Most automobiles today are equipped with automatic transmissions. This used to be considered a luxury, but with more people preferring to drive automatics, it has become standard. Preventative maintenance is crucial in keeping your automatic transmission operating as it should be. Failure to maintain the transmission can damage it to the point that it needs to be replaced. As you can imagine, this is quite expensive, which is why CAR FIX is going to list signs of a bad transmission below.
Delayed Response
Your transmission should be responsive at all times. If it takes its own sweet time to go into gear when you put it into gear, or if it takes too much time to move through the gear cycle, you have a serious problem going on with your automatic transmission. Your vehicle should never fight you when you put it in gear. Rather, it should go into drive or reverse quickly and easily. Hesitation, clunking sounds, or delays between gear shifts should be looked into right away.
Fluid Leaks
Leaking transmission fluid can cause serious problems in your automatic transmission. The transmission relies on the fluid to do two things. First, the fluid acts a lot like your motor oil does by lubricating the transmission parts and drawing heat and dirt away from them. Second, transmission fluid is hydraulic, which means it helps your transmission shift gears. If you see red or brownish-red fluid leaking underneath your automobile near the center, you’ve got a transmission fluid leak.
Rough Shifting
Shifting should be smooth. You shouldn’t feel your car jerk or shudder as it moves through the gear cycle. If the shifting is noticeable, it’s possible that your transmission fluid is dirty and old. Rough shifting can also be a sign of low transmission fluid because the transmission does not have enough of the hydraulic fluid to shift smoothly. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t feel your transmission shifting gears. If your car jerks, there’s a problem.
Slipping Gears
Finally, if you are driving along and all of a sudden you lose power and your engine revolutions pick up, this is a sign that your transmission has slipped out of gear. This, too, can be a transmission fluid problem. It can also be a sign that your transmission gears are worn, which can be an extensive repair. Bring your vehicle into our shop right away if it is slipping out of gear. The sooner we find the problem and fix it the less expensive your transmission repairs will be.
CAR FIX is the best full-service auto repair shop in Oak Ridge, TN. Call us today for an appointment.
