Transmission Problem Diagnostic Inspection
Richfield Bloomington Honda offers a performance inspection to assist in diagnosing any problems your may be experiencing with your transmission. Our thorough performance inspection includes a fluid check, examination of the pan, a driving test, and inspection using a lift. This provides a comprehensive diagnostic inspection of your vehicle's transmission performance and routine operation.

Fluid Inspection
Checking the transmission fluid is usually the primary indicator of possible transmission damage and wear. A properly operating transmission will have a clear, red fluid. If there is discoloration or an undesirable odor in combination with other trouble signs, an internal inspection of the transmission may be required. When inspecting the transmission fluid, our technicians will see if any of these symptoms may appear.

Road Test
Road testing the vehicle requires two tests. One being a stationary test and the other a driving test. During both of these, the transmission is inspected for sound of slipping, erratic shifting, and late or early shift patterns.

Pan Examination
Examining the transmission pan can be a great indicator of potential sources of problems as it permits a partial look at the inside of the transmission. And while most transmission pans may have some metal particulates, excessive amounts of metal are signs of internal wear and transmission damage.

Lift Inspection
Inspecting the vehicle while on a lift may determine the type of adjustment, repair or replacement that could be needed. In a lift inspection, our transmission technician will inspect the following:

When the completion of your performance inspection indicates that an internal problem is present with your transmission, Richfield Bloomington Honda suggests further examination with an internal transmission inspection. This examination consists of removing vehicle's transmission and disassembling it to inspect the internal parts. In the internal inspection, all transmission parts are examined for wear and damage. When finished, one of our technicians will provide a report of the items that are in need of replacement or repair, along with an estimate for the same.

Post Performance Inspection Recommendations
No problem with the transmission. The performance inspection indicates that no repairs or adjustments are required.

Preventive Maintenance Service. This service helps to minimize or prevent any transmission problems before they begin. Our specialists will replace the transmission's fluid and filter if necessary.

External Repair / Adjustment. This service includes any repairs to the exterior of the transmission that does not involve the removal of the transmission.

Reseal Service. This process requires the transmission's removal for replacement of any leaking transmission seals. Richfield Bloomington Honda performs this service after the transmission inspection. It is intended to repair leaking transmissions that do not have any other internal problems.

Internal Inspection Services. Our transmission specialists will thoroughly evaluate all internal components of the transmission. Richfield Bloomington Honda performs this service if the performance inspection shows the transmission to have an internal problem. Richfield Bloomington Honda will remove the transmission, disassemble and inspect ALL internal transmission parts excessive wear. Upon your approval, our technician will replace only those necessary parts with parts meeting OEM specs to give the transmission an ability to obtain optimal operation and performance. Finally, when all work is completed, the transmission is reinstalled.

When the vehicle has undergone the performance inspection, and you have received a professional service from our qualified specialists, the vehicle is once again ready to hit the roads of the greater Richfield area.

A regular question asked of the automotive repair technicians on staff at Richfield Bloomington Honda is when should I flush my transmission? As a leading auto repair shop serving the Richfield area, Richfield Bloomington Honda usually tells our customers that in most situations and for most vehicles a transmission service, involving dropping the transmission pan and changing the transmission fluid and filter, is recommended every 30,000 to 40,000 miles — and NOT a transmission flush.

And although Richfield Bloomington Honda normally recommends a transmission service over a transmission flush, there are some situations when a transmission flush is required. For example, some transmissions do not have a filter that can be serviced. When having any type of transmission problem it is advised to have the vehicle's transmission inspected by an automotive repair specialist to help prevent or minimize any damage to the transmission.

Many of those who bring their vehicle to our Richfield transmission service and repair shop are both surprised and relieved to learn that a problem with their vehicle's transmission does not necessarily mean a lot of money needs to be spent to repair it. In fact there are several transmission problems that can be solved without having to remove the transmission from a vehicle. Richfield Bloomington Honda has put together the following information in an effort to make you a better informed consumer when trying to decide if you should repair or replace your transmission. The technicians at our Richfield transmission shop are always available if you should have any questions about the information provided below. We also provide Transmission Inspections to determine the best solution for your particular situation.

Many of those who bring their vehicle to our Richfield transmission service and repair shop are both surprised and relieved to learn that a problem with their vehicle's transmission does not necessarily mean a lot of money needs to be spent to repair it. In fact there are several transmission problems that can be solved without having to remove the transmission from a vehicle. Richfield Bloomington Honda has put together the following information in an effort to make you a better informed consumer when trying to decide if you should repair or replace your transmission. The technicians at our Richfield transmission shop are always available if you should have any questions about the information provided below. We also provide Transmission Inspections to determine the best solution for your particular situation.

Transmission Adjustments & In-Car Repairs
The technicians at Richfield Bloomington Honda understand that problems with your vehicle's transmission can often be resolved with adjustments or a minor repair. In fact, a simple adjustment can be done without even removing the transmission from the vehicle. When a late model transmission is failing to shift correctly, it can often be due to a faulty sensor receiving incorrect signals from the computer. Additionally, shifting problems can arise when a transmission is not responding to the computer correctly due to a bad connection or a defective solenoid pack. These types of repairs can be fixed without having to remove the transmission from the vehicle saving you a considerable amount of money when compared to a complete overhaul.

