Edward's Transmissions+ Auto Systems Expert - Michigan Road

Happy birthday to Gerald "Jay" Smith Jr.

Gerald celebrated 15 years with Edwards Transmissions+ earlier this month, and today we celebrate him. Fifteen years in and still showing up with the same commitment that got him here.

Have a great day, Gerald.

Summer road trip season is here. Before you load the car for the drive, five minutes under the hood can prevent a much longer day on the side of the road.

Check your transmission fluid level. On vehicles with a dipstick, the fluid should be red to light brown, not dark brown or black, and the level should be between the hot and cold marks with the engine at operating temperature. On sealed transmissions without a dipstick, a service check is needed at a shop.

Look underneath the vehicle for any fresh fluid. Transmission fluid is typically red. Brake fluid is amber. Coolant is green, orange, or pink. Engine oil is dark brown to black. Any fresh spot that was not there before is worth investigating.

If the vehicle is due for any service or showing any symptoms that have been easy to ignore around town, it is better to handle them before you are 400 miles from home on a holiday weekend.

Happy belated birthday to Moed Al-Kanany, one of our Shop Foremen.

Moed celebrated his birthday last week. He joined the team last fall and brings a calm, methodical approach to the kind of complex work a shop foreman handles every day. His experience shows in the quality of the repairs that leave this shop.

Hope you had a great one, Moed.

15 years. Gerald "Jay" Smith Jr. joined Edwards Transmissions+ on June 3, 2011. Fifteen years later, he continues to serve as a core part of our management team.

Fifteen years in one shop tells you something about both the person and the place. It means the person has committed to the trade, put in the work, and built the kind of judgment that only comes from experience. It also means the shop built a culture worth staying in.

Jay has been part of how Edwards Transmissions+ operates for a decade and a half. The customers he has helped, the technicians he has supported, and the problems he has solved along the way are the foundation of why this business still runs the way it does.

Thank you, Gerald. 15 years is a milestone that speaks for itself.

Summer is harder on transmissions than winter.

That fact surprises most drivers, but the mechanics are straightforward. Transmission fluid operates best in a relatively narrow temperature window. Below that window, fluid is thick and hydraulic response is slow. Above it, fluid thins, oxidizes, and loses its ability to protect internal components.

Indiana summers regularly push transmission fluid to the upper end of that window, especially in traffic, when towing, and during extended highway driving in hot weather. Every 20 degrees above normal operating temperature cuts fluid life roughly in half.

Check your transmission fluid level and condition before extended drives. Avoid idling in drive for long periods at stoplights in heavy traffic. If you tow regularly, an auxiliary transmission cooler is one of the best long-term investments you can make. And if your vehicle has not had a transmission service in the past 50,000 to 75,000 miles, now is the right time to schedule one.

A big week for Francisco Valle.

Francisco celebrated his 7-year anniversary with Edwards Transmissions+ on May 28 and his birthday on May 29.

Francisco serves as our Shop Foreman, a role that requires both technical depth and the ability to lead other technicians through complex diagnostic and repair work. Seven years into this job, his knowledge of transmissions and his steady presence in the shop are a real asset to our team and to every customer who comes through our doors.

Happy birthday and thank you for seven years, Francisco.

Edwards Transmissions+