If you own a car, you might have heard the term “transmission.” If so, you might be thinking about how to maintain a transmission that’s in good condition. But maybe, you are asking yourself, “How often should I reset my transmission?”

Let’s dive right into it.

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Should I Reset My Transmission?

However, if you are currently happy with how your car shifts then don’t touch it, because it could learn to shift differently to what you are use to. If however you are having weird transmission issues like the 2-1 rough downshift. The car downshifting to early, or hard gear changes. Then you should 100% do a reset.

Why Would You Need To Reset Your Transmission?

In simple terms, what the computer does is it records the driving style, usually by looking at the last 40 shift points and adjusts so the car shifts accordingly to your style. It does this by monitoring different sensors such as the throttle or the gas pedal input and more. In other words, it learns your driving style.

So you may be thinking why would I need a reset? Well, there are a few reasons:

First, if you just bought a used car and you want to get rid of the former driver’s habits. Or maybe after taking it in for maintenance, they disconnected the battery and now when you drive it, it drives poorly. Or maybe you just want to start fresh because it has been a while since you have reset it last.

There are several ways to reset your transmission depending on the year, make and model of your vehicle. If you have access to an OBD2 scanner that can read transmission codes then this is probably the easiest way to do it. You basically have to input some commands into your scanner and then take your car for a long drive around town so it can relearn your driving habits from scratch.

How Long Does Transmission Relearn Take?

It can take up to 90 days for the engine and transmission computer to relearn your driving habits.

If you drive a car with a manual transmission, the clutch is used to disengage power from the engine to the transmission. When you press in on the clutch pedal, a lever inside the bell housing pushes in on a fork that is attached to the throw-out bearing. The throw-out bearing moves in on the pressure plate fingers and pushes them apart.

When you let up on the clutch pedal, the pressure plate springs back together and drives power from the flywheel through the clutch disc to the transmission shafts.

When you have an automatic transmission, none of this happens. There is no clutch pedal. Instead, there is a torque converter that connects the engine to the transmission. The torque converter has internal clutches that lock up when you accelerate.

How Much Does It Cost To Reprogram Transmission?

Nearly every transmission has a reprogramming process (either with a scan tool or flash procedure). If you think your vehicle needs a reprogramming, it’s important to find out the cost before you authorize any work.

The cost of reprogramming can vary greatly depending on the shop and what type of vehicle you drive. Most shops charge anywhere between $75 and $250 for reprogramming services. However, if you decide to do the reprogramming yourself, be sure to use an OBD2 scanner that supports your specific make/model.

What Does Resetting A Transmission Do?

The engine control unit, or ECU, is the computer responsible for controlling all of the engine management functions. Your ECU has settings for idle speed, fuel mixture, ignition timing and transmission shifting points. Most of these settings are not user-adjustable, but there are a few that you can change yourself when you reset the ECU.

The powertrain control module (PCM) is a separate computer that controls your transmission shifting points. You can also reset this computer to its factory settings when you reset the ECU.

Resetting your ECU will completely reset your fuel trims and clear any trouble codes in your vehicle’s memory. It will not erase any permanently stored trouble codes in the PCM memory.

If you have recently installed a new component on your vehicle that requires more voltage than the stock component, such as a larger turbocharger or supercharger, then it may be beneficial to reset the ECU to recalculate the voltage requirements. This will allow the ECU to adjust and correct any problems caused by the component requiring more voltage than what was originally programmed into the ECU.

How Often Do You Reset The Transmission In Your Car?

A car owner has something to say about this:

Changing the Transmission Fluid is always a good idea. It is not something that you need to do often, but it is something that should be done sometime. It’s like an oil change, in my opinion. Unless your car runs poorly, I wouldn’t worry about it until it gets closer to 100k miles.

I think replacing transmission fluid is probably the most neglected maintenance item there is. I don’t think many people bother with it at all unless they’re having a problem or having some major work done on their drivetrain.

The manufacturers don’t list transmission services in their routine maintenance schedules, and most owners don’t know how to check the fluid level or even where to find the dipstick.

Is It Cheaper To Repair Or Replace A Transmission?

A transmission is a complex piece of machinery that has many individual components. Oftentimes, the cost of an overhaul or replacement can vary depending on the severity of the damage and the quality of parts used for the repair.

In most cases, it is usually cheaper to repair your transmission. It is estimated that replacing a transmission can cost anywhere between $1,800 and $3,400. In contrast, transmission repairs are estimated between $500 and $2,000.

With this in mind, it is important to understand how much money you can save from repairing a damaged transmission rather than replacing it completely.

How Long Does A Rebuild Transmission Last?

On average, a rebuilt transmission is expected to last between 30,000 – 50,000 miles. If the work is done extremely well and regular maintenance is performed, a transmission rebuild can last as long as the original transmission (120,000 – 200,000 miles on average).

Of course, this depends on your driving habits and transmission type. Some transmissions are more prone to failure than others depending on their design. For example, transmissions with a high number of gears tend to have more friction points that create more heat.

The best way to insure proper care of your rebuilt transmission is to take it easy for the first 1,000 miles after installation. Shift through all of the gears slowly and be gentle on acceleration and braking. You should also make an appointment with your mechanic or transmission shop within several weeks after installation so they can check the fluid levels and make sure everything is running smoothly.

After that initial break-in period, most mechanics recommend getting an oil change every 30,000 miles or so (every two years). This will help prevent debris from building up in the system and causing premature wear or even failure.