In situations where a non-computer-controlled transmission is either shifting too early or too late, the throttle cable may need to be adjusted. Seldom will a throttle cable go out of adjustment on its own or because of wear and tear, but rather most improper adjustments are a result of other repair work or due to damage from an accident. When a vacuum modulator is used in lieu of a throttle cable, an adjustment screw can be used to correct a transmission problem. When a vehicle uses a modulator instead of a throttle cable it is crucial that there be no vacuum leaks and the engine is performing at peak efficiency. The vacuum conditions of an engine are very sensitive and significantly impact the performance of an engine. Our technicians will quite often use a vacuum gauge when diagnosing a vehicle's performance problem and state of tune. Many of the problems a vehicle's transmission may present will disappear after a thorough tune-up or other engine performance related repairs are completed.

Transmissions in older model vehicles can experience what is called “slipping”. Slipping is a condition that results in an engine racing briefly when shifting from one gear to another. Often times a transmission band adjustment is all that is required to correct slipping conditions.

Reseal Job
Spotting of red oil on the ground underneath your vehicle usually indicates your transmission may need to be resealed. A transmission reseal is done in order to repair external transmission fluid leaks. Checking for leaks involves one of our technicians placing your vehicle on a rack to examine the transmission for signs of oil leaks. If while examining your vehicle our technician notices leaks near any of the external gaskets or seals and your transmission is otherwise performing well, our recommendation will usually the transmission be resealed. While most external seals can be replaced without needing to remove the transmission, a front seal replacement requires the removal of the transmission in order to gain access to it, resulting in a more expensive transmission repair. Accessible Part Replacement The transmission in your vehicle has numerous parts that are accessible without requiring the removal of your transmission, including the majority of the electrical parts that are serviced simply by removing the oil pan. Repairing a transmission's external parts may result in limited warranty coverage as it is not possible to see if there is any additional problems with the parts inside the transmission that are only accessible with the complete removal of the transmission.

Complete Transmission Overhaul (Rebuild)
A complete transmission overhaul, also known as a transmission rebuild, a transmission is completely removed from vehicle and disassembled in our shop. Each transmission part is laid out on a workbench and is inspected for damage and wear. The parts are then either cleaned in a special cleaning solution or replaced if damaged. If a part has friction surfaces, such as the case with bands and clutches, then it is replaced. In a complete transmission overhaul all gaskets and seals are replaced as well. The torque converter is replaced during a complete transmission overhaul, being replaced with a remanufactured one. Additionally, our technicians will review technical service bulletins to check if the manufacturer of the transmission in question recommends any modifications intended to correct design defects realized after the transmission was built. If a bulletin indicates such a defect then an upgrade kit will be used to resolve any and all design defects.

Transmission Replacement vs. Complete Overhaul
A transmission replacement may be a consideration when it is determined that your vehicle's transmission is in need of an overhaul. Rather than removing your existing transmission only to completely disassemble and reassemble it, another option is to replace it with a transmission that has already been rebuilt or remanufactured. There are several things to consider when deciding to use a replacement unit instead of a complete transmission rebuild. Although a replacement unit will get you back on the road much faster, it is not always the best solution. There are situations when any given transmission model will have numerous variations dependent upon factors such as which model vehicle, engine, axle ratio, and even tire size! The resulting problems could vary and might be as simple as a speedometer reading that is too high or low (speedometers are normally connected to a gear in the transmission by a cable). Alternatively though you might incur incorrect shift points or even a complete transmission failure due to your engine being more powerful than the one a replacement unit was designed for. Our technicians are aware of these important considerations and will discuss these in detail with you during a service consultation.

Richfield Bloomington Honda will often be asked by those in the greater Richfield area who rely on our team of auto repair mechanics for their automotive expertise and advice, what are the best tips or suggestions for keeping an automatic or manual transmission properly maintained. As such, Richfield Bloomington Honda has put together the following list we hope will be useful to anyone in the greater Richfield area who may be wondering about how to properly maintain the transmission in a vehicle.

Be certain to have the scheduled maintenance done on the transmission in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual.

It is best to always have the transmission fluid inspected when having an oil change at Richfield Bloomington Honda.

Avoid driving around the surrounding Richfield areas in a vehicle that has little or no transmission fluid.

Never switch gears from Drive to Reverse when a vehicle is moving.

Wheels should not be spun on vehicles that have front-wheel drive.

When experiencing a transmission problem it is best to not drive the vehicle as doing so may result in additional damage or harm.

It is always best practice not to “drag race” a vehicle as doing so puts unnecessary strain on an automatic transmission.

Unless a vehicle is an automatic 4x4 or all-wheel drive, it is not recommended driving in 4x4 range on dry asphalt.

Prior to shifting gear into another range it is always recommended coming to a complete stop first When driving around the greater Richfield area with a front-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle it is best to not drive with mismatched tire sizes or on spare tires.

Richfield Bloomington Honda hopes that these tips on transmission maintenance have been helpful to anyone in the greater Richfield area who has an interest in how best to maintain a transmission.