The color of the transmission fluid in your automobile is red. In fact, the color of the fluid tells us here at New Castle Auto Repair whether your transmission fluid is healthy or needs to be changed. On average, transmission fluid should be changed every 30,000 miles to ensure that it is able to lubricate the transmission properly and draw heat away from it. The transmission fluid also helps the transmission shift gears because it is a hydraulic fluid. Let’s talk about the different colors of transmission fluid below and how they identify the fluid’s life stage.
Bright Red
Bright red or red means that the transmission fluid is healthy and doing its job. This fluid does not need to be changed. This fluid is translucent, which means you can see through it, and it is protecting the transmission and helping it shift gears. Unlike other automotive fluids such as coolant, transmission fluid is always red. It doesn’t come in other colors like blue or green.
Light Brown
Once the transmission fluid begins to turn light brown, it is officially entering its aging process. As long as the fluid is light brown and translucent, it is still doing its job. In some cases, the fluid may look more orange than light brown, but this is okay. The orange fluid is just an indication that the red transmission fluid is aging. When the transmission fluid is either of these colors, you don’t need to change it just yet.
Dark Brown
You do need to change your transmission fluid when it turns brown. In fact, you should never let your transmission fluid turn brown or dark brown. When the transmission fluid is this color, it has oxidized. What this means is that the fluid is filled with tiny air bubbles that prevent it from doing its job. The fluid is also opaque, i.e., no longer see-through. This fluid is damaging the transmission and needs to be changed right away.
Pink
Finally, you might think that new transmission fluid is pink but it isn’t. Pink transmission fluid is fluid that is being diluted by engine coolant. This is very dangerous for the transmission. In fact, it will damage the transmission quickly. The reason why these two engine fluids are mixing is that you have a breach between the two systems that needs to be repaired.
If you are curious whether your transmission fluid needs to be changed, call New Castle Auto Repair in New Castle, PA, to schedule an appointment. We will check your transmission fluid and change it if necessary.