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Transmission
Troubles
Top 10 Signs of
Transmission Trouble
BY AKWELI PARKER & CHRISTOPHER NEIGER
Diagnosing
car problems yourself may seem like an impossible task, but try to think
of it in terms of your own body.
For
instance, if your stomach begins to hurt without warning, you'll probably start
thinking of the last thing you ate in order to figure out why you're having the
pain.
A
similar type of thinking goes into diagnosing car trouble. The moment you start
noticing something out of the ordinary, it's time to start considering the
problem and finding a way to fix it.
Mechanical
auto problems, as opposed to electrical auto problems, are usually coupled with
distinct sounds and sensations that are key indicators that something isn't
functioning the way it was designed to.
Transmissions take
a lot of use over the years, and after a while, they're bound to start having
some problems.
Transmission
repairs can be expensive, so it's worthwhile to pay attention to anything that
seems unusual.
If you think you may be having some
car trouble or if you're just looking to learn more about potential
transmission problems, check out these 10 signs of transmission trouble and
stay one step ahead of your car.
10 Refuses to Go Into Gear
Believe
it or not, there are still quite a few people out there who practice the fading
art of shifting manually, with a foot pedal and a "stick" gearshift,
and who do so willingly.
Despite their somewhat simpler operation, manual
transmissions nonetheless have their share of things that can go wrong.
One
potential problem is that the transmission refuses to budge when you depress
the clutch pedal and attempt to move the stick shifter.
It
may happen when trying to get into first gear from a stop, or at any point up
and down the assorted gears.
Common
causes include low transmission fluid, wrong viscosity (thickness) of
fluid, or required adjusting of the shift cables or clutch linkage.
The nose knows when
it comes to things being not quite right with your vehicle.
9 Burning Smell
If
you get a whiff of burning transmission fluid, be advised it is definitely not
the sweet smell of success. That's because it may indicate your transmission is
overheating.
Transmission
fluid not only keeps the transmission's many moving parts properly lubricated,
but it prevents the unit from burning itself up, by providing much-needed
cooling.
In
some vehicles, the transmission even has its own mini-radiator (an oil cooler)
that circulates fluid to transport heat away from the transmission unit itself.
Common
causes include low or inadequate transmission fluid, which can in turn indicate
a leak or dirty fluid that needs changing.
If
you thought your transmission was safe from wear at least while it was in
neutral, the truth might surprise you. Look to the next page for the scoop on
noises in neutral.
8 Transmission Noisy in Neutral
It
seems intuitive that if you hear weird noises when the car should be shifting,
that the transmission is acting up.
But
would you suspect it if things were going "bump" in neutral? Yes, it
could be the transmission.
Such sounds could have a simple and inexpensive
solution -- as with many of the problems on our list, adding or replacing the
transmission fluid sometimes does the trick.
Bear
in mind that as is the case with engine oil, different vehicles do best with
the specific formulation called for in the owner's manual.
Alternatively, lots of noises from the transmission while it's in neutral could
signal something more serious, like mechanical wear that will need the
replacement of parts. In this case, common culprits are a worn reverse idler
gear or worn bearings, possibly coupled with worn gear teeth [source: Procarcare.com].
Losing control
while driving is never a fun experience. Find out on the next page how a bum
transmission could have a car "slipping" toward disaster if not
repaired in time.
7 Gears Slipping
In
a normally functioning transmission,
the car stays in the gear you designate, or that the computer designates for a
given RPM range, until you or the computer initiate a gear shift.
But
on a transmission in which the gears slip, the car can spontaneously pop out of
the gear it's in while driving and (in a manual) force the stick back into
neutral [source: Procarcare.com].
This
is unnerving at best and potentially dangerous at worst: when you mash the gas
pedal to avoid an out-of-control vehicle, the last thing you want is a
transmission that doesn't get power to the wheels.
No
need to scratch your head over whether this is trouble or not: if it happens,
you know it's time to have your transmission examined.
Our
next trouble sign might seem like a real "drag" if it happens to your
vehicle, but its fix is often not so complicated -- see what it is on the next
page.
6 Dragging Clutch
Here's
another transmission trouble sign that haunts manual transmission vehicle
owners: the dreaded dragging clutch.
A
dragging clutch is one
that fails to disengage the clutch disk from the flywheel when the driver
pushes in the clutch pedal.
When the driver attempts to shift gears, he or she
can't because the still-engaged clutch is still spinning along with the engine.
The driver is abruptly made aware of this by the grinding noise that then
ensues with each attempt to shift.
Fortunately,
the most common cause for this problem is not that severe or costly to fix --
at least not compared to some other transmission issues. More often
than not, the problem is too much slack in the clutch pedal.
With
too much free play, the cable or linkage between the pedal and the clutch disk
doesn't have enough leverage to disengage the clutch disk from the flywheel (or
pressure plate).
Some
transmission trouble signs are plainly visible even to the lay person -- if
that person knows what to look for. To learn about one of the most obvious
ones, continue to the next page.
