Let’s be honest, you never want to have transmission problems. Transmission problems can be expensive, but they can also be avoided. Check your owner’s manual and make sure that you have the factory-scheduled services for your transmission done at the proper mileage milestones, which is usually every 30,000 miles. If you are having problems with your automatic transmission. Mike’s Auto Service & Repair advises that you will notice one or more of the following signs below.
Burning Odors
Your transmission should never smell hot. If you smell heat coming from underneath your automobile, it’s possible that the transmission is overheating because there isn’t enough transmission fluid in it to keep it cool.
Check Engine Light
The transmission does not have a dashboard warning light of its own. As such, the main computer chip in your automobile will turn on the check engine light if there is a problem with the transmission.
Fluid Leaks
Fluid leaks underneath the center of your automobile are definitely coming from the transmission. Transmission fluid is bright red and translucent when it is brand new, and it turns brown to dark brown as it ages. Driving with a leaking transmission can cause it to overheat.
Grinding/Shaking
You should never hear grinding or feel your vehicle shake as your transmission shifts gears. The gear shifts throughout the gear cycle should be smooth, as they should be when you put your automobile into gear. Grinding, clunking, shaking, or vibration indicates a sign of transmission problems.
Humming Sounds
Another sound you should never hear is a humming sound when your vehicle is in neutral. In fact, if you suspect that you are having automatic transmission trouble, place your vehicle in neutral and listen for humming sounds. If you hear them, schedule an appointment with us right away.
Slipping Gears
If you are driving along and suddenly your vehicle loses power yet the engine revs higher, your transmission just slipped out of gear. Your transmission should not have problems shifting through the gear cycle nor should it slip out of gear once it is in gear.
Won’t Respond
A definite sign of automatic transmission problems is a refusal to respond when you put the vehicle into gear. In other words, you may put your automatic transmission into reverse to back out of a parking space only to have the vehicle refuse to go into reverse.
Won’t Switch Gears
Finally, if your transmission has difficulty switching through the gear cycle, such as refusing to shift gears or skipping gears, again, schedule an appointment with our shop right away.
Mike’s Auto Service & Repair in West Springfield, MA, is here for all of your automotive service needs including the transmission.
