Haik's Helpful Hints
Flushes!
No, we're not talking toilets. We're talking automotive.
Your car has a variety of fluids and these get dirty, old and worn out, and need to be changed from time to time.
Hydraulic fluids include: engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, differential gear oil and engine coolant.
Windshield washer fluid is used up when spraying the windshield and gets replaced only as needed. Refrigerant for your air conditioning, which is gas compressed into liquid under pressure, is not usually serviced unless it leaks out or a repair is performed on the A/C system.
All other fluids in your car need replacing according to a schedule.
Flushes versus fluid changes
In changing or replacing fluids, hydraulic systems are merely drained and refilled. This method, while better than no service at all, leaves much of the sediments and dirt to remain in the system. We might call it a static fluid change. Flushing a system is much more thorough. In flushing, new fluid is run through the system, while the old fluid is pushed out. This dynamic fluid movement removes much more of the debris. In addition, when all the old fluid has been pushed out the system, additional new fluid is flushed through to make sure the last of the old fluid is gone. This also cleans the inner surfaces of the system.
Changing the fluid, if done on a periodic basis, may be adequate. But when a system becomes contaminated with excessive debris due to wear or neglect, flushing is the only sensible solution.
Update on Flushes
When I first started flushing transmissions -- old and new style-- as well as power steering systems, my intention was merely to increase the longevity of the transmission and the power steering components. Since then I have received feedback from my clients. Several have told me that their transmission shifts more smoothly since the flush and that the car has more power. As for the power steering, I was surprised when a terrible whining noise from the power steering pump disappeared after the flush.
When the electronic transmissions came out in the mid-1990’s, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen all stated that their transmission fluid was a lifetime fluid and need not be changed. Subsequent problems caused them to reconsider. Now most agree that 60K miles is an appropriate interval for transmission service, which includes replacement of fluid, filter and gasket.
The type of transmission flush machine is important. We use a machine which uses the car's own transmission pump to exchange fluid. We do not use an external pump. This prevents any possible damage to your transmission.
Feedback from Customers
Haik's German Autohaus is Fantastic
My wife and I purchased an Audi A4, which seemed like a good deal at the time. After the purchase, we
discovered it had a few problems--scratch that--a lot of problems! Haik was concerned and passionate in
making sure the vehicle was safe for my family. Haik walked us through our options and was willing to
take care of the car in stages. He suggested to take care of the safety options first, since this is what we
could afford at the time. He then started working on the other details which increased the cars performance
and reliability. Our car now is awesome!!!! I really enjoyed working with Haik. He is personable, friendly,
and detail oriented. I would not take my vehicle anywhere else.
Thanks Haik,
Jason Carlton
Posted 09/13/09
So glad I went there!
My Mini's transmission died, which as you can imagine was a huge bummer, and I am new to SB and had
no clue where to go and found Haik's online. I'm so glad I went there, I was devestated and Haik was so
caring and helpful-- I felt like he was actually looking out for me in addition to being an expert on cars.
He guessed what the trouble was from my description on the phone, but wanted to check every option
before he gave me a verdict, and even waited until Kurt had a chance to double check to make sure it wasn't
something simpler/less expensive.
After deciding it was indeed the transmission, which would run $6-7k, he actually suggested I call the
dealership, even though it is no longer under warranty, and hassle them to see if they would give me some
kind of deal since a car with 60k miles really shouldn't need a new transmission. He even offered to coach
me through talking to them. GREAT service. I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Eliza C.
Posted 07/21/09
