When it comes to your vehicle, part of maintaining its longevity is providing regular service checks. This can help to prolong its life and keep one of the most important components running smoothly...your transmission. Having a properly maintained transmission can mean that it lasts longer than the rest of the car. But what happens when your transmission blows? What are the signs of a bad torque converter? Learning these is essential so you can keep an eye out for signs of transmission problems. This allows you to fix the problems that require attention immediately.

Do You Have a Manual or Automatic Transmission?

There are two main types of transmission, automatic and manual. Your transmission channels the power that is generated by the engine to push the wheels. Without it, the car cannot move.

The transmission is also essentially the gearbox. It helps to push both the speed and torque. When you are driving at a higher speed you will need to be in a higher gear. This means that your transmission whining while driving in automatic cars shift gears by themselves, but manual cars require you to shift them with the gear stick. Manual cars are often referred to as a stick shift.

What is a Manual Transmission?

With a manual transmission, the driver operates the car using a clutch and decides when to shift gears. Some people choose to drive a manual car because they are known for the following:

• Fuel efficiency: Since the engines are lighter and less complicated they are known for fuel efficiency.
• Price: It is typically less expensive to purchase a manual transmission car.
• Less likely to be stolen: Most people cannot drive a manual transmission car, therefore it is less likely to be stolen.
• Better control: Choosing the gear you want to ride in offers better control of the vehicle.

The main downside of a manual transmission is that they are not the best for long commutes. There are also fewer cars made with manual transmissions, and they can be difficult to drive in hilly areas. Manual transmission bad synchro symptoms can also occur as well.

What is an Automatic Transmission?

Vehicle automatic transmission automatically shifts gears for the driver. There are a few different types of automatic transmission and bad clutch slave cylinder symptoms.

• Traditional automatic: These are connected to the car’s engine through a torque converter and symptoms of a bad torque converter can be hard to diagnose.
• Dual-clutch automatic: This automatic transmission uses a pair of clutches to engage the gears.

Automatic transmissions are known for the following benefits:

• Easier to drive: It is a lot easier to drive an automatic transmission than it is to learn to drive a stick shift (manual). They also allow you to keep both hands on the wheel.
• Easier in heavy traffic: Rather than shifting continuously during traffic, this is not a problem you have with an automatic transmission. Automatic transmissions only require the driver to use two pedals.

The only downside of an automatic transmission is that it may not be as fuel-efficient, and can often be a bit more expensive to maintain and fix.

Diagnosing Transmission Problems? Check for Smell, Sights, and Sounds!

Transmission Fluid Color

If you notice red-looking fluid on the ground of your driveway, this may indicate that you should look into the level of your transmission. This will need to be checked while the engine is still running. This is important to keep an eye out for because low transmission fluid means you most likely have a leak and you may need to replace a part of your transmission.

Healthy transmission fluid is always transparent. In the event that your transmission fluid looks charred, this means you will need to flush it out. When there are metal flakes in your transmission fluid this means that you have used your transmission excessively, but milky colored fluid means you are suffering from a coolant leak.

Transmission Fluid Smells

Keeping your nose sharp for any odd smells is important, but especially a burning smell. This can indicate that your transmission fluid is burning which is extremely dangerous. Although there are protective additives, once these are burnt off, your transmission can become extremely damaged. This can also allow the buildup of sludge inside the gearbox. You should not try to drive your car until this is rectified.

Transmission Noise

There are many reasons why your transmission might make different noises. Bad torque converter noise is essential to keep an ear out for, especially with manual transmission synchronizer problems. What does a blown transmission sound like? Issues such as a failing transmission pump or a clogged transmission filter are some of the reasons why strange noises might be heard. Typically a well-functioning transmission should be completely quiet. If you hear a hum or a whine, you should bring your car into a shop. This can save a lot of money in the long run.

What Parts Can Cause a Transmission to Go Bad?

Putting your transmission in gear should not require you to put a lot of effort into it. If it takes a lot of force then you most likely have a problem with one or more parts of your transmission. This might be a cable, or an electronic issue, or something like a blown fuse. Another option could be that you have an old pair of spark plugs. Despite this, a failing transmission can cause your car to hesitate. You will notice this because your transmission will not respond as quickly as normal.

