If your automatic transmission fluid is pink, it means that you have a serious breach between the cooling system and the transmission. The reason why the transmission fluid is pink is that it is being diluted by engine coolant. This is a serious problem that can damage your transmission beyond repair. JTR Repair can inspect your transmission to make sure that it is okay and, if not, we can fix it. Let’s talk further about pink transmission fluid and the other colors your transmission fluid might be.
Your Transmission and the Cooling System
The cooling system works to keep your engine cool but it also helps the transmission stay cool. Built into the radiator is a cooler that helps keep the transmission fluid’s temperature down. If this cooler begins to leak, you will end up with the mixture of coolant and transmission fluid that looks a lot like a strawberry milkshake. The fluid will be pink and foamy. This can also happen if your radiator fails or if there is a breach in the transmission cooling tubes.
Regular Transmission Inspections Help Prevent This From Happening
A transmission inspection is generally recommended every 30,000 miles; however, if your transmission is behaving strangely, it’s important to have it inspected right away. Common signs of transmission trouble include the transmission refusing to go into gear, slipping out of gear, grinding as it changes gears, or transmission fluid leaks on your garage floor. As we said above, if your transmission is leaking fluid and this fluid color is pink, you have a serious problem.
Allowing us to inspect your transmission regularly allows us to know exactly when the fluid needs to be changed, and this is important because many transmission problems start with low transmission fluid. They can also start if the transmission fluid is dirty. For example, new transmission fluid is bright red and easy to see through. It is slick to the touch and able to lubricate the moving transmission parts easily. It also draws heat and dirt away from them and helps your transmission shift gears.
Older transmission fluid begins to turn brown. If it is light brown and still translucent, the fluid is still doing its job effectively. Once the fluid turns dark brown or black, it has oxidized, and rather than helping the transmission as it flows through it, it is actually damaging it. This is when the transmission fluid needs to be changed immediately to prevent further damage, but regular transmission inspections allow us to change your fluid before it turns dark brown or black.
Call JTR Repair, Inc., in Crawfordsville, IN, to schedule an appointment for a transmission inspection and service. We’ll make sure everything is okay with your automobile’s transmission.
