The advancement in lubricants allow car owners to extend transmission service intervals on many vehicles with automatic transmissions. In recent past most vehicles with automatic transmissions had service recommendations that were based on time/mileage(2-3 years/30K miles) now with the introduction of “lifetime fluids” these recommendations are 5-10 years or the life of the vehicle (100k miles) unless however the vehicle is subject to “severe duty.”
At Orient Auto Service we are commonly asked when the appropriate time is for fluid service? This would depend on the use of the vehicle. Severe Duty as defined in most OEM owners manuals would be defined as:
- Operating the vehicle in extreme temperatures, above 100° F or below 0° F.
- Carrying heavy loads or multiple passengers on a regular basis.
- High speed interstate driving regularly.
- Driving in hilly or mountainous terrains
- Constant stop and go driving
Based on these definitions the majority of vehicle owners would engaged in ‘severe duty’ driving. The winter of 2013-14 proved to be a cold and harsh winter, adding in stop and go driving would be a perfect example of ‘severe duty’ driving. At Orient Auto Service we typically recommend customers to cut service intervals in half to account for ‘severe duty’ driving(30k-100k to 15k-50k service intervals.)
If you have questions about when you should have your cars fluids changed stop by Orient Auto Service in Gresham Oregon. With over 20 years serving Gresham and the greater Portland Metro we have the experience to ensure your vehicle is properly cared for.