Let's face it. When it comes to your vehicle's transmission, there are a lot of places you can go to have it worked on – big chain shops, mom-and-pop operations and everything in between. How do you know which one is best for you?

Well, here's a hint – look for the intangibles.  They are what matter the most.  Look for  honesty, integrity, fairness and expertise.

Look for Cottman Transmission, at 9913 Main Street, in Fairfax, Virginia.

Cottman specializes in every phase of transmission work, including standard and automatic transmissions, American and import vehicles, front wheel and four wheel drives and clutch.  It's the industry leader that uses cutting edge technology and procedures necessary to repair today's increasingly complex transmission.

But Cottman of Fairfax also has something else going for it – seasoned manager Eric Merson. Yes, the same Eric Merson who you trusted in the past.  And he is as honest and fair as they come.

He has specialized in transmissions for 31 years and was the original manager of Cottman when it opened in 1982.  Eric is ATRA and ATSG trained and ASE certified.

"Trust is important to me" Eric says. "I don't believe in high pressure tactics, tricks, or talking down to my customers.  I believe in giving them the best service for the best price."

"A lot of shop owners pressure their technicians to rush a customer into a decision. They want to get them in, get their money, then move on to the next guy."  But he says "That's not the way we do business at Cottman of Fairfax.  We  are encouraged to talk with people, to explain what's good and what's bad for their cars. "

"In fact, in more than half the cases, we DON'T recommend any major repairs," he continues. "Many times it's only a matter of a minor adjustment or preventative maintenance. We won't recommend something you don't need.  You can count on it."

But as you may have already experienced, that's not the case at other shops – especially the quick lube shop around the corner.  A lot of them are recommending something new called a transmission flush, or "transflush." Eric says " It sounds good, but it might just be a fancy name for the destruction of your transmission."

If the fluid is clean, then it's the a waste of money to replace all of it; and if it looks dark then replacing it all could actually cause serious problems.

Eric says it's a matter of chemistry. "There's a fine chemical balance in the fluid that can be disrupted when it's all drained and replaced at the same time.  If its not done properly, a portion at a time, then the seals can actually get as hard and brittle as a chunk of wood."

He says a trained and experienced technician knows how to maintain the correct balance in a transmission to keep everything lubricated properly to maintain the life of the transmission.

When a transmission is new, and all the fluid is good, you can wait until 35 to 50 thousand miles,  but then it should be done every year after that.  It is not always necessary to replace the fluid.  At Cottman they only use the manufacturer specified fluid formulas and only when they are truly needed.

It all gets back to the "integrity and expertise" we've been talking about.

As Eric puts it, the bottom line is " we won't stiff you."  He says at the end of the day he has to live with himself.  He takes pride in his job. That means you get better service often at a much lower price.

Eric says "we're not bigger, but you don't have to be the largest to be the best."  His repeat customers agree.

Cottman offers full service transmission, front axle and clutch repairs.  Cottman also offers a nationwide warranty.

Cottman of Fairfax is open Monday through Friday, offers free local shuttle service, and has a nighttime drop off with  a secure key slot.