Taking care of your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s automatic transmission will extend its life. Oxford Automotive advises that transmission services are recommended every 30,000 miles. This allows us to change the fluid that protects the transmission and inspect all of the parts. Replacing a part before it goes bad will prevent further damage to your automobile’s transmission. If it has been more than 30,000 miles since you’ve had your transmission serviced, you may notice the following signs of transmission problems.
1. Burning or Hot Odors
Burning or hot odors coming from the transmission indicate that the transmission is not being protected as it operates. Unfortunately, the transmission fluid may be dirty or too low. This is an indication that the transmission fluid needs to be changed right away.
2. Neutral Humming Noises
You should never hear humming noises when your transmission is in neutral. If you do, this is a sign of serious transmission problems. Other sounds that indicate that your transmission is going bad include squealing or grinding noises and clunking sounds.
3. Problems Shifting Gears
The transmission will have problems shifting gears when it is going out. It may hesitate to shift gears at the right time or refuse to shift the gears at all. More on that below. A faulty transmission may also skip gears or slip out of gear.
4. Red Spots on the Garage Floor
If you see red spots on your garage floor underneath your automobile, you have a transmission fluid leak. The spots will be located toward the center of your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Have the transmission leaks fixed as soon as possible to prevent low transmission fluid in the transmission.
5. Unresponsive Transmission
As we mentioned above, there may come a point that your transmission will refuse to shift through the gear cycle. A transmission that has broken down completely will also refuse to go into gear.
6. Vibrating or Shaking
If your automobile is vibrating or shaking when the transmission is doing its job, you need to have your transmission inspected. The gear shifts should be relatively smooth. The only movement should be the slight give when the engine RPMs change.
7. Check Engine Warning
Finally, all of these symptoms of a bad transmission might be accompanied by an illuminated check engine light on your vehicle’s dashboard. This is the engine control module, the main computer chip, telling you there’s a problem.
Call Oxford Automotive in Oxford, PA, at the first sign of automatic transmission trouble. We will inspect your transmission and make the necessary repairs.
