I know none of us want to think about winter conditions, yet, but there are a few conditions that are common to most of the US and Canada during the winter months that are approaching quickly. How you deal with those conditions can have a dramatic effect on your transmission.

Cold Temperatures — When living in Minnesota, winter means cold weather. As the temperatures drop over the next few months, your vehicles fluid will begin to thicken, thus reducing their ability to lubricate. In most cases, you can deal with this simply by driving slowly and cautiously for the first few miles, until your engine and transmission reach normal operating temperature.

Remote car starters are a great invention of the last few years, and they definitely make your car less chilly when first getting in, but try to avoid letting your car idle for extended periods of time. Sure, the passenger compartment will be nice and toasty by the time you get ready to go, but meanwhile your engine will be running rich, creating additional pollution, damaging your catalytic converter, and using expensive fuel to go nowhere.

Also, for many transmissions, you may be damaging the internal components as the engine idles. That’s because some transmissions don’t create lube flow with your shifter in the park position. Oil does not start flowing through the cooler and lube circuits until you physically move the shifter into drive. In other words, internal transmission components are spinning — ice cold — with no lube flow. Not good.

As Minnesotans we know it tends to get really cold in our area. It might be a good idea to invest in an engine heater that plugs into a wall outlet and warms the engine before you come out in the morning. A timer will allow you to start the engine warming a few hours before you’re ready to leave, saving you money, and your car wear.

Snow and Ice — Driving on snow and ice is part of a normal winter for us here in Minnesota, but there are specific hazards to your transmission onour roadways that you need to know about.

One that you may not be familiar with is what can happen if you get stuck. Too often, drivers spin their wheels, in the hopes of freeing themselves from a snow drift or icy patch. This can cause major damage to the transmission; here’s how:

Today’s cars use a computer to control transmission operation. When you spin the wheels, the computer sees the vehicle speed rising; in many cases it has no way of knowing that you aren’t really moving. When the speedometer registers 40-or-so MPH, the computer sees the speed, and identifies driving conditions as being right to engage the converter clutch. Now the engine is locked directly to the drive wheels. If the wheels regain traction, their speed will drop suddenly. The result can be catastrophic to the transmission.

The best way to get out of a drift or icy patch is to rock the car back and forth… forward and reverse… until you can get moving again. Or, better yet, get someone to push or pull you out of the snow. Avoid spinning the wheels, or you could end up damaging the transmission.

Water in the Transmission — No major component of your car can survive indefinitely with water in its internal components. But no other component can be damaged as quickly as your transmission can by water. 

Even a small amount of water in an automatic transmission almost always results in serious failure and major repair bills. The reason is the band and clutch linings are hygroscopic; that is, they absorb water, even if they have to push transmission fluid out of the linings to do it.

This water quickly finds its way down to the metal backings, causing them to rust and lift the linings off of the clutches and bands. The result is metal-to-metal contact, which always means serious damage to the transmission.

To avoid this type of trouble, steer clear of deep puddles. Should you find your car submerged, don’t start the engine. Your only chance of avoiding a big repair bill is to have your car towed into a transmission shop and have all the oil drained out immediately.

If you're lucky, draining and servicing the transmission may be all that’s necessary to save it. If not, your auto insurance may cover part or all of the damage.

They may not be something you think about very often, but your vehicle's brakes are one feature that should always be in top working condition. We get quite a few calls from customers wondering if they need their brakes replaced or not. Most of the time we need to have a vehicle in our presence in order to determine if it needs brakes because there's only two ways to know. Let's look at how to know when you need new brakes.

There are two ways to check for brake wear on disc brakes. You can either look at the pads or listen to your bakes when applied. To check for brake pad wear visually look at your brake pads through the spaces between the wheel's spokes. The outside pad will be pressed against a metal rotor. Generally, there should be at least 1/4 inch of pad. If you see less than 1/4 inch of pad, you may want to have your brake pads inspected or replaced. 

The second way to determine you may need new brakes is to listen. Have you ever heard a high-pitched screeching sound when you applied your brakes? That's a small metal shim, called an indicator, which is giving you an audible warning that you need to replace your brake pads. You should be aware of this sound (which is loud enough to be heard while the windows are up, but not necessarily loud enough to be heard over the radio or air conditioner). If you hear it regularly, quickly make an appointment with your mechanic. 

One exception is if your car has been sitting after being exposed to water, such as from rain or from washing it. The moisture can cause a thin layer of rust to develop on the brake rotors. This is normal. When you first apply the brakes, the pads pressing on the rust-covered rotors may cause a squeal for a few stops until the rust is worn off and then the sound will disappear. 

Here are some other signs of brake problems. If you experience any of these, you should schedule an appointment as soon as soon as possible: 

Reduced responsiveness or fading. If your brakes are not as responsive as they should be or if the pedal "sinks" toward the floor, this could be an indication of a leak in the braking system. It could be an air leak (in the brake hose) or a brake fluid leak. One telltale sign of a brake fluid leak is the presence of a small puddle of fluid when the car is parked. Brake fluid looks similar to fresh motor oil, but with a less "slimy" texture. 

Pulling.  If your vehicle "pulls" to one side while braking, it may be a sign that the brake linings are wearing unevenly or that there is foreign matter in the brake fluid. Your vehicle may need a brake adjustment or to have the fluid drained and replaced. 

Grinding or growling. This loud metallic sound means that you have worn down the pads completely, most likely beyond replacement. The grinding or growling noise is caused by the two pieces of metal (the disc and the caliper) rubbing together. This can "score," or scratch your rotors, creating an uneven surface. If this happens, do not be surprised if your mechanic tells you that the rotors need to be "turned" (a process that evens out the rotor surface), or even replaced. 

Vibration. A vibration or pulsating brake pedal is often a symptom of warped rotors (but can also indicate that your vehicle is out of alignment). The vibration can feel similar to the feedback in the brake pedal during a panic stop in a vehicle equipped with anti-lock brakes. It is a sign of warped rotors if the vibration occurs during braking situations when the anti-lock brakes are not engaged. Warped rotors are caused by severe braking for long periods, such as when driving down a steep mountain or when towing. Tremendous amounts of friction are created under these conditions, heating up the rotors and causing them to warp. The vibration is felt because the brake pads are not able to grab the surface evenly. If you drive in these conditions, make sure to stop periodically to allow your brakes to cool off. 

For many owners, maintaining the vehicle's brakes is something that is often overlooked. But keeping your brakes properly calibrated and in good working order can prevent costly repairs down the line, and, more importantly, help you avoid a collision.