If your transmission, whether automatic or manual, will not go into gear, this is a sign that the transmission needs to be repaired. LP & Sons Auto Care advises that regular transmission maintenance can help prevent the need for repairs. Generally, you should have your transmission looked at every 30,000 miles. Aside from the transmission refusing to go into gear, here are other signs that your transmission is going bad and needs to be serviced or repaired.
Other Gear Problems
If you can get your transmission into gear, it may not engage in that gear. It may also skip through gears in the gear cycle or slip out of gear and go into neutral. Your transmission should never fight you when you put it in gear and it should shift through the gear cycle seamlessly. If this isn’t happening, the transmission needs to be inspected.
Burning/Hot Odors
If you smell hot or burning odors coming more from underneath your automobile than from the engine, this is a sign that the transmission is overheating. An overheating transmission is a damaged transmission. If you continue to drive your automobile with the transmission overheating, you will damage it further.
Leaking Red Fluid
Part of the reason why a transmission would overheat is due to low transmission fluid. If you see red spots on your garage floor toward the center of your automobile, your transmission is leaking. It can leak from the pan, the pan gasket, or any of the hoses or seals.
Grinding/Squealing
Your transmission should shift gears without making any noise. If you hear grinding, squealing, or clunking, when the transmission shifts gears, your transmission needs to be repaired. You also shouldn’t hear any sounds such as humming when the vehicle is in neutral.
Shaking/Vibrating
As we said above, the transmission should go through the gear cycle seamlessly. If your vehicle shakes or vibrates at each gear change, you may have low transmission fluid or the transmission may need other repairs. The gear shifts should be smooth.
Check Engine Light
Finally, you may end up with an illuminated check engine light if your transmission is going bad. We can diagnose the reason why your check engine light came on and, if it is accompanied by the other signs listed above, it’s probably a safe bet the problem is the transmission.
LP & Sons Auto Care in DeLand, FL, is the only auto service shop you need. Call us today if your transmission is acting up.