What to do if your automatic car jerks when shifting up or down: "Changing the transmission oil can help, but it's not always the solution."

Not so many years ago, cars with automatic transmissions were a rarity or almost a luxury, but today they are becoming more and more common. The ease of use , especially on city trips, the fact that they are increasingly economical, and the rise of hybrids , have made them an option worth considering when buying a new car. But that doesn't mean they also require dedicated and delicate maintenance . This is what Sergei Savchak , a professional in the used car sector and the visible head of Need Car Help , assures in one of his latest videos on TikTok, a social network where he has more than 560,000 followers.

In a conversation with Miguel Ángel Vicente, head of Gebox, a workshop specializing in gearboxes, both experts offer some interesting notes on the maintenance of an automatic vehicle . Sergei poses the question: "When an automatic gearbox is experiencing symptoms of jerking , not shifting smoothly, or stretching in some gears... Do you think changing the gearbox oil at this point will improve this, or is it a direct path to repair ?"

And Miguel Ángel gives a couple of clues: “It depends. A lot of people call me and say, 'Hey, I notice something's wrong with the car... How many kilometers does it have? What year is it? I test drive it first, and if I see that it's salvageable, I get it serviced ,” the mechanic assures. However, it can't always be 'saved': “If they tell me it's a 30-year-old car with 200,000 km... They know something's wrong with it, they've read on the internet that maintenance will help: 'I've never done it'... Yeah, but it's like if you're 90 years old and they tell you, 'If you'd trained, gone to the gym, you'd last until you're 95.' Okay, well, don't go to the gym when you're 90 because you're going to die,” the gearbox expert concludes, somewhat bluntly.

So the only way to ensure your automatic car lasts is to perform the periodic maintenance recommended by the gearbox manufacturer . It's important to remember that, over the years, automatic gearboxes become better and better, but they also become more electronically equipped for smoother operation. But this electronic assistance doesn't mean neglecting the mechanical part, which requires maintenance by specialized workshops.

Automatic transmissions, after all, have their own oil called ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid), which must be changed every certain mileage, depending on the manufacturer. And if you don't, the breakdown could be one of those that will leave your wallet reeling .