What Should You Do When Your Transmission Starts Slipping?

Jan 21, 2020

What Should You Do When Your Transmission Starts Slipping?

If you’re experiencing transmission slipping, it doesn’t always mean your transmission is going to fail but it is a sign that maintenance is needed. While it may be a minor problem at first, if left untreated, the repair can end up costing you a lot of money.

The clutch is most often the source of the problem for manual transmissions, while there are many different causes for automatic transmissions.

How to know your transmission is slipping

When you’re experiencing transmission slipping, your car will be slow to respond, or sometimes it may not even respond at all. The noticeable change in performance, alongside a noise or change in pitch, when changing gears, or if your car is changing gears suddenly without any input from you, it’s time to take your car to a mechanic.

Here are some signs to watch out for in automatic and manual transmissions:

Automatic transmission slipping symptoms:

  • Is the engine light on?
  • Reverse won’t engage.
  • Unusual noises when shifting.
  • Hard/rough gear changes.

Manual transmission slipping symptoms:

  • Transmission won’t go into gear.
  • Transmission falls out of gear.
  • Grinding during gear changes.

Why does a transmission slip?

If you’re experiencing your transmission slipping, making unhealthy noises or grinding, chances are you’re going to need a thorough diagnosis. Here are some of the common reasons why a transmission will slip:

  • Worn or broken transmission bands.
  • Clutch problems.
  • Worn out gears.
  • Low or burned transmission fluid.
  • Torque converter issues.

What to do when your transmission starts slipping?

If your vehicle is unexpectedly shifting gears without any input from you, you need to take it to a mechanic as soon as possible. It can be a dangerous situation as the vehicle becomes unreliable. Shaking or if the car becomes difficult to control while you’re out driving, you need to get to safety as soon as possible.

Transmission slipping repair

If you’re experiencing any of the above, you need to visit a mechanic sooner rather than later. Here at MyCarNeedsA.com, we do the hard work for you. We gather quotes from mechanics in your local area...

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