Transmission Trouble: Watch Out For These Potential Warning Signs
Your car's transmission is an important part of what keeps the vehicle running, and yet it's not uncommon for some car owners to overlook this part of the vehicle when it comes time for a maintenance check-up. The typical car owner might remember to change the engine oil or rotate the tires, for example, while forgetting or ignoring the transmission fluid entirely. Failure to properly monitor and provide maintenance for the transmission could lead to a costly transmission replacement that could end up draining your emergency fund. Here are some potential warning signs of transmission trouble to watch out for. Get your car to a repair shop sooner rather than later if you experience any of the following issues if you want to fix the problem before it gets worse.
You Can Hear or Feel the Car Struggling to Shift
Have you been experiencing a delay from the time you press down on the gas pedal to the moment when your car actually begins to accelerate? If you either feel or possibly hear your transmission struggling to get you up to speed, stay off of the highway and pull over to check the problem. One of the most common reasons why your transmission might suddenly struggle to shift properly could be if it is running low on transmission fluid. Check the fluid and top it off if needed. If that doesn't seem to fix the problem, you will want to get professional help ASAP.
A Burning Smell Is Always a Very Bad Sign
The odor of something burning under your hood is obviously a cause for major concern. While it could technically be a number of different things, one of the most common reasons why you might smell a burning odor is if your transmission is overheating or trying to run off of transmission fluid that you have not switched out in a very long time. You can try flushing the fluid and adding a new dose, but once you smell something cooking under the hood, it's probably best to just head immediately to a repair shop to make sure there are no other issues in play.
The Entire Car Shakes When You Shift
A properly running transmission will allow the car to get up to speed (or slow back down) without causing any stir at all within the passenger cabin. If you suddenly notice that the entire car or at least the engine hood seems to vibrate or shake a bit every time you change to a different speed, this is a warning sign that your transmission might be about to fail. Get off the highway and to a transmission shop as soon as you can.
To learn more, contact a transmission repair shop.