have to keep your leg on the brake pedal.

However, switching to neutral while sitting in traffic is actually damaging to your transmission. How? The frequent changing of gears when the car is still running can wear down the transmission over time, and the fuel savings when switching to neutral is minimal.

5. Failure to warm the engine before long trips

Are you excited to head out camping for the weekend? Are you running late for a wedding out of state? Don't make the mistake of simply turning on the car and driving for hours. During long trips, you need the transmission fluid to spread to all parts of the gearbox before you drive. Make sure you warm the engine for at least 5-10 minutes, especially during cold weather.

For more information, contact local car services.