Common Troubles With Your Transmission: Knowing What To Watch For

As a car owner, it's important to know what can lead to potential problems with your vehicle. Understanding the most common issues that you might encounter can help you proactively prevent imminent failures. Your transmission is one such component that needs careful attention. Especially in a car with an automatic transmission, many drivers give this valuable component very little thought. In fact, it's not only essential, but also vulnerable to malfunction. Here's a look at some of the most common reasons for transmission trouble to help you adequately prepare. 

Transmission Fluid Trouble

While it might seem like it's not that important, the fluid in your transmission plays a key role in the component's operation. In fact, when your transmission fluid is dirty, burnt, or too low, the transmission won't get the cooling, lubricating benefits that it needs to operate smoothly and properly. This can lead to the grinding of metal components, which may create metal shavings and shards in the transmission. 

Over time, these types of problems can cause complete transmission failure. That's why it's important to monitor your transmission fluid regularly, have the fluid flushed and replaced when necessary, and talk with a transmission repair technician if you have any concerns about your transmission fluid's condition.

Torque Converter Wear Or Damage

The torque converter on your automatic transmission converts the engine's power into a form that's usable by the transmission. Over time, the bearings and other components can wear down and cause problems with the transmission. A common indication of torque converter issues is damage to the needle bearings in the gears.

If your gears have started to sound like they are grinding when the car is in gear, and the sound goes away when you park or put the car in neutral, that's an indication that you may have trouble with the needle bearings, which typically translates also to problems with the torque converter. Your transmission repair technician will have to assess this and replace the necessary parts.

Solenoid Failure

Another common issue that you might encounter with a car's transmission is solenoid trouble. The solenoids regulate transmission fluid flow. When you experience transmission fluid problems, it can transfer into trouble with the solenoids. Additionally, those solenoids can sometimes wear and fail on their own, disrupting the fluid flow through the transmission.

This ultimately causes the gears to grind, may cause gear slipping, and can lead to your transmission overheating. You'll need to have a transmission repair technician assess this as soon as possible to avoid complete transmission failure.

For more information, contact an auto parts retailer in your area like Teddy Bear’s Auto Parts & Salvage Inc.