Transmission failure is one of the most terrifying things that can happen to you as a car owner. The gear shifting harshly or not moving at all can be horrifying. Transmission failure repairing can be a huge burden. Anxiety while being on road and a huge amount of repair costs can be quite stressful. Worst case scenario is where you may need to buy a new car in case the transmission failure is not repaired on time by a professional.
To avoid transmission failures, there are plenty of signs that you may come across before it starts failing. By keeping an eye out for these signs, you can take the required steps on time and prevent a bigger problem from happening. This way, you can avoid the massive bill that may be coming your way on the transmission repairs of your car.
Types of Transmission Failures
Transmission failures can be classified in three ways: noise, slipping and complete failure.
• Transmission Noise:
Noises such as whining, whirling, or grinding may occur when the transmission’s mechanical parts are not working correctly. This indicates that there is damage to your transmission. Other reasons for such noises could be that your transmission has no lubricant, it has broken down due to wear and tear and starts to grind with or against other parts of your car’s transmission.
• Transmission Slipping:
Transmission slipping happens when the transmission fails to engage with the engine properly. This will mean that the transmission will lose power and eventually, it will stop working completely. Lack of maintenance, wear and tear on transmission, and computer control issues are some of the common reasons for transmission slipping to occur.
• Transmission Failure:
When the transmission has lost the ability to perform completely, transmission failure has occurred. Slipping, lack of fluid, symptomatic noises, overheating or other outside factors that impact the transmission could be the reason for a total failure of transmission.
Causes for Transmission Failures
Before your transmission breakdowns completely, there are many signs that a car owner can look out for. Necessary steps can be taken to control the damage beforehand that could lead to either rebuilding your car’s transmission or entirely purchasing a new one.
Transmission failure repairs can be quite heavy on your wallet. By noticing the transmission failures sooner, you can solve the issues immediately. This will help you save not only money but also time and make you less anxious while you are on road next time.
1. Worn Out Gears:
One of the first signs that the gear of your car or others parts of your transmission are wearing out is when you get a feel of a clunk while shifting gears. These noises may be a sign that your transmission needs a repair which will be quietly costly or could also mean that there is torque and your transmission is losing power. A part of your transmission is surely having a problem and needs to be looked at.
Pistons, springs, metal drums, bearings, valves, and clutches, are various parts of a transmission, that anyone could need a repair. The transmission also has a planetary gear set that works when one set of gears rotates while another set remains stationary. This creates more ratios of transmission to shift and thus, provides more gears.
In a car, the engine rotates while the transmission does not. Automatic vehicles leverage additional gears such as reverse or overdrive thanks to the planetary gear sets in the transmissions.
2. Clogged Transmission Filters:
Another reason for a transmission failure is a clogged transmission filter. The task of a transmission filter is to clean the transmission fluid. A transmission filter which is dirty or clogged can lead to many problems. It will stop the flow of transmission fluid. This will result in overheating of several parts of your transmission. Fine metal shavings or transmission fluid with heavy clutch material are signs of a damaged transmission. This problem needs to be addressed and solved quickly.
3. Low Transmission Fluids:
Transmission fluid helps to lubricate all the moving parts of the transmission. It helps the hydraulic properties to function properly and let the transmission run smoothly.
Transmission fluid also reduces overheating of the transmission. It takes the heat away from the transmission. If the transmission fluid is leaking, there could be a case of overheating and cause a transmission failure. Lack of or low transmission fluid is the most common reason for transmission failures to occur. If no immediate action is taken, it can cause major damage to the transmission.
You need to maintain transmission fluid well for your car. You can use the manufacturer’s recommendation to use the right fluid for your car. Pay attention to any types of leakages and make sure to fix them as soon as possible.
4. Clutch Not Working Properly:
A clutch which is worn out in a manual transmission can immediately cause a transmission failure. The connection between engine and transmission is no longer properly connected. That is when it can be said that a clutch is worn out. This creates stress on all the parts of the transmission and leads to slipping, grinding, overheating, force shifting and eventually, transmission damage and failure.
A1 Auto Wrecking to The Rescue
A1 Auto Wrecking provides genuine and authentic transmissions for all makes and models, across the USA. In case you need to replace your transmission, you can visit our shop here, get estimates almost instantly and purchase a new transmission in just a few steps.
