Transmission Service Melbourne

Transmission Service in Melbourne, at Your Door

Transmission fluid wears out, and a gearbox running on old fluid shifts roughly, runs hot and wears faster. Mechanic Near You sends a mobile mechanic to your home or workplace across Melbourne's west to inspect the transmission, scan it for faults and replace the fluid. We service automatic and manual vehicles. A transmission service starts from $149 and takes about an hour.

The gear change you have started to notice

You never used to feel the car change gear. Lately there is a pause when you pull away from the lights, then a thump as it finds the gear. You tell yourself it has always done that.

Most of us never think about the transmission until it is the only thing we can think about. It is also one of the most expensive parts of a car to replace.

The fluid is the cheap part. Changing it on time is how you look after the expensive part, and we do it in your driveway.

What is a transmission service?

The transmission carries the engine's power to the wheels. The fluid inside it lubricates and cools the moving parts. In an automatic, it also supplies the hydraulic pressure that selects each gear.

That fluid ages with use. A transmission service replaces it with fresh fluid matched to your vehicle, and checks the rest of the system at the same time.

Signs your transmission needs attention

• A delay before the car moves off or changes gear
• Gears that slip, with the revs rising but the speed not following
• Rough, jerky or thumping gear changes
• A shudder while driving
• Whining, grinding or clunking noises
• A transmission or engine warning light
• Fluid leaking under the car

Don't keep driving with a transmission warning light on. The car can stop without warning.

What our transmission service includes

1. Transmission inspection.
2. Transmission fluid check, for level and condition.
3. Transmission fluid replacement, with fluid matched to your vehicle.
4. Leak inspection.
5. Gear shifting assessment.
6. Transmission cooling system check.
7. Diagnostic scanning for stored fault codes.
8. Performance testing and final verification before we hand the keys back.

Automatic, manual, CVT or dual-clutch?

The four types work differently, so servicing differs too.

We service automatic and manual transmissions. If your car has a CVT or a dual-clutch gearbox, tell us when you call. Each needs the fluid its maker specifies, and we will confirm whether we can service yours at your location.

Transmission service cost

Our transmission service starts from $149. The final price depends on your vehicle and the work required, and we confirm it before we start.

For comparison, these are published Australian guide prices:

The gap between the first row and the other two is the reason to service on time. Three things move the price of a service:

• The type of transmission.
• The fluid. Transmissions differ in how much they hold and the specification they need.
• Access. Some gearboxes are quicker to drain and refill than others.

How to get a transmission service quote

Call 0406 396 397 with your car's make, model and year, and tell us whether it is automatic or manual. If you know the kilometres and when the transmission was last serviced, tell us that too. We give you a price before we come. Our car service quote guide explains how to compare quotes fairly.

How often should a transmission be serviced?

Start with your logbook. The car's maker sets the interval, and it differs from one transmission to the next.

As a guide, transmission fluid can fall due from around 60,000 km on some cars, as our logbook service checklist by kilometre shows. On any car it is worth confirming by 100,000 to 120,000 km, which our major service checklist covers.

Hard use shortens the interval. Transmission maker ZF says transmission oil wears in normal use, and should be changed sooner on cars that tow, are driven hard or run at very high temperatures.

Bought the car used with no record of a transmission service? ZF also recommends a change where a transmission's past use is unknown.

If the fluid is due at your next logbook service, ask us to do both in the one visit.

Is a "sealed for life" transmission really sealed for life?

Some car makers say the transmission is filled for life and never needs new fluid.

ZF says its own automatic transmissions usually leave the factory with lifetime oil. It still recommends periodic changes, because how long the oil lasts depends on how the car is used. Oil breaks down faster at high temperatures.

If your car has done a high mileage on its original fluid, ask us whether a change makes sense for your model.

Transmission service or transmission repair?

A service is maintenance. Fresh fluid keeps a healthy transmission healthy, and it can bring back smoother gear changes where old fluid is the cause.

It will not fix worn or broken parts inside the gearbox. If our inspection and scan point to an internal fault, we tell you before any fluid is changed.

Major transmission repairs need workshop equipment. Our guide to choosing between a mobile mechanic and a workshop explains which jobs suit each.

Transmission service near you

We are based in Wyndham Vale and travel across Melbourne's west:

• Wyndham Vale and Manor Lakes
• Werribee and Hoppers Crossing
• Tarneit and Truganina
• Point Cook and Williams Landing

We also cover Eynesbury. See all our service areas for the rest.

Other jobs worth doing in the same visit

• General service, from $149, with new engine oil and filter and a fluid level inspection.
• Oil change, from $119.
• Buying a used car? Our pre-purchase inspection checks the transmission fluid, leaks and gear changes, and asks when the transmission was last serviced.

Why drivers call us for a transmission service

• We come to you. No giving up a day to leave the car at a workshop.
• We check before we change. The inspection and scan come first.
• Fluid matched to your vehicle. Every transmission needs the fluid its maker specifies.
• The price before the work. Nothing extra is done without your say-so.

Transmission service questions

How long does a transmission service take?

About an hour for most cars.

How much does a transmission service cost in Melbourne?

With us, from $149. Published Australian guides put a typical transmission service at $200 to $500.

Will a transmission service fix slipping gears?

It can, if worn fluid is the cause. If parts inside the gearbox are worn, new fluid will not fix it. We inspect and scan first, then tell you which it is.

Do manual gearboxes need servicing?

Yes. A manual has gearbox oil but no filter, so the service is mainly an oil change.

Is a transmission service part of a normal car service?

Not automatically. Transmission fluid is replaced when your car's schedule calls for it, and it is quoted as its own job.

Is it a fluid change or a flush?

Our service replaces the transmission fluid. A flush is a different procedure that also replaces the fluid held in the torque converter. If your car's maker calls for a flush, tell us when you call.

Can I drive with a transmission warning light on?

It is best not to. The car can stop without warning. Call us and tell us what the car is doing.

Gear changes getting rough? Service it before it becomes a repair.

Call 0406 396 397 between 7 am and 9 pm, 7 days a week. Tell us the car and what it is doing, and we will give you a price and a time.