Essential Things You Need to Know about Your GMC’s Transmission

Keeping your GMC vehicle running isn’t just about tending to the engine, changing the tires, and swapping out filters. There’s also another important facet of keeping your vehicle running and running well, and that’s the transmission. Both the engine and transmission work well together to keep your vehicle moving and on the road. If you want to keep your GMC running well, you need to keep the transmission serviced and properly operating. So, for those looking for GMC service near Duluth, it’s important that the service includes maintenance for your vehicle’s transmission. But what does that entail, and how do you know when your GMC needs transmission service? Well, there are a few tells and key things to keep in mind when maintaining your vehicle.

Does Your Transmission Need Service?

Before you decide to get your GMC vehicle’s transmission serviced, you first need to determine if it needs to be serviced at all. This all boils down to how long you have been driving your vehicle, what sort of condition it’s in, and what sort of driving you do in your vehicle. If you do very light driving around Duluth and the surrounding regions, your transmission may not be put through the paces in the same way that it might if you regularly find yourself commuting to Atlanta and getting stuck in a lot of bumper-to-bumper traffic. The frequent shifting and constant gear changes will cause the most wear and tear on your transmission.

Additionally, if you drive a pickup like the GMC Sierra or GMC Canyon and regularly haul or tow things for recreational or utility purposes, it can cause a lot of strain on the transmission. This is especially true for uphill trailering or traversing off-road on undulating terrain. Constant heavy-duty use can also put a lot of wear on the transmission, which is another cause for needing transmission service. So, those of you who do a lot of utility work in a full-size truck will need to be extra vigilant in maintaining the transmission.

Wear and tear can affect full-size passenger vehicles like the GMC Acadia, where lots of travel with a lot of payload can also cause the vehicle to do more work to maintain momentum. Depending on the frequency of travel and the amount of payload regularly packed into a vehicle can determine how often service may be required for the vehicle. Vehicles that are infrequently driven or not driven very aggressively will not require the same level of transmission service and maintenance as those that are. Still, keeping an eye out for signs your vehicle needs to be serviced is always a good idea.

Transmission Fluid

One of the most important aspects of maintaining your transmission is the transmission fluid. It works very much in the same way as engine oil does to keep the engine parts lubricated and running smoothly. The transmission fluid helps with both torque transfer and keeping the gears inside the gearbox lubricated so that they can perform optimally.

If the transmission fluid is getting low, the transmission light will typically come on, indicating that you need to top off or flush the transmission fluid and refill it. Low transmission fluid is usually due to a leak, which should be taken care of as soon as possible. Much like how different kinds of driving can affect when your GMC vehicle requires transmission service, the frequency of how and where you drive can affect when you need to replace the transmission fluid. Even if the emergency transmission light does not come on, you can still typically tell if your GMC vehicle needs a fluid top or fluid change based on the owner’s manual.

Compare the odometer to what the manual suggests in terms of service for transmission fluid to get a good gauge on when you should bring your vehicle in for fluid maintenance. How often transmission fluid should be changed depends on model, year, and type. If you have questions, our friendly service team can help. It also depends on how hard or how much the vehicle is driven and its age. Vehicles that slowly reach high mileage with light or sparse driving can go much longer without a transmission fluid and filter change, while more rigorously driven vehicles should have the filter and fluid changed more often.

Have You Noticed Issues With Your Transmission?

Having your transmission act up on you while you’re driving is not something anyone wants to encounter, especially if you’re in the middle of a commute on Interstate 85 or traveling to Atlanta on Route 23. Being forced off to the shoulder to wait for a tow truck is the last thing you want, especially if you’re in the process of towing or hauling. However, paying close attention to some issues you may have noticed with your vehicle while driving can help key you into addressing those issues early.

Some of the typical issues you may encounter with a transmission that needs service are knocking, slow shifts in the gears, or sometimes the vehicle won’t shift at all. If you notice fluids leaking from where the transmission is located underneath the vehicle or you smell fluids burning while the vehicle is shifting, these are all signs of issues with the transmission. If the gears stick or if you notice that the vehicle keeps downshifting, then it’s another sign that there are issues with your transmission.

Depending on where you’re driving, it’s also important to be wary of these issues. If you notice these issues while you’re still in your driveway or even if you’re in a parking lot, the safer bet is to have a tow truck arrive to bring your vehicle to a service station before you get out on the road. If you notice these things while on the road or have been noticing them, give us a call and schedule transmission service with us.

Reasons Your Transmission May Need Service

Typically, if the transmission fluid is low or the filter has gone bad or needs replacement, it’s one of the main reasons your transmission may need service. When it reaches the appropriate service interval where the owner’s manual suggests servicing the transmission, a light indicating this will pop up on your driver information center, and the filter or fluid needs to be inspected. Another reason your transmission may need service is because it’s overworked, and this can happen if you travel in places that push your vehicle to the limit or you have off-road trims such as a GMC AT4 or AT4X trims for vehicles like the Sierra, Yukon, or Terrain.

An overworked transmission can end up with gears or bearings that may have worn down and need replacement. In addition to having the transmission get overworked via off-road use, you can also see the transmission get worn down quickly with heavy towing, trailering, hauling, or plowing. Some transmissions simply encounter wear and tear due to general use, and that’s why after 70,000 miles––even without driving the vehicle hard––it’s wise to bring the vehicle in for service for general inspections and tuning so that your transmission can continue to operate at optimal levels.

Keeping Your GMC Running Well

Regularly scheduled GMC service near Duluth can resolve most of any issues you encounter with your vehicle, whether it’s a Sierra, a Canyon, a Yukon, a Terrain, or an Acadia. If you have a vehicle with a transmission and regularly drive it, it will eventually need service, whether it’s a tune-up, a filter change, or a top-off in transmission fluid. We can help you with that at Jim Ellis Buick GMC Mall of Georgia. Just schedule an appointment to bring your GMC vehicle to our service center. Alternatively, you can contact us about any questions or concerns you might have about your specific GMC model and any kind of transmission maintenance or service you are considering for the vehicle. We’re here to help you get the most out of your GMC, so feel free to reach out at your earliest convenience.