why is your check engine light on?

When it comes to your car, you might think that no news is good news—if you're not noticing a problem, then everything is fine. However, that's not always the case, especially when it comes to your transmission. You might not realize this, but your transmission could be getting damaged without your knowledge. In fact, some of the things you do on a regular basis could be putting your transmission at risk for malfunction. To avoid costly damage to your transmission, here are four changes you should make right now.

Don't Drive Your Car When It's Overheating

If you've got a car that tends to run a little hot, you may think that everything is fine as long as the needle doesn't hit the red too often. Unfortunately, that's not actually true. In fact, driving your car when it's overheating—even just a little—can actually destroy your transmission. That's because your transmission is designed to operate in a specific temperature range. If the range goes too far above normal, you're looking at problems. Not only that, but if you take off on cold winter mornings without warming your car up for a few minutes, you could also be causing damage to your transmission.

Don't Make Mistakes With Your Transmission Fluid

If you're not taking care of your transmission fluid, you're probably going to be facing some transmission problems in the future. Your transmission needs the right amount of fluid to stay properly lubricated. If the fluid runs low, your transmission will overheat. Your transmission also requires the right type of fluid. You might not know this, but all transmission fluids are not created equal. The type of fluid your car needs will be determined by whether it's an automatic or a manual tranmission. Avoid problems by making sure that you're using the right transmission fluid. You'll also need to change the fluid from time to time. Your mechanic can tell you when it's time to change the transmission fluid.

Don't Rapidly Accelerate Between Stop Lights

If you're in the habit of slamming on your brakes at all red lights and then gunning the engine to the next signal, you're destroying your transmission. The rapid acceleration/deceleration will cause your transmission to wear out long before it should. To extend the life of your transmission, take it easy on the acceleration/deceleration when you're driving between stop lights.

Don't Rock Out in the Snow and Sand

If you spend any time in the sand or snow, you've probably gotten stuck a time or two. If you've rocked your car back and forth between drive and reverse to get yourself unstuck, you've put a lot of extra pressure on your transmission. Instead of rocking your car out of the sand or snow, try to dig a shallow path in front of your tires. The clearance will help you drive your car right out, and it will save your transmission.

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