Transmission Slipping: Symptoms & Fixes
The transmission is one of the most daunting areas of the car for many owners. For those that have experience, of course, it seems to be a merely problematic area. For novices, though, it can be downright mystifying. As such, the sadly common problem of transmission slippage can be quite frightening for many. Fortunately, the problem can be fixed. One simply has to know what it means to have a transmission slipping, how to identify the symptoms and what to do when they know the problem has happened. For most, though, this will mean taking it to a shop.
Transmission Slipping: What It Means
Transmission slippage is one of those terrifying car problems that tends to be more insidious than dangerous at first. The problem is generally caused by transmission fluid, in one manner or another. It may be due to an insufficient level of fluid, low fluid pressure or even leakage. When this problem occurs, the functions for which the transmission is responsible begin to become sluggish. This not only includes putting the car in drive or reverse, but the very act of changing gears as the car drives along. As such, slips in the transmission can end up being quite dangerous over time.
The good news is that the problem is actually fixable. Transmission slipping is a bit complex for the average car enthusiast to fix, but it can be done. Most shops offer the service, and it seems that a bit of preventative maintenance at the regularly scheduled time can make more of a difference than anything else. If you are able to take the time to make sure that you are able to pinpoint the problem and have it taken care of in time, though, you may be able to save quite a bit of money and to extend the life of your car.
Transmission Slipping: How You Can Tell
The symptoms of a slipping transmission are actually fairly easy to recognize, especially when you begin to learn what they are. Unfortunately, untrained individuals tend to have a problem differentiating some of these symptoms from those that are found in other sorts of engine problems. The most confusing part, of course, is that some of these symptoms are noise-based. As noises have a sad tendency to sound a bit different to every individual, it is often important to make sure that you pay attention to the other possible sings. Transmission slipping symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Excessive noise when shifting gears
- Odd gear shifting patterns
- Very high RPMs
- Grossly delayed acceleration
- Loss of engine power
If your vehicle is experiencing these symptoms, it is important to get them checked out as soon as possible. The unfortunate fact, though, is that all of these symptoms can easily be explained away as one-time issues or faults related to other problems. As such, encountering these symptoms multiple times is the best way to tell if transmission slippage is actually your real problem.
Transmission Slipping: Getting it Fixed
The bad news about automatic transmission slipping is that it is one of the more complex vehicle problems to attempt to fix. It is definitely not recommended that car repair amateurs attempt this kind of repair on their own, but it can be done with a bit of help and guidance. It is important, though, to remain confident during this process – making the wrong move can make the process even more difficult, and it is almost always wiser to allow a professional to take a look at it if you are not ready to attempt such a repair.
Unfortunately, transmission prices are not inexpensive. Having your transmission flushed can cost upwards of eight hundred dollars, but fully replacing the transmission due to damage can cost far more. Costs of over two thousand dollars are not unheard of, but lower levels of damage can cost far less. As such, it is wise to make sure that you have this sort of problem taken care of early on, as you will have a much better chance to actually save money. Having your transmission flushed on the recommended schedule is a good way to make sure that this is done.
If you fear that your transmission slipping, you should immediately take it to a shop. You may not be able to fix the problem on your own, but you should be able to greatly reduce the price that you have to pay if you are able to take it to a shop in time. You should be able to find a shop that can do the necessary work with relatively little difficulty, but make sure to always find a mechanic that actually knows how to work with transmissions. Taking the time to do so can help you to feel a bit more comfortable with the work done on your vehicle.
