If your car, truck, or utility vehicle is not shifting gears when it needs to, you have a serious problem with your automatic transmission. If you find it difficult to shift the gears yourself, you’ve got a problem with your manual transmission. Either way, C&C Automotive can help. Here are signs that your vehicle’s transmission is going out. Don’t keep driving it if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below.
Burning Odors
Burning or hot odors coming from your automobile is dangerous no matter what the problem is. In the case of the transmission, it is overheating likely because the transmission oil is old and too low. It’s important to have the transmission oil changed every 30,000 miles to prevent the transmission from overheating.
Gear Problems
Aside from refusing to shift through the gear cycle, other gear problems that point to an issue with the transmission include unresponsiveness when you try to put it into gear, slipping out of gear, and skipping gears in the gear cycle. None of these things are normal and need to be addressed right away.
Leaking Fluid
If you see red spots or puddles on your garage floor, your transmission is leaking fluid. The transmission is located underneath your automobile, so the fluid leak will be toward the center. If the fluid leak is underneath the engine, you are either leaking power steering fluid or engine coolant.
Shaking/Vibrating
Your vehicle should not shake or vibrate as it shifts through the gear cycle. If you notice that the gears are shifting very roughly, again, you may have low transmission fluid that needs to be replaced. It’s also possible that the gears have worn down and are struggling to shift.
Strange Noises
Another sign that your transmission is having problems is a humming noise when your vehicle is in neutral. You may also hear your gears grind when they shift, or you may hear squealing sounds. You shouldn’t hear these sounds or a clunking noise.
Check Engine Light
Finally, if the transmission is going out, your vehicle’s main computer chip will turn on the check engine light. It’s important to take this warning seriously as it is very accurate. Rarely does the check engine light turn on when there isn’t a problem.
C&C Automotive has auto service shops in Georgia and South Carolina. Call the shop closest to you for an appointment. We would be happy to inspect your vehicle’s transmission, diagnose what’s wrong, and let you know what it will take to fix it. Once you give us the okay, we will repair your vehicle’s transmission.
