Transmission Maintenance Information

All,
I recently posted a discussion titled “Is engine braking (downshifting) bad for your vehicle?” That original discussion has been closed, but I wanted to provide another reference that may be helpful to anyone looking for information on that topic or on transmissions in general.

Once again, I’d like to thank everyone for their comments.
I did some more digging and found an article titled “10 Tips to Ensure a Healthy Transmission”. Here’s the link: http://leemyles.com/automotive-articles/lee-myles-10-tips-for-a-healthy-transmission.html

This is a great article that includes sections titled TEN WAYS TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF YOUR TRANSMISSION, TEN WAYS TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF YOUR TRANSMISSION and TWENTY INDICATORS OF POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION TROUBLE. This article also notes that fluid leaks are the main cause of transmission failure.

My biggest take-away from this article was the section titled TWENTY INDICATORS OF POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION TROUBLE. It should be noted that my vehicle does not exhibit any of these indicators.

Since posting my question, I have provided three references relating to my original question – The vehicle Owner’s Manual, a link to an article on the Wikipedia web site about manumatic transmissions and a link to the Lee Myles TRANSMISSIONS & AutoCare website.

Based on the information from these three sources, my conclusion is that driving my vehicle in sport mode isn’t causing any damage to the vehicle. The references I’ve provided support this conclusion for the following reasons: 1) The vehicle Owner’s Manual describes how the vehicle is designed to allow the driver to operate the vehicle in ‘sport’ driving mode 2) The Wikipedia article describes the operation and theory of manumatic transmissions and 3) The Lee Myles TRANSMISSIONS & AutoCare website lists 20 indicators of transmission trouble and my vehicle does not show any of these signs and 4) The Lee Myles TRANSMISSIONS & AutoCare website states that fluid leakage is the main cause of transmission failure and my vehicle doesn’t leak at all.
Taking all of the above information, the current condition of my vehicle and the manner in which I maintain it into account, I am confident that this vehicle will last for a long time to come and that I will continue to have plenty of fun driving it.

Thanks again for your responses to my original question.

If I were driving your car aggressively, with 130K on the clock, I would be VERY concerned about the health of my transmission…Because if and when it fails (they all fail sooner or later) the repair cost will be nudging the value of the vehicle…Another consideration, with these complex computerized transmissions, after spending thousands of dollars to “rebuild” the transmission, there is no guarantee it will operate perfectly ever again…Owners of the ill-fated Cadillac Allante have learned that lesson the hard way…

If one is going to be some kind of a self-righteous preacher about how great s/he is in comparison to everyone else it seems to me that s/he should know that Wikipedia & the Lee Myles transmission chain hardly count as “reputable sources” of information. One should also know that the advice given in owner’s manuals with regards to transmission function and maintenance is notoriously bad and not in any way designed to tell one how to maximize the life of the transmission. Then, even aside from that it is apparent that the OP is unfamiliar with the problem of selective perception where one selects only those pieces of information that s/he needs to support whatever position s/he wishes.

So the only thing that the self-righteous OP has done is add his/her own voice to the cacophony of claims based on partial and selective interpretation of information. I could write a book on what is wrong with the supposedly “sound” reasoning and “evidence” upon which the above conclusions have been reached. There’s that really old saying that I love that goes “Tis better to keep one’s mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and prove it.” Of course, I’ll admit that I don’t always live up to it either. But I usually try not to shout it really loudly to big crowds of people.

I don’t follow Wikipedia and a look at the Myles site shows they’re pretty much on point. What I disagree with you on is the owners manual being the best and last word on vehicle maintenance.

Most owners manuals make recommendations that are not real world and this is done to create the perception the car needs little to no maintenance.
When a customer at the service counter is told that manual is lacking and a certain process should be done more often than the factory recommends then that usually leads to someone posting on this forum about a shop trying to rip them off.

With 130k miles, agrressive driving, and if the transmission has never been serviced then I’d say you can expect transmission problems at some time in the future.

Didn’t your original post and discussion from you contain something like " I realize it may cost me more money to drive like this, but it gives me pleasure and I can afford it."
I thought that was a very sensible position. Why are you now trying to bully people into agreeing that it is not harmful to your car. You asked for peoples opinions and they gave them to you. If you didn’t want them, why ask?

From the Lee Myles website you posted, under “Want your transmission to last longer? Here are 10 things you should NOT do:”

“Don’t Downshift To “Brake” At Traffic Lights. A forced downshift at high engine RPM causes excessive wear on transmission friction components (clutches and bands).”

“Don’t Use Your Shift Lever Instead of Your Brake. Before reversing direction your car must be at a complete stop. Using the transmission to stop the vehicle will lead to premature transmission failure.”