Top 5 Most Common Transmission Problems
Without a working transmission, you won’t be hitting the open road any time soon. And unfortunately, there are several problems that this critical part of your car may start experiencing at any time, especially if you’ve been driving your vehicle for a few years now. If regularly turning down road trip adventures isn’t something you’re about, then you’ll want to keep your car in good shape to ensure you always have reliable transportation. Keep an eye out for these 5 Signs Your Transmission is Slipping.
- Leaking Transmission Fluid
The most common transmission issue is when the fluid in this part of the car begins leaking, so be sure to check fluid levels on a regular basis. If your transmission fluid seems low, even though you recently filled it, you might have a leak, which can cause your gears to slip and your transmission to shift slower than usual. A number of issues can cause a leak of this kind, including unsecured bolts or seals on the transmission pan, worn out transmission pan gaskets, or perforated transmission fluid lines. Once you fix the underlying problem, be sure to flush and replace the transmission fluid before you get back on the road. You can also use No Leak Transmission Stop Leak to prevent or stop leaks in this part of your car.
- Broken Universal Joint
If you start hearing a squeaking sound any time your car idles, you might have a broken universal joint on your car. This means your wheels won’t get as much power as they need, likely because the transmission mounts broke at some point. You might also notice transmission fluid leaking from the back of the transmission if this is the issue. If you’re not sure how to repair or replace the universal joint yourself, it’s time to take your car to a mechanic.
- Torque Converter Issues
Another of the top 5 Signs Your Transmission is Slipping is when the torque converter is damaged. More specifically, the needle bearings inside the torque converter might be worn out or destroyed. This may cause a grinding noise any time the car is in gear, at which point the needle bearings become hot. Note that you probably won’t hear the grinding noise when the vehicle is in neutral—only when it’s in drive. If this occurs, you know the problem is likely the torque converter.
- Solenoid Problems
The solenoid in the transmission determines the flow of the transmission fluid. When this part is damaged, your car might behave as it would with a fluid leak, but there isn’t one. So if your transmission doesn’t change gears smoothly anymore, yet there is not a transmission fluid leak, there may be a problem with the solenoid. If you’re wondering what causes solenoid damage, it’s often either electrical issues in the vehicle or poor fluid levels.
- Jammed Clutch
If your car’s gears seem to be slow to move when you shift, the clutch—which sits within the torque converter—may be stuck. This can lock up the solenoid, meaning the torque converter suddenly doesn’t have enough transmission fluid in it. If this happens, you might notice your car shaking and the temperature rising, along with the power to the engine dropping quite a bit. If you think your clutch is jammed or damaged in any way, your car needs to be seen by a mechanic before you try to drive it.
Now that you know about the top 5 Signs Your Transmission is Slipping, start paying attention to how your car drives so you can catch any problems early. If you’re not sure how to check for transmission problems yourself, take your car to a trusted mechanic for help from the experts.
It’s good to know that if there’s a squeaking sound when the car’s idling that it may mean it has a broken universal joint and I should bring it to a mechanic. My car hasn’t been acting right lately and I’ve started noticing a squeaking sound at stoplights. I’d probably benefit from bringing it to a mechanic so they can confirm what’s wrong and see what can be done to fix it.
My Uncle Herman has let us borrow his powerful foreign car for a few months and I want to make sure we maintain it properly. I appreciated it when you stated that hearing squeaking noises when the car goes idle is a good sign of transmission problems because we’ve heard a couple of high-pitched squeaks when parking the car and we had thought it was the seats, but now I know that this could be something even more problematic. I’ll be sure to take Uncle Herman’s car to a repair shop that can take a look at the transmission and any other potentially failing parts. Thank you!