Your car’s transmission is a vital part of the entire vehicle. If your transmission fails, you’re not going anywhere, even with a perfectly functional engine. Integrity Auto Repair doesn’t want to see you stranded on the side of the road, so here are some ways you can spot problems with your transmission before it fails completely, which can be a very expensive repair.
1. Your Car Vibrates or Hesitates When You Accelerate
When you accelerate, your automatic transmission should shift gears at about the same speed. If you notice that the car vibrates, or you feel hesitation before the car shifts gears, that’s a possible transmission issue. In a manual transmission, you might still feel hesitation after you put the car in gear and press down on the accelerator. You may also find it difficult to put your car in gear in the first place.
2. You Smell a Burning Smell
If the transmission is leaking fluid somewhere that you can’t see, you’re likely to smell it instead. Transmission fluid burns when it gets too hot, and the smell is somewhat sweet and kind of musty. If the transmission itself isn’t working well, it can get too hot, too, which can make the reservoir of transmission fluid smell as if it’s burning. This will also smell hot, sweet, and musty.
3. You’ve Got Big Puddles of Transmission Fluid
On the other side of a transmission fluid leak, you’ve got actual spots or puddles on your garage floor. Any time that you see puddles of red fluid under the center of your car toward the rear, that’s a bad sign. Transmission fluid is crucial to the system. It protects the gears, moving parts, and helps the transmission to shift. Leaking fluid will lower the level of transmission fluid and damage the trannie.
4. Your Transmission Fluid Is Black or Pink
To flesh this out further, if the fluid is red or brown and clear, that’s actually a good sign. It means that the transmission fluid isn’t too dirty and has been doing its job. If the fluid is black or pink, that’s a bad sign. Black transmission fluid means it’s dirty, oxidized, and damaging the transmission. Pink transmission fluid means there’s coolant leaking from the cooling system into the transmission.
Need help with your car’s transmission problems? Give us a call at Integrity Auto Repair in Eugene, OR, and we can get to the bottom of what’s happening with your transmission. The last thing that you want to do is to keep driving with transmission problems because that can lead to a full replacement.
