Automotive News & Information - Permian Basin Transmission, Inc

When do you need to schedule maintenance for your diesel engine and what is needed each time? For your convenience, we've added the preferred maintenance listing.

Fall driving can be unpredictable because of weather changes and the end of daylight saving time. We are all driving and enjoying the beautiful fall colors and need to be safe and aware on the roads this fall. Some great tips for safe fall driving include:

Watch out for leaves: Once leaves become wet, they can present slippery and dangerous driving conditions. Be sure to watch for patches of wet leaves on the road or on road lines. Dry leaves can also present a problem to your vehicle. Avoid parking your vehicle near leaf piles to prevent fires that could start from your vehicle's catalytic converter.

In an attempt to boost performance, tire manufacturers analyze the capabilities of their tires under a variety of road conditions and speeds to ensure the safety and durability of their tires. These tests are conducted on all factory-made tires whether they are intended for rain, snow, off-road, performance or fuel conservation. Among the many tests done on new tires is stopping distance. Stopping distance is the span of road that it takes for a vehicle to come to a complete stop.

We all know that we should get around to changing our oil more often, yet more times than we’d like to admit, that dashboard light stays on for an extended period of time.

It is very important not to put it off for long. Changing your oil on a regular basis is the best way to maximize the life of your car, maximize horsepower and make sure all cylinders are firing.

Once upon a time cars were simple: If the transmission didn’t shift right, you probably had a transmission problem. You took your car to the transmission shop and they fixed it. Simple, right? As with most stories that begin this way, times have changed. Today, when your car’s transmission isn’t shifting right, well, it could be the transmission, but there’s just as good a chance that it’s something else… something seemingly unrelated to the transmission.

Every so often you notice it: The transmission shifts a little late, or maybe it seems to miss a gear entirely. Then it’s okay again… for a little while. Worst of all, there’s no rhyme or reason behind the condition. One minute it’s fine, the next it’s not. So you pop the hood to check the transmission fluid level. Then you notice it: A big mountain of corrosion on the battery terminals. You’ll have to take care of that, but it can’t have anything to do with the transmission, right?

Prevention is better than cure. You've probably heard that said plenty of times. The phrase is most often used to talk about health and medicine, but it is just as valid to apply it to vehicles. It's great if your problem can be sorted without much trouble, but even better not to have a problem in the first place. This is especially true when it comes to your vehicle's transmission, as this can be one of the more specialized parts to repair. Not all transmission problems require an extensive overhaul, but they will all cause at least some trouble and inconvenience. Avoiding transmission problems is clearly preferable to even the problems that are quickest and cheapest repair. This is why it is important to ensure you take good care of your transmission. This will help prevent problems and keep it working smoothly. Ideally, it will mean that it doesn't develop any faults at all. Even if it does eventually go wrong, however, it is entirely possible that good care will mean the fault is less serious and easier to repair than it would have been otherwise.

Your transmission suddenly isn’t shifting right. So what’s wrong with it? Do you need your transmission rebuilt? Good question. Unfortunately, the answer is: No one knows. At least, not yet. To find out what’s causing your transmission problem, a technician is going to have to perform a series of tests. Basically, these tests are designed to answer the simple question: “Is it inside or outside?” That is, is the problem inside the transmission, or in one of the many control systems that operates the transmission?