Repairing Your Car

What To Do If You Notice Performance Issues With Your Vehicles Transmission

Automatic transmissions are wonderful when they are working correctly, but they can be complex to repair if something goes wrong. The best place to go when your car's transmission is acting up is to a transmission repair shop that has the equipment and trained techs to diagnose and repair the problem for you.

Slipping Transmissions

One common that is problem in automatic transmissions with a lot of miles on them is slipping when they are in gear. The vehicle will often move when the transmission does this, but it may feel like it is not in gear entirely or is slipping on ice. Usually, this is caused by low fluid levels in the transmission or worn clutch bands inside the case. 

A transmission repair shop will be able to determine the cause of the slipping if you take the vehicle in for service. If it is a low fluid issue, they may be able to change the transmission oil and filter, flush the system, and get you back on the road relatively inexpensively. If the slipping is related to something inside the transmission, like the clutch bands, the transmission may need more work and potentially an overhaul to correct the problem. 

Banging And Jumping

The automatic transmission in your car or truck may start to jump or bang into gear as it wears. Often, this is related to the pressure inside the transmission and can result from a worn pump, clogged oil filter, or plugged cooling lines that reduce the system pressure. 

Over time, banging or jumping will worsen if it is not addressed, and it can cause damage to the internal components of the transmission. The repair for this problem often requires a transmission repair shop to test the pump and check the filter, valve body, and other parts of the system to determine where the problem is.

Once the source of the pressure drop is located, the tech can make the transmission repairs, but this type of issue will often result in the need to rebuild the transmission to correct the problem.

Electronic Systems

Like the engine management on modern cars, some transmissions have a control module and many sensors that can also affect the unit's performance. The transmission repair shop can often plug a diagnostic computer into the vehicle to check the controller and the sensors located in the transmission to determine what is going on with the system. 

If a sensor is faulty on the transmission, it can cause the system not to perform correctly, resulting in missed shift points and sluggish performance. It can sometimes mimic the mechanical issues that you see in older cars. The best way to deal with any transmission issue is to take the vehicle to a transmission repair shop and let them sort it out for you. The systems are not easy to work on and often require some specific knowledge to make the repairs correctly.


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