Do I need to change the oil in the automatic transmission

Statistics show that in our country, for every new car sold, there are four used ones that change their owner. Almost half of them have an automatic transmission. Therefore, the question “to change or not to change the oil in the automatic transmission” is relevant for a huge number of car owners in Russia

When it comes to the nuances of car maintenance, most auto experts advise doing what the automaker recommends. But in the case of "boxes" this approach does not always work. Perhaps, over the past 10-15 years, car manufacturing companies have adopted a strategy of, relatively speaking, a “one-time car” strategy. That is, the car should drive with minimal problems and costs for the driver and the official dealership during the warranty period, and then let it even fall apart. Or rather, it is even better that it then becomes completely unusable - this will make a potential buyer of a used car change his mind and turn to the new car market.

Therefore, returning to our “boxes”, most car brands claim that their automatic transmissions are maintenance-free throughout the entire warranty period and, accordingly, do not require transmission fluid replacement. Since you cannot rely on the recommendations of the automaker, you have to turn to the opinion of companies specializing in the development and production of automotive gearboxes. German and Japanese "box builders" say that any modern and not very "automatic" requires the replacement of the working fluid, otherwise called ATF (automatic transmission fluid), with a frequency, according to various sources, of 60-000 kilometers.

Or every 3-5 years, depending on the operating conditions. This is not a whim, but a necessity. The fact is that the mechanics of a classic automatic transmission is built on friction, for example, friction clutches. The result of any friction are wear products - small particles of metal and friction materials. In the automatic transmission during operation, they are constantly formed starting from the first kilometer of the car's run.

Therefore, in the hydraulic system of any automatic transmission, a filter is provided to trap these particles and a magnet that cleans the liquid from steel filings and dust. Over time, the physical and chemical properties of ATF change, and the filters become clogged with wear products. If you do not change both, then in the end the channels will become clogged, the hydraulic system valves will fail and the automatic transmission will require a repair that is not at all cheap. Only disassembly and troubleshooting of this unit in a specialized car service can cost a couple of tens of thousands of rubles. Therefore, you should not listen to automakers and save on replacing transmission fluid in automatic transmissions - it will come out more expensive.