5 Leaking Fluid
Leaking transmission
fluid is probably one of the easiest ways to identify that your
transmission needs attention.
Automatic
transmission fluid is vital to your car's shifting capabilities, so a little
fluid on your driveway can quickly turn into a major problem.
Automatic
transmission fluid is bright red, clear and a little sweet-smelling when
everything's working correctly [source: AAMCO].
When
you check your automatic transmission fluid, make sure it's not a dark color
and that it doesn't have a burnt smell. If it is, you'll need to take it to a
mechanic and have it replaced.
Unlike
your car's motor oil, the transmission doesn't really consume or burn up any
fluid during use, so if you notice you're running low on fluid, then it's
definitely leaking out somewhere.
If you have a manual transmission, checking the fluid
levels may not be as easy as simply lifting the hood and reading a dipstick.
Manual
transmission fluid has to be checked right at the transmission case -- usually
through the fill plug. Again, if you suspect your transmission is losing fluid,
have a mechanic locate the leak and have it fixed.
If your fluid level is good, there's another easy way to know if there's
something wrong with the transmission: go on to the next page to see how you
can find out if your transmission is having problems -- without even having to
pop the hood.
4 Check Engine Light
The
check engine light can be a great early indicator that something is
starting to go wrong with your transmission
.
The
check engine light can come on for any number of reasons not related to your
transmission as well, but don't overlook this clear warning sign.
In
newer cars there are sensors throughout the engine that pick up irregularities
in the engine and notify the computer that there's something wrong in a
particular area.
In
the case of transmissions, these sensors can pick up vibrations and early
problems that you may not even be able to feel or see.
If
you want to know if your check engine light is telling you about a transmission
problem, you can purchase a diagnostic scan tool that you plug into your car
underneath the driver's side of the instrument panel.
scan
tool will display a code that corresponds to the area of the vehicle causing
the fault. If the code tells you there's a transmission problem, well, that's a
good time to see your mechanic.
But even if your check engine light isn't on, you can still
be on the lookout for transmission problems.
3 Grinding or Shaking
Depending
on whether you have a manual or automatic transmission,
your car may respond differently when your transmission isn't working
correctly.
As
noted in a previous section, with a manual transmission,
a common sign of trouble is a grinding sound or feeling when you shift into a
new gear.
If
you fully engage the clutch, shift and then hear a grinding sound, you may
have a worn clutch or you may just need to have it adjusted [source: AAMCO].
Or
perhaps one or more of your transmission's gear synchronizers, or synchros, is
worn out or damaged. Grinding gears can be caused by a number of different
factors.
For automatic transmissions problems, you'll most
likely feel the car shimmy into each gear rather than the typical almost
unnoticeable shifts, or the transmission will make a jarring transition into
the next gear. Both are signs that your transmission needs attention.
If
you notice anything other than a smooth transition between gears, then you
might need to have your automatic transmission looked at for adjustments or
repair.
But feeling transmission problems aren't the only way to use
your senses. Go on to the next page to see what sounds you should be listening
for as well.
2 Whining, Clunking and Humming
It's
difficult to nail down exactly how your car may sound if there's transmission trouble, but one thing's
pretty certain, you'll probably get a that-doesn't-sound-right feeling when you
hear it.
Every
car is built differently, so the sounds they produce can vary greatly, but if
you have an automatic transmission, there's a good chance you may hear a
whining, humming or even a slight buzzing sound [source: Lee Myles Transmissions and Auto Care].
With
manual transmissions, the sounds will usually come across as a bit more abrupt
and mechanical sounding. If you shift gears and hear a clunking sound, then you
definitely need to have it checked out by a professional [source: AAMCO].
But
a clunking sound from underneath your vehicle may not always point to a
transmission problem. Your constant velocity joints (CV joints), or even your
differential may be the culprit [source: AAMCO].
The sounds you hear may happen from time to time at first,
but if you neglect the noises, they'll occur more frequently as time goes on.
1 Lack of Response
Transmissions are
designed to go into the correct gear every time, so when they hesitate or
refuse to go, it's a sure sign there's something wrong.
With
manual transmission problems, you may notice after shifting into a gear that
the car’s engine will rev up, but the car won't be moving as quickly
as the engine is running. In this case, a worn-out clutch or more serious
transmission problem may be occurring [source: AAMCO].
Automatic
transmissions have the same lack-of-response problem, but will usually manifest
the issue while engaging the "Park" or "Drive" selection.
The
car should shift quickly into either of these modes, but if your transmission
hesitates to go into either one, then it's likely there's an issue with the
transmission.
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Automatic
transmissions have the same lack-of-response problem, but will usually manifest
the issue while engaging the "Park" or "Drive" selection.
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Automatic transmission fluid should be bright
red, clear and a little sweet-smelling.
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Does your
transmission ever slip out of gear?
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There's a lot going
on inside of your car's transmission. But how do you know when something isn't
right?
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Pay attention to your
car's warning lights.
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Ignore the noises
your car makes for long enough and you could eventually wind up like this
unfortunate driver.
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