Trust us here at Accurate Auto. It’s hard to ignore a malfunctioning automatic transmission. Your car, truck, or utility vehicle will give you very distinctive signs when the transmission is going bad. We are going to list what these signs are below so you know what they are.
1. Burning Odors
Burning odors can indicate a problem with the transmission, the brakes, or the engine. If the hot smells are coming from underneath your automobile, it could be the transmission or the brakes. Usually, when the transmission overheats, the smell will be hot and somewhat sweet.
2. Check Engine Warning
The check engine light will also come on if your transmission is having problems. The transmission doesn’t have a way to warn you that it is going bad other than the check engine light.
3. Clunking Sensations
You should never hear or feel your transmission clunk when you put it in gear or as it shifts gears. Clunking can indicate that the transmission fluid is too low or the gears are wearing down.
4. Grinding/Squealing Sounds
You also shouldn’t hear grinding or squealing sounds when your transmission shifts through the gear cycle. If you hear the sounds, especially grinding, this is an indication that the clutch is not transferring the power from the engine to the transmission completely as it shifts gears.
5. Leaking Red Fluid
If you see red fluid spots on your garage floor underneath your automobile, it could be transmission fluid. In fact, it is most likely transmission fluid if it is toward the center. A leaking transmission is a sign that the transmission is going bad.
6. Shaking/Vibration
Shaking or vibration as the transmission shifts gears can indicate that you have low transmission fluid or, again, that the gears are wearing down. You will feel a minor adjustment to the engine’s RPMs when the transmission shifts gears, but this is all that you should feel.
7. Slipping Gears
If your engine revs suddenly and you lose momentum, this is a sign that your transmission has slipped out of gear and is in neutral. This definitely points to a transmission problem that needs to be addressed right away.
8. Sounds in Neutral
When your vehicle is in neutral, all you should hear is the engine idling smoothly. If the engine is idling roughly, you may have a fuel delivery problem in the combustion chamber. If you hear humming sounds, the transmission is going bad.
9. Unresponsiveness
Your transmission should respond when you put it in gear. Unresponsiveness means that it doesn’t go into drive or reverse even though you have shifted the gear level to these gears.
10. Won’t Shift Gears
Finally, a transmission that won’t shift through the gear cycle is a bad transmission. It should shift through each gear smoothly and seamlessly without skipping gears.
Accurate Auto in Beaverton, Hillsboro, or Lake Oswego, OR, can help if you believe your vehicle’s transmission is going bad. Call the shop closest to you today.