If you cannot get your SUV, car, or truck into gear, the transmission has gone bad. Trinity Auto Care advises that even if you do get the vehicle into gear, the faulty transmission may not shift through the gear cycle. This is a sign that your transmission needs immediate attention. Before this happens, you may notice one or more of the following transmission problems listed below.
Additional Gear Problems
Before your vehicle’s transmission gets to the point that it is unresponsive it will do things such as hesitate to go into gear, hesitate to shift gears, and slip out of gear. It’s important to have the transmission repaired at the first sign of trouble to avoid an unresponsive transmission.
Burning or Hot Odors
Another sign that your transmission needs immediate service is if you smell burning or hot odors coming from underneath your automobile. This is an indication that the transmission fluid is old, dirty, and possibly low. The transmission fluid helps to prevent the transmission from overheating.
Humming or Other Sounds
Your transmission may also tell you that it is going bad if it starts to make strange sounds. For example, if you hear a humming sound when your SUV is in neutral, drive straight to our shop. Grinding and clunking sounds are also precursors to an unresponsive transmission. Something is definitely wrong.
Leaking Red Fluid
Your transmission may also start to leak if it is going bad. Transmission fluid is red unless it is old and dirty. If it is, it will be brown. Transmission fluid can leak out of the transmission pan as well as the pan gasket. It can also leak out of the hoses, seals, and the torque converter.
Shaking or Wobbling
Your SUV may also shake or wobble when the transmission shifts gears or when you manually shift gears. It’s important to note that this should not happen. The gear shifts should be smooth and seamless. The only change you should notice is the difference in your engine’s RPMs.
Check Engine Warning
Finally, all of the symptoms of a bad transmission listed above might be accompanied by a dashboard warning. In the case of the transmission, your vehicle’s main computer chip, the engine control module, turns on the check engine light and leaves it on until the transmission is repaired.
Call Trinity Auto Care in Blaine or White Bear Lake, MN, today to schedule an appointment for your SUV or other automobile if the transmission is acting as if it is going bad.
