Owning a vehicle means you may have to face transmission problems at one time or another. In some cases, these problems crop up with seemingly no apparent reason other than regular use of your car. However, other cases, the transmission problems may stem from lack of proper maintenance or inadequate transmission servicing. When it comes to transmission problems, it is best to always have them looked at by a professional auto mechanic rather than trying to diagnose and remedy the problem on your own. Your vehicle's transmission comprises delicate components, and mishandling one could cause the entire system to fail. Here are some of the signs of compromised transmission fluid that you should not ignore.
Your transmission fluid is leaking
There are several reasons why your transmission fluid may be leaking. These include a ruptured fluid line, a damaged gasket, a malfunctioning drive shaft, faulty seals, broken vacuum hose and more. For your transmission to work efficiently, it needs a sufficient amount of fluid. If your vehicle is suffering from a fluid leak, this causes low transmission fluid levels, which will affect the hydraulic pressure in the system.
Additionally, insufficient transmission fluid also affects the vehicle's ability to cool itself while in use. One of the signs to look out for that would indicate a transmission fluid leak is red spots on the ground where your vehicle has been parked. When you see these, it is best to enlist the services of a mechanic post haste, so that they can establish the cause of the leak and fix it before your entire transmission system is compromised.
Your transmission fluid is burning
There are a number of reasons why your transmission fluid could be burning. The most common reason is if there are contaminants that have made their way into the transmission fluid. When this contaminated fluid is used to lubricate the moving parts of your vehicle's transmission, the contaminants will burn leading to the inefficient lubrication of the system.
The second reason why your transmission fluid may burn is that you are using the wrong transmission fluid in your vehicle. Other than the distinct smell of burning fluid when driving your car, you may also find that your transmission fluid has turned black or a dark brown, rather than being bright red. Continuous use of your vehicle with your transmission fluid burning will not only cause a build-up of sludge in the system, but could eventually cause complete failure of your transmission system.
For more questions about your car's transmission, contact a service station like Precision Automatic Transmissions.
