Many people think that using stop leak products can save money by stopping a transmission fluid leak. Unfortunately after affects of using leakage stopping products come at a significant cost. Stop leak products can cause irreparable damage to your vehicle. If you notice a red, brown, or black stain on the driveway underneath your vehicle’s transmission, you could have a nasty leak forming right before your very eyes. Your mind may turn to stop leak products that promise to seal up the leak and help you get on with your day. Unfortunately, those products can cause more harm than good, leaving you back at square one in no time flat. Here’s a look at how transmission stop leak products work and why it’s best to avoid them.
You might find yourself tempted to keep topping off the fluid more and more often, but you are just throwing money down the drain (and polluting the environment). If a transmission fluid leak continues, your vehicle’s transmission could also have to work harder as it gets low on fluid as you drive around. If the transmission fluid gets low enough the gears might stick or might not go into gear at all.
How Stop Leak Products Work in the Transmission
Unlike products designed for the coolant system, transmission stop leak formulas do not have any visible particles inside. But that doesn’t mean they are safe to use.
Instead of sending particles to gum up the leaking areas, they use an additive that causes seals to swell up. The swollen seals then stop letting transmission fluid leak out, seemingly solving your problem in an instant.
Oh, but if only if it was that easy. Unfortunately, the stop leak fluids are more likely to cause additional problems in the long run rather than fix your leak in one easy step.
Top Reasons to Avoid Transmission Stop Leak Products
Although there’s a chance the transmission stop leak products could work for you, the following problems are much more likely in the long run. Here’s a look at the risks.
SEE RELATED…
- Transmission Leak Repair
- Time & Cost to Repair 4 Types of Transmission Leaks
- Change & Flush Transmission Fluid
- Transmission Repair Services
- Indications of a BadTransmission Control Module
- Transmission Cooler Lines Replacement Cost, Time to Fix & Signs of Failure
Problems with Leak Stopping Products
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- All Seals Get the Same Treatment
Ideally the stop leak formula will simply restore the brittle, damaged seals letting fluid leak out of your transmission. Sadly, since the additive is just running through all areas of the system, it acts upon all the seals it comes across. Even seals in good condition can start to swell, allowing fluid to leak out of new areas as a result. You could then end up having to replace all the internal seals instead of just one or two.
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- Rips and Tears are Still Present
As seals get old and damaged, they often develop rips and tears along the edges. No amount of swelling up the remaining material can bind those sections back together. Over time, the ripped areas can move out of place, letting fluid leak out all over again.
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- Swollen Seals are Not Fully Restored
Swelling up the seals doesn’t restore their integrity and make them work like new. It simply pushes the seal against the mating surface in hope that fluid won’t leak out. The swollen material is still old, brittle, and in need of replacement even though it might not look like it at first glance.
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- The Results Won’t Last
The old, brittle seals in your transmission do not magically look and act brand new upon coming into contact with the stop leak formula. They still need replacement as soon as you can muster since they’ve likely reached the end of their service life. All it does is buy you a little bit more time, which comes at a risk of damaging your other seals as well.
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- Wastes Your Time, Money, and Effort
Although stop leak products are not prohibitively expensive, they are still a waste of money. Going to the store to buy them, adding them to your transmission, and monitoring for changes is all a waste of your time and effort as well.
So, save yourself the trouble and attempt to properly fix the problem the first time around. You can get the help you need in diagnosing and repairing transmission leaks from your auto tech. They will figure out which seals are causing you trouble and let you know what it will take to replace them with brand new ones.
How to Get the Transmission Leaks Fixed Right
Your trusted team at My Transmission Expert is always here to help you get quick, thorough auto repairs, so you can continue on your travels without worry. You just have to give us a call at 281-293-7090 to get a free quote and find a good day and time to come in. We even offer free towing with repair services, just in case your car is in no shape to drive down to the shop. Just let us know what you need and we’ll help you out.
Find the Shop Closest to Your Location
My Transmission Experts has locations across the greater Houston area. Contact the closest one below.[/fusion_text][fusion_builder_row_inner][fusion_builder_column_inner type=”1_2″ layout=”1_2″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” spacing=”” center_content=”yes” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” background_image_id=”” type_medium=”” type_small=”” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ spacing_left_medium=”” spacing_right_medium=”” spacing_left_small=”” spacing_right_small=”” spacing_left=”” spacing_right=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top_medium=”” padding_right_medium=”” padding_bottom_medium=”” padding_left_medium=”” padding_top_small=”” padding_right_small=”” padding_bottom_small=”” padding_left_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” hover_type=”none” 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