Today’s vehicles are more high-tech than ever. In fact, most modern vehicles have 10 to 30 onboard computers managing everything from engine performance to braking and shifting.

But here’s something most drivers don’t realize: just like your phone or computer, your car’s software needs updates too, and ignoring those updates could be costing you fuel economy, performance, and even your safety.

What Do These Updates Do?

Automakers routinely release software and firmware updates that fix bugs, improve drivability, and prevent future issues. Some newer vehicles can automatically connect to the internet and update themselves. But for many models, manual intervention is still required.

That’s where we come in.

Why Updates Matter for Transmissions

At National Transmission, we frequently encounter vehicles with intermittent transmission issues or unusual behaviour that doesn’t yield a clear fault code. In many of these cases, the fix isn’t mechanical – it’s digital.

Updating your vehicle’s transmission control module (TCM), engine control unit (ECU), or other modules can:

• Improve fuel economy

• Resolve shifting problems

• Fix known software bugs

• Prevent costly repairs

• Eliminate intermittent issues that would otherwise be hard to trace

Accessing Manufacturer Software

Because of security protocols, not all repair shops can access manufacturer-specific updates. At National Transmission, we subscribe to authorized portals that let us safely and legally update your vehicle’s software on-site, just like the dealership.

This isn’t something you can typically do at home, and in many cases, your vehicle won’t even tell you that an update is available. That’s why we check for them as part of our diagnostic and rebuild process.

Don’t Let Outdated Software Keep You Off the Road

If you’re noticing sluggish performance, weird shifting, or just want to make sure your vehicle is running as efficiently as possible, bring it in for a software update check. It’s fast, affordable, and could save you money in the long run.

📺 Watch the video below to hear from Troy and learn why keeping your vehicle updated is more important than ever.