5 Signs Of Automatic Transmission Problems, Explained By The Experts At Archer Volkswagen In Houston
The transmission in your vehicle is responsible for smoothly sending engine power to the drive shaft and wheels. It'll also shift gears so you can have quick acceleration or efficient highway cruising depending on what you need at any given moment. In fact, an automatic transmission might be the most complex part of your car -- even more so than the engine and electronics.
Transmission problems can make your car inoperable, and can be costly to fix -- however, many transmission problems are simply caused by old automatic transmission fluid. Did you know that most cars need to have the ATF changed regularly? If you didn't, you're not alone. We can change your your vehicle's transmission fluid quickly in our service center to keep your transmission running strong.
Here are five symptoms you might notice if your transmission is starting to fail. To get it fixed, head to Archer Volkswagen, where a technician can replace your transmission fluid or carry out any other necessary repairs.
5. Check Engine Light Is On
Don't be fooled by its name. The "Check Engine" light in your vehicle's dashboard can be turned on for a wide variety of reasons, including problems that have nothing to do with the engine itself. Problems in the electronics, brakes and transmission can all be indicated by a check engine light. If your check engine light has turned on, you'll want to visit Archer Volkswagen. One of our technicians can connect a sophisticated code reader to the OBD-II port on your vehicle. We'll take the data we get and use it to begin diagnosing your problem. If it's a transmission fault that's caused the light to come on, we'll know as soon as we get the diagnostic data from your vehicle's computer.
4. Rough, Hard Shifts
When your automatic transmission is working correctly, it should shift between gears relatively smoothly and seamlessly. If you notice a jerking sensation when your car shifts between gears, that could be a sign that your transmission is in need of service. This problem can be caused by low fluid level, or transmission fluid that's extremely old. If the problem isn't caused by a low fluid level, there may be more severe problems internally that you'll want a trained VW technician to take a closer look at.
3. Transmission Fluid Leak
If you find that your automatic transmission is low on fluid, that tells us there's probably a leak somewhere in the system. The transmission is a fully enclosed system that shouldn't ever leak. A transmission fluid leak will need to be fixed by a technician right away. A lack of transmission fluid can cause parts inside the transmission to grind against one another without proper lubrication, leading to damage that can cause your transmission to shift poorly.
2. Slipping Automatic Transmission
In a car with an automatic transmission, the torque converter is designed to allow the engine to spin freely when the car is at a standstill, such as at a stop light. Otherwise, the engine would stall. As you get moving, the torque converter uses fluid dynamics to send power from the engine to the transmission itself. If the correct fluid pressure can't be achieved by the torque converter, the transmission may slip. This means that, even though the engine is working hard, power may not make it to the wheels, as it's been lost to slip at the torque converter. From behind the wheel, this can feel a bit like driving on ice while climbing a steep slope -- a lot of engine noise and not a lot of forward progress. A slipping torque converter can be caused by dirty transmission fluid, a faulty shift solenoid or internal transmission damage.
1. Shuddering, Surging Or Stalling When Changing Gears
Picture it: You're sailing down the highway in overdrive, when suddenly you begin to head up an incline. You can feel the car shuddering beneath you, as if you were traveling down a bumpy gravel road. This can be a sign of a bad transmission. You might also experience a similar shuddering when changing from reverse into drive, or from park into reverse. Sometimes, a brief shudder will be followed by a sudden surge as the fluid pressure returns to normal. This is often caused by contaminated transmission fluid, but can be due to other problems as well. The proper fluid pressure must be maintained, or the transmission could slip and you'll lose power.
If your transmission is slipping, surging or just not shifting the way it once did, head to Archer Volkswagen for expert transmission repair in the Houston area.
