The transmission in your vehicle is one of the most important components, and if you notice there are some transmission problems you have to get it into a shop. If there are issues with the transmission, you can have a spiral effect and end up with a lot of other damaged components that will require extensive and expensive repair work. If you think that the problem you're noticing with your car is the transmission, you'll want go over these things.
Recognize Symptoms
There are many signs that the transmission is having mechanical issues in your vehicle. These signs include the following:
- Shaking while the car accelerates or decelerates
- Grinding as the vehicle shifts gears
- Deferred engagement
- Clutch that sticks
You may sometimes smell and odor from the car if the transmission isn't working, and you could also end up with some fluid on the ground where you park your vehicle. These symptoms all require you to see a mechanic to get a diagnosis.
Check Transmission Fluid
If there is a leak in the transmission fluid you should notice that your vehicle is leaking when you pull out of a parking position and there are droplets or small puddles on the ground. Any time you see leaking fluid you should have the vehicle looked at, because the leaking could be oil or something else that your vehicle needs to run. Check the transmission fluid, if it's empty you have a leak.
Get an Evaluation and Estimate
Sometimes the experts won't know how bad the damage to the transmission is until they get inside of it and take it apart. The labor for an estimate could be expensive. When they look at it, find out how much it's going to cost in parts and labor. Take this cost and determine if it's more cost efficient to buy a used transmission and have it installed, or to buy a new or rebuilt transmission. Repairing it may be the most cost efficient, but if it's going to take days or weeks to repair you may want a faster option like installing a used one.
There are a lot of people that drive their vehicle ignoring the signs of a damaged transmission, and then they end up with a damaged clutch and other components. Talk with the mechanics to get your vehicle looked at and fixed as soon as you can, and to see if your vehicle has transmission problems.
