Mechanic shares the five things you should never do in an automatic car

Published on Oct 14, 2025 at 8:52 AM (UTC+4)
by Grace Donohoe

Last updated on Oct 13, 2025 at 7:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

A mechanic is often considered to be the font of all knowledge when it comes to cars, and one car whizz has shared an important list of tips to consider for owners of an automatic car.

From fluid to gears, the man explained some simple rules to ensure that your transmission stays in tip-top condition.

And, whilst some are more self-explanatory than others, they are all handy to know.

Buckle up as an expert explains how to get the most out of your precious daily driver.

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If you own an automatic car then you need to listen to this list of no-nos

Owning a car can be a stressful experience, especially when things sometimes go wrong. From the chassis to the cabin, sometimes things don’t go the way that you initially plan.

But don’t worry, as one mechanic shared some valuable advice when it comes to looking after your automatic transmission at the heart of your car.

Mechanic and YouTube content creator Scotty Kilmer is no stranger to sharing his expertise, with the man previously explaining a crucial warning sign that means you should sell your car.

But, this time he shared five things you should never do in an automatic car, and some are quite simple.

Firstly, he says that you shouldn’t drive the car through deep water.

“Let’s just say water and automatic transmissions do not go together,” said the mechanic.

Next up, he says that you should never accidentally let your car go from drive to reverse when it is moving, as it will destroy the transmission – and let’s be real, that is not ideal in any circumstance, really is it?

Thirdly, he explains that if you are idling for a long time, it’s a bad idea to keep your car in drive, as it could overheat and cause damage to the car.

The solution? Shift it into park if you can to avoid unnecessary heat being distributed.

Now, the next point is pretty self-explanatory, but you shouldn’t ‘go around doing burnouts all the time’.

Lastly, Scotty explained that, especially if you have an older car, you should actually change your transmission fluid, despite some supposedly lasting for a while.

Newer cars tend to have fluid that copes better with heat, but cars should ideally have the fluid changed every 60,000 to 80,000 miles.

He isn’t the only mechanic to provide online assistance

If anyone knows their way around a car, from the chassis to the roof, it’s a mechanic, with the individuals being extremely knowledgeable in these areas.

In fact, in order to get the most out of your car, one mechanic explained how you can make your car last for a whopping 500,000 miles.

Another gave surprising advice about whether you should buy a car with 100,000 miles on the clock.

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Grace started her career writing about the weird and wonderful for the international press. She's covered everything from lifestyle to sports and hard news and now finds herself pursuing her main interest - cars. She's loved cars from a young age and has a keen interest in luxury travel too.