Top 10 Signs of Transmission Trouble
Diagnosing car problems by yourself may seem like a difficult task, but if you know what you are looking for, it can be quite easy. Generally sounds, smells, and feel can help you determine what is wrong with your car. You can diagnose it much like a doctor looks at a patient’s symptoms to determine what is wrong with them . Here are the top ten signs that Your car is having transmission problems.
Your Car Refuses to Go Into Gear
One potential problem is that the transmission refuses to budge when you press down the clutch petal and attempt to move the stick shift. It may happen when trying to get into first gear from a stop or at any point up and down the assorted gears. A common cause of this is low transmission fluid or a need for an adjustment of the shift cables.
Your Car is Giving Off A Burning Smell.
- If you can smell burning transmission fluid, chances are your transmission is overheating. That may indicate that your transmission fluid is not doing its job and keeping the transmission cool. You most likely have have a leak in your transmission fluid line or it is dirty and needs to be changed.
Noisy Transmission in Neutral
- If you hear strange noises while you are shifting, try putting it in neutral. If you hear a bump, your transmission may be acting up. When your transmission makes noise when it is in neutral, it can be as simple as changing the transmission fluid. It could also signal a much bigger problem and the need for replacement parts.
Slipping Gears
- Does your transmission pop out of gear and into neutral while you are driving? If so, you need to get your car looked at immediately. A slipping transmission can be very dangerous because you can lose power to your wheels at random.
Dragging Clutch
- A Dragging clutch is when your clutch fails to disengage from the flywheel when the driver pushes the clutch pedal. When the driver attempts to shift gears, they cannot because the clutch is still engaged. Fortunately this issue is generally inexpensive to fix and just requires a tightening of the clutch cable.
Leaking Fluid
- If you car has a puddle underneath it in your driveway, you need to check which type of fluid it is. If it is a red fluid, it is your transmission fluid leaking. Check your transmission fluid, if it is low, chances are you have a leak. Take it to a mechanic and get the leak fixed.
Check Engine Light
- The check engine light can be a great indicator that something is starting to wrong with your transmission. Of course, the check engine light could mean a lot of different things, but it might be a good warning about failing transmission performance. You can run a diagnostic test on your car to find out what is wrong with it by bringing it to your mechanic.
Grinding or Shaking
- If you hear a grinding sound when shifting or if you feel your car shimmy when it changes gears, your transmission needs attention. If your transmission does not shift smoothly, then there is something wrong with it that is holding it back.
Whining, Clunking, and Humming
- If you hear a buzzing, grinding, clunking, or whining sound, you transmission may be failing. It could be a variety of things, but if you are hearing any of these sounds, you car needs to be looked at by a professional.
Lack of Response
- If your car does not go into the correct gear every time, do not hesitate to see your mechanic. If your car sometimes does not go into gear or slips to the wrong gear, it could mean danger on the roads.