The title might seem like an odd question, but the color of your vehicle’s transmission fluid says everything about whether it is still good or needs to be changed. Transmissions should be serviced every 30,000 miles on average, as this gives us here at McCurley’s Shell a chance to see if the fluid needs to be changed, which it likely does by then. It’s important to change the fluid when it needs it because this fluid not only protects the transmission but also helps it through the gear-shift cycle. Here are the various colors of transmission fluid depending on its age and health.
Red
Good transmission fluid is red. In fact, it’s usually bright red. You can see through fresh transmission fluid and it is viscous, i.e., it is protecting the moving transmission parts. Red transmission fluid flows through the transmission much like motor oil flows through the engine. It draws heat and dirt away from the transmission and lubricates the parts to prevent additional heat buildup. Red fluid does not need to be changed. It has more miles left in it.
Brown
If your transmission fluid is light brown or even a bit orange, it is still okay for the time being. This fluid has not oxidized yet, which means it’s still doing a decent job of protecting the transmission and helping it shift gears. Light brown fluid still doesn’t need to be changed, but you’re heading quickly toward the time when it will need to be replaced.
That time is when the transmission fluid turns brown. Brown transmission fluid is oxidizing, which means it’s getting air bubbles in it and it isn’t doing the job it needs to do to protect the transmission. As the fluid darkens even more to dark brown or black, it is actually damaging the transmission by depositing grime throughout the system.
Pink
Pink transmission fluid is – we hate to say it – a sign of transmission death. When your transmission fluid is pink, the normally red fluid is being diluted by your cooling system’s coolant. What this means is that you have a breach in the cooling system or transmission that is mixing the two fluids together. What this also means is that the mixture of the transmission and cooling fluids is causing serious damage to your automobile’s transmission.
McCurley’s Shell in Atlanta, GA, can check your transmission fluid and let you know whether it needs to be changed. If it does, don’t worry, we can do that. If it doesn’t, we’ll give you an estimate of how many miles it has left.