Changing the Drive Train Fluids

The transmission and differential are the workhorses of your vehicle. They take the power your engine makes and turn it into forward motion.

Like all bearings and gears, the ones in your drive train rely on clean lubricant to work properly and live a long time. As they wear, tiny metal particles get washed away and are suspended in the oil. Unlike an engine, there is no filter to trap these contaminants. The only way to get rid of the contaminants is by changing the drive train fluids.

All manual transmissions need this service, along with most 4-wheel drive, and rear-wheel drive automatic transmission vehicles. It all depends how the transmission and differential are put together.

How often you change the drive train fluids depends on the kind of driving you do with your vehicle:

  • Every 15,000 miles for vehicles that tow or plow.
  • Every 30,000 miles for vehicles that drive around town, stop and go with some highway driving.
  • Every 45,000 miles for vehicles that do mostly highway cruising.

Happy Motoring,

Amy