Your transmission is one of the key components of your car’s powertrain. If the transmission is in trouble, you’re not going anywhere. Heath’s Auto Service has these tips for you to help you to recognize issues with your transmission.
Shifting Feels Rough
Rough shifting means that the car feels jumpy or jolting when it tries to shift up a gear. You might even find that the car seems to hesitate before finding that next gear, which can also have a jolting effect for you. When this is happening only once in a while, you might just think it’s an odd occurrence, when your transmission is really trying to tell you something.
Shifting Is Noisy
Your transmission shouldn’t be noisy. What you’ll typically hear is your car’s engine, not the transmission. So, if you’re hearing grinding sounds, whining sounds, and clunks from the transmission, that’s a big sign that your transmission isn’t operating correctly. The big giveaway is if you’re hearing those sounds behind you, because the transmission is in the rear of the car.
Your Transmission Is Leaking
Transmission fluid leaks are no joke at all. Newer transmission fluid is red in color and it’s mostly clear. But older transmission fluid is usually brown, or black if it’s really old. It’s also not so clear anymore. Like with the noises, if you’ve got fluid on the ground underneath the back of the car, it’s probably transmission fluid.
You Notice the Transmission Slipping
If you’ve never felt a transmission slip, you might think it sounds a little bit odd. What happens is that the transmission isn’t able to find the right gear so it falls back to the previous gear. You’ll probably hear the engine race a bit because it’s sending the power you’re requesting through the accelerator, but the transmission isn’t able to keep up.
The Check Engine Light Appears
The biggest sign and probably the scariest, that there are issues with your transmission is that you see the check engine light on your dashboard. That’s your ultimate sign that you need to get your car into the shop as soon as possible. Ignoring the check engine light never goes well, because the problem doesn’t fix itself.
Worried about your transmission? Let us help at Heath’s Auto Service at Scottsdale Airport, AZ. We can diagnose exactly what’s troubling your transmission and help you to get safely back on the road again fast.
