No dashboard warning lights, smooth engine performance, no leaking fluids, and fantastic gas mileage are all signs that your vehicle does not have any performance issues. Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostics and Repair advises that if your automatic transmission starts to go bad, you will notice one or more of the following problems.
Check Engine Warning
Your dashboard may tell you that the transmission is malfunctioning when the engine control unit turns on the check engine light. This light covers the transmission because it does not have a light of its own. The check engine light will stay on until you have the transmission serviced or repaired.
Leaking Transmission Fluid
Your automatic transmission is telling you that it has a problem if it is leaking transmission fluid onto the garage floor. Transmission fluid leaks from the center of your automobile and it is the color red. If the transmission fluid is too old, it may be brown or black.
Overheating Transmission
A transmission fluid leak can reduce the level of fluid in the transmission and cause the automatic transmission to overheat. You will smell burning odors coming from underneath your automobile if the transmission gets too hot. As an aside, this can also happen with a faulty catalytic converter.
Problems Shifting Gears
One way to tell that the problem lies with the transmission instead of the catalytic converter is problems shifting gears. Your transmission may struggle to shift through the gear cycle, hesitate for extended periods, skip gears, or slip out of gear and into neutral.
Shaking or Vibration
When the transmission does shift gears, everything should be smooth and seamless. Your vehicle should not shake or vibrate. If it does, this is a sign that your transmission fluid may be too old or too low. It can also be a sign that the transmission is wearing out and needs to be rebuilt.
Strange Transmission Noises
The only noise that you should hear when your transmission is operating is the changes in your engine’s RPMs. If you hear strange noises such as humming, clunking, or grinding, the transmission needs to be looked at right away.
Unresponsive Transmission
Finally, if your transmission dies completely, it will become unresponsive. This means it will not shift gears nor will it go into gear. Bringing your vehicle to our shop at this first sign of transmission trouble helps to prevent it from becoming completely unresponsive.
Call Hummel’s Automotive Diagnostics and Repair in St. George, UT, today to schedule an appointment for an automatic transmission check.
