Every 30,000 miles is a general rule of thumb for when you should have your transmission fluid flushed and refilled. It also depends on the type of Mazda that you drive. One of the best ways to find out when you need a transmission fluid flush is to check your Mazda’s owner’s manual. Mazcare advises that this will give the recommended transmission fluid change schedule for your specific year and model. Another way to tell when the transmission fluid needs to be replaced is by its color. Let’s talk more about this below.
Red to Light Brown or Orangish
Brand new transmission fluid is bright red and translucent. The transmission fluid will remain red during the first several thousand miles of its life. As it ages, it starts to turn light brown or orangish. Provided the transmission fluid is still see-through, and the color is only light brown or somewhat orange, the transmission fluid still has a little bit of life left. This said, when it turns from red to light brown or orangish, this is a sign that it will need to be changed sooner rather than later. We can give you an estimate of how many miles you have left in your transmission fluid.
Brown to Dark Brown or Black
Once the transmission fluid turns brown, dark brown, or black, it must be changed right away. This fluid has not only darkened to indicate that it is too old, but it has also lost its translucency. Opaque transmission fluid indicates that the fluid itself has oxidized, which means it is full of tiny air bubbles, and instead of protecting the transmission, it is actually damaging it. Don’t wait to get your transmission fluid changed once it turns brown. The sooner you replace the transmission fluid the less risk you run of causing damage to the transmission which, in turn, can cause expensive auto repairs.
Pink
If your transmission fluid is pink, you are already on the road to expensive transmission repairs. Unfortunately, transmission fluid is never pink unless it is being diluted by engine coolant. To keep the transmission cool, tubes run through the cooling system to cool off the transmission fluid with engine coolant. If any of these tubes end up with a hole in it, the engine coolant mixes with the transmission fluid and this combination of fluids will severely damage your transmission.
Mazcare in Marietta, GA, would be happy to check your Mazda’s transmission fluid to see if it needs to be flushed and refilled. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.