Lauren’s Transmission Story

Transmission tune-ups, phony flushes, and other tall tales my mechanic (almost) sold me.

“That will be $326 dollars, ma’am.” I was waiting patiently for my 2006 Jeep Liberty at the dealership. The mechanic started going over everything that needed fixing, and one item instantly jumped out at me. I couldn’t believe my eyes—$326 dollars, for a transmission flush? “Yeah, you need to do that every once in a while, and it’s about time,” he told me.

Many people out there have a similar story. Just hearing the word “transmission” at the mechanic can be scary, since the average cost of replacing one in most vehicles is around $2,000 dollars…. if you’re lucky!

Then, as fate would have it, I crossed paths with Dr. Pasha, the founder and CTO of TriboTEX. I met him years ago at a business plan competition at the University of Idaho, where the TriboTEX team took 1st place. Since then, I’ve followed their story as they’ve won numerous innovation awards and received prestigious grants from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, NASA, and more.

Does my fluid really need to be changed?

I asked Pasha why my transmission fluid would need to be changed. He told me that excessive friction in the transmission leads to accelerating degradation of the liquid. If you don’t flush out the bad stuff, the deteriorating fluid will wear out your transmission, leading to premature failure. One morning, you’ll be sitting in your car, engine purring like normal, but you won’t be able to move an inch.

My car was parked nearby, so we popped the hood and checked my transmission fluid. The color was a light pink, just as it should be. I bought my car a little over a year ago, and I am pretty confident the dealership had done a flush. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a different dealership was trying to squeeze more money out of me!

My transmission fluid was fine, but the whole ordeal had me wondering how I could be proactive and keep expensive transmission repairs as far away as possible. Pasha is a material scientist and lubrication expert who discovered a wear reversing nanoparticle while working on his PhD. After finishing his degree, he founded TriboTEX and developed treatments for all kinds of vehicles and machines. This powerful little particle is now inside tens of thousands of engines, protecting vulnerable components while boosting performance and efficiency.

Because of the differences between engine oil and ATF fluid, until now transmissions and gearboxes have required custom solutions. My timing could not have been better, because Pasha’s team just finished testing a brand new ATF treatment called TriboTEX Transmission.

Introducing TriboTEX Transmission

I didn’t understand the science at first, but Pasha explained how the dual-sided nanoparticles repair my automatic transmission by forming a Diamond-Like Carbon coating where the surface has eroded from friction, like a new finish on an antique table. Just like the rest of the product line, TriboTEX Transmission is non-toxic and made in the USA. In fact, Pasha’s discovery came from his quest for a cleaner lubricant for the wind turbines that power our nation. That gave me confidence that the treatment was safe for the environment, the economy, and my car. Flush that, dealership!

I added TriboTEX Transmission to my Jeep through the ATF dipstick tube—it literally took five seconds—and I’ve been so happy with the results. Knowing my transmission can repair itself, I feel more at ease. I saved hundreds of dollars by skipping the unnecessary flush, and I am saving thousands of dollars in the long-run by protecting my transmission.

Mechanics are known for trying to take advantage of women like me, but I would bet my two fuzzy dice that men are conned into phony flushes just as often. What’s your experience, TriboTEX fan? Comment and tell me what you think.