5 Reasons Your Volkswagen Doesn't Move Even Though the Engine Is Revving
The sound of an engine revving is a siren song that we love. But if the engine revs when the transmission is in gear and the car doesn't move, that sound becomes frustrating rather than enticing. Modern transmissions are incredibly complex. They work well, but there are also a number of possible points of failure. If your engine is revving but the car isn't moving, here are five common reasons. In most of these cases, it's best to have your Volkswagen inspected at an authorized dealership.
5. The Car Is Not In Gear
Most people who drive a manual transmission have made this mistake. The light turns green, you let the clutch out, and hit the gas only to realize you're still in neutral. However, not having the transmission in gear can also happen to driver's of automatic transmissions, and it may not even be the driver's fault.
Something might be off in your manual transmission where the gear shift seems to be in the right position without being in gear. With an automatic transmission, the shift indicator might be a little off so it looks like you're in gear when you're not, or a shift solenoid might be bad and the transmission just doesn't know it's supposed to be in gear. Whatever the case, this is a matter that should probably be checked out by factory-certified experts like those in our service center at Archer Volkswagen.
4. Worn Clutch
This one that primarily matters for cars with manual transmissions. When your clutch begins to wear out, you may notice less acceleration while the engine revs a little higher than you might expect. If this is the case, it may well be time for a new clutch. While you can take certain steps to lengthen the lifespan of your vehicle's clutch (like not riding the clutch), it will eventually wear out if you drive your car for enough miles.
3. Bad Torque Converter
The torque converter does for automatic transmissions what the clutch does for manual transmissions. Much like a clutch, a torque converter can slip out of gear if something is wrong with it. This also causes the engine to rev without delivering any power to the wheels. However, diagnosing a bad torque converter isn't necessarily an easy thing. Since this part makes use of fluid dynamics, simply not having enough fluid can often present similar symptoms as a bad torque converter. This is another one that you're best off trusting to the experts so you know you'll get the problem fixed right the first time.
2. Bad Shift Solenoid
A transmission shift solenoid is an important part for many automatic transmissions. The shift solenoid is essentially a hydraulic valve that allows transmission fluid to flow through the system. If a shift solenoid fails, hydraulic fluid may not move as it's supposed to. This can cause slipping gears, as well. It could even cause your transmission to get stuck in neutral.
1. Low or Contaminated Automatic Transmission Fluid
The transmission fluid inside an automatic transmission enables the gears to shift while also lubricating moving parts and cooling the entire transmission. If a leak develops, low transmission fluid may keep your Volkswagen from shifting as it should. It's not just low transmission fluid that can cause this problem. Fluid that has been sitting in the transmission for too long can break down.
