What Makes Transmission Fluid Get Darker?
Total Auto Care advises that oxidation makes transmission fluid get darker as it ages. In order to avoid this from happening, bring your vehicle to our auto shop in North Branch every 30,000 miles so we can change the transmission fluid. This fluid works both as an oil and hydraulic fluid. In other words, it protects the transmission and all of its moving parts and it also helps the transmission shift gears. We are going to list the different colors of transmission fluid below. These colors represent where the transmission fluid is in its life cycle. The last color represents a serious transmission problem.
Red
Let's start with new transmission fluid. Fresh transmission fluid is bright red and also translucent. This means you can easily see through the red fluid in the transmission. This fluid does an excellent job of protecting the moving parts so that the transmission does not overheat. It also does an excellent job of helping the transmission shift the gears smoothly and seamlessly.
Orange
Once the transmission fluid starts to get a little bit older, it tends to turn orange or light brown. You can still see through the fluid when it is this color, which is a good thing. Orange or light brown transmission fluid that is translucent is still doing its job quite well. You don't need to change the transmission fluid yet. This being said, you are getting close to a fluid flush and refill.
Brown
As we mentioned above, oxidation will turn the transmission fluid darker. Once the transmission fluid is brown, it is oxidizing and becoming opaque. This is the point at which the fluid needs to be changed right away. You do not want to continue to drive your automobile with brown and opaque transmission fluid in the transmission. This can damage the transmission.
Black
Even worse is black transmission fluid. This fluid is completely oxidized and filled with bubbles that will prevent it from being able to protect the transmission's moving parts. The transmission will also have problems shifting the gears through the gear cycle. In fact, the transmission may refuse to go into gear.
Pink
Finally, as we mentioned above, this color of transmission fluid means there's a serious problem with the transmission. When the transmission fluid turns pink, there is a breach between the transmission and cooling system. The reason why the fluid is pink is that it is filled with coolant.Total Auto Care in North Branch, MN, is here to help, so give us a call today.