If caught early enough, transmission problems do not have to turn into huge automotive repairs. The best way to ensure you don’t end up with a dead transmission is to have it serviced when your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends it. McCurley’s Shell can help, especially if you notice any of the following symptoms of transmission problems.
Burning Smells
Dirty or low transmission fluid can overheat the gears and parts. Consequently, you may smell burning smells coming from underneath the car and this could be a sign that your transmission is overheating. Burning smells can signal other transmission or engine problems, as well.
Buzzing Noises
Your transmission should be quiet. You should not hear buzzing or whining when you are in neutral. You also shouldn’t hear buzzing, squealing, or whining at any time during your vehicle’s operation. Any strange sounds coming from the transmission or elsewhere in your automobile should be inspected right away.
Check Engine Warning
Your transmission has a series of sensors that report back to the engine control module. If a sensor reports a problem, the engine control module will turn on the check engine warning light. The transmission does not have a light of its own, so the module uses the check engine light to alert you of any trouble.
Delayed Shifting
Delays in shifting or skipping gears can indicate a problem with the transmission fluid levels or a deeper problem in the transmission gears. If you drive an automatic, the gears should shift through the cycle at the appropriate speeds. If there is a delay in shifting or the transmission skips a gear, you’ve got a problem.
Difficulty Going Into Gear
You should never have problems putting your car into gear. If your transmission is going bad, you may find it difficult to get it into gear, you may hear clunking sounds as you force it into gear, or your car may refuse to go into gear at all. This is a serious sign and should be addressed right away.
Fluid Leaks
Transmission fluid can leak out of the transmission pan, the pan gasket, the pan seal, the metal hoses, and even out of the torque converter. Transmission fluid will leak more from the center of your car than from the front where the engine is. The fluid is generally red and slick to the touch.
Grinding Gears
If you drive a manual transmission, you may find that you are grinding gears even though you have experience with a stick shift. Neither a manual or automatic transmission should grind the gears. This is a sign that clutch or gear parts have worn down, and it can also be an indicator of transmission fluid problems.
Power Loss
Your transmission not only shifts gears. It also sends power to the wheels so they spin and your car moves forward. Power loss can start in the transmission. If the torque converter is failing, it might not be able to generate the power needed to get your wheels spinning or to keep them spinning.
Slipping Gears
Another cause of power loss is when your transmission slips out of gear. The transmission might go into gear easily but cannot stay in gear. When this happens, the transmission slips into neutral and you will lose power. You will also hear your engine rev higher than normal.
Set up an appointment with McCurley’s Shell in Atlanta, GA, right away if you suspect your automatic or manual transmission is going bad. The quicker we fix the problem the less damage.
