How Long Does It Take To Fix A Transmission?
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Your vehicle’s transmission is one of its most important parts. When your transmission is working properly, it protects your engine and manages the internal gear system to help control power transfer and speed. Your transmission is also critical for reducing fuel consumption and making your vehicle more efficient. Unfortunately, transmissions aren’t unbreakable and do need occasional maintenance. So, how long does it take to fix a transmission?
The truth is that it can be hard to predict how long it will take to fix a transmission. There are a lot of variables and different kinds of problems that need different fixes. Some are more time-consuming than others.
But, if you’re bringing your transmission in for a ‘fix’ rather than regular maintenance, it will probably take longer. If you’re asking yourself, ‘how long does it take to fix a transmission, it’s probably a good idea to plan on 3-4 days.
Signs Your Transmission May Need Work
The first step to figuring out how long does it take to fix a transmission is learning how to identify transmission problems and get them addressed early.
Like most moving parts in a car, the sooner you can get a transmission problem taken care of, the less damage there is likely to be.
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Your Transmission is Sticking
Difficulty switching gears is one of the most common signs of a damaged or failing transmission. If you feel like it’s getting harder to switch gears or hear your automatic vehicle struggling to change gears while you’re driving, it’s time to get to a mechanic.
Your Transmission Chooses The Wrong Gear
Also called transmission slipping, if your transmission isn’t going into the right gear when you shift, it’s time to see a mechanic.
Transmission Fluid Is Leaking
Any liquid leaks in your vehicle can be a sign of trouble, but transmission fluid leaks are particularly troublesome. Your transmission fluid is critical for lubrication and preventing severe damage from regular driving. If you notice a leak, it’s important to get your vehicle checked as soon as possible.
No matter what problems are causing transmission issues, it’s critical to catch them as soon as possible. Transmissions are under a lot of pressure and are precision instruments. Even relatively small errors can cause serious problems if they aren’t fixed quickly and well.
The sooner you realize your transmission is having problems and go in for a repair; the easier and less expensive than repair is likely to be.
Other, less common signs, like a burning smell, may also point to transmission trouble in some cases. Your check engine light may also come on if your transmission is having problems. Even relatively minor problems, like your car shaking a little more than usual, can be a sign of serious problems with your tires, wheels, transmission, or other parts. As soon as you notice something odd with your vehicle, it’s important to take it to a mechanic to make sure you don’t have a serious problem with your transmission or other parts.
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How Long Does Transmission Maintenance Take?
Most vehicle manufacturers plan regular maintenance for your transmission, usually every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. The heavier use your vehicle is, the more often your transmission is likely to need maintenance. Vehicles that consistently haul heavy loads also need transmission maintenance more often than commuter vehicles.
Flush and Fill
The most common kind of maintenance your transmission needs is a flush and fill. Flush and fill services remove all of your old transmission fluid and use suction to also remove any grit and grime that might have built up inside the transmission. This is important because any debris in the transmission can contribute to gear wear and tear and shorten the life of your transmission.
Getting a transmission flush and fill usually takes about 3-4 hours.
Transmission Repairs
If your transmission is showing some signs of problems but doesn’t need a full rebuild, you’re probably looking at a middle ground repair. A flush and fill likely won’t be enough to fix the problem, but a qualified mechanic should be able to fix the problem a little faster than rebuilding the part.
There is a range of possible repairs that your transmission might need. That means that the amount of time it takes depends a lot on the necessary repair and the experience of your mechanic.
It’s a good idea to plan on your vehicle being in the shop for 1-2 days on a transmission repair. The time isn’t always needed; your mechanic might even be able to return your repaired vehicle in a matter of hours. But it’s better to plan for more time with your vehicle in the shop than to plan on less.
Rebuilding Your Transmission
Rebuilding a transmission is different than replacing it, but it may be a good option if getting a new transmission is more expensive, your vehicle’s transmission is rare, or if your mechanic thinks that rebuilding your current transmission might give you better results than replacing it.
However, rebuilding a transmission is a time-consuming repair. Rebuilding a transmission usually takes 3-4 days in a professional shop.
Your shop should be able to give you a more accurate estimate. While 3-4 days is the average, some mechanics may be able to get the job done faster, and some transmissions may take longer than the average.
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Replacing Your Transmission
Sometimes there just isn’t a repair option and the best thing you can do is replace the transmission entirely. Replacing a transmission is a repair that usually takes less time than rebuilding your transmission but can be more expensive.
It’s a good idea to plan 1-2 days for a transmission replacement, though some mechanics can get the part and finish the job slightly faster.
Final Thoughts
When you take your car to a mechanic, it’s important to know that you’re working with a reliable and trustworthy mechanic. It’s also important to give them the time they need to work when it comes to something as important and complicated as your transmission that might mean giving your mechanic a little extra time.
While we’ve estimated how long does it take to fix a transmission for a range of different repairs, having some additional time for the repair is good. That gives your mechanic a chance to do a thorough check and correct additional issues they find (with your permission).
Transmissions are also big repairs and often expensive. If you’re looking at a transmission rebuild or replacement, it might be a good idea to ask your mechanic if they would fix your vehicle if they were you. Most mechanics are pretty honest about when a vehicle has become too expensive to fix, but many will only tell you if you ask.
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