Transmission fluids

Description

What is transmission fluid?

Transmission refers simply to the gearbox that uses gear and gear trains to provide speed and torque conversions from a rotating power source (engine) to another device (wheels). Transmission fluid is used to lubricate the components of a car’s transmission for optimum performance.
Types of transmission fluids

A variety of fluids are used for different transmissions. Your car’s transmission can either be automatic or manual. Automatic transmissions use something called as you might have guessed automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The right use of automatic transmission fluid is highly dependent on the technology of your car’s transmission: traditional, CVT, DCT/DSG, etc.). These are quite specific in application.
Manual transmissions (most of them) use a variety of oils that have the API specification GL-4. To ensure that you are using the correct fluid for your car’s transmission, please consult your owner’s manual.
Why you need transmission fluid?

It’s very important that the fluid in your transmission is at the proper level, or your transmission will experience significant wear. The synchro rings and sliders depend on a slick surface to match speeds when shifting. If your transmission is low on oil, the wear on these components will accelerate significantly and shifting the car will be more difficult. If your car is having problems shifting, check the level of the transmission oil.