Signs and Symptoms of a Bad Clutch

If you notice grinding and shaking, this could be a sign that a manual transmission clutch is beginning to wear out. In this case, the gears may begin to grind together, and this problem will only continue over time. When it comes to an automatic transmission, you may notice shaking or vibrating. This will occurs as the transmission attempts to shift gears.

Signs and Symptoms of a Bad Torque Converter

Automatic vehicles have torque converters. There is a difference between a bad torque converter vs bad transmission. These are a key part of the transmission and allows the car to shift automatically. It also helps to convert power from the engine into hydraulic pressure. When a torque converter fails, it will lead to other trouble with the transmission as well. Transmission problem symptoms and symptoms of a bad torque converter include:

• Loss of Acceleration: Your vehicle may feel slow or like it is shuddering when you push on the gas. This is usually a sign of a problem with the torque converter.
• Slipping Between Gears: All automatic vehicles should shift smoothly by themselves. Although you may be able to somewhat feel this when you accelerate, you should not feel the vehicle slipping. If this is how it feels, meaning the car suddenly slips between them, then there is a possibility you have a torque converter issue. You must keep an eye out for transmission slipping signs.
• Vehicle Won’t Shift at All: One sure sign that your car has a failing torque converter is when the vehicle won’t shift at all. If this is the case, then you will not be able to go into reverse or forward.
• Transmission is Overheating: Your transmission has a temperature gauge and this will warn you if the car is overheating. You will want to get your car looked at as soon as possible in order to make sure there is no other internal damage.
• Transmission Fluid Leak: When the fluid in your transmission is leaking it can affect the performance of the torque converter. Seals are easily damaged and can break, which causes the leak. If you see transmission fluid leaking it is essential to get it taken care of or it might lead to a more serious problem.
• Bad Transmission Fluid: Any fluid that looks dark, burnt, milky, or filled with debris means you need to have your transmission serviced right away. This can be either a sign of a problem with the torque converter or another internal issue.

Signs and Symptoms of a Bad Transmission Solenoid

Most manual transmissions do not have solenoids. Automatic transmissions do and utilize them in order to change gears. Solenoids are electro-hydraulic valves that control one or more gears and control the flow of transmission fluid. These change the pressure within the transmission, which allows the gears to change. Automatic transmissions use speed sensors and an Engine Control Unit.

Most often a failing solenoid is not an emergency. Instead, you will be able to continue driving when this happens, but you will notice transmission failure symptoms and signs of a bad transmission solenoid. Bad transmission solenoid symptoms include:

• Delayed or Erratic Gear Shifting: If your gears tend to have a pause before shifting, it may be a failing solenoid. Dirty transmission fluid can sometimes cause this as well, and force the solenoids to stay stuck open or closed.
• Car Revs When Braking: In this case, you may notice the solenoid falling, but this would be due to the transmission fluid being dirty. This can be because of buildup, or contamination.
• Transmission Gets Stuck in Neutral: If you have solenoids stuck open or closed because the fluid is dirty, then you may notice your transmission getting stuck in neutral. Although the solenoid is receiving the signal to shift, it will not be able to do so.
• Your Check Engine Light Comes On: One very easy thing to look out for is the check engine light. When this happens your transmission may go into limp or Fail-Safe mode. This means you may have trouble forcing your car to drive, giving you limited power.

The Biggest Red Flag: Slipping Transmission

What Does a Slipping Transmission Feel Like?

When your car shifts (whether automatically or manually) you should notice how smooth it is. Automatic transmissions are engineered to shift at a specific RPM and if your engine revs higher than normal, you may have a slipping transmission. Sometimes a manual transmission pops out of gear while driving. Not only is this bad for your car, but it is also extremely dangerous. This could cause a serious emergency.

Transmission Slipping Causes

There are a few reasons why a transmission might slip. Both transmission bands and clutches must engage and release in regulated time. When the transmission bands become worn, it can slip. The easiest fix for this is to replace the bands and see if it fixes the problem. If not, you may also need to replace the clutch plate. Bad clutch symptoms can be somewhat obvious.

Even though most people do not associate a clutch with an automatic transmission, it does have something similar. Automatic transmissions have torque converters instead of the main clutch. Bad clutch master cylinder symptoms are a bit different because the torque converter joins the engine and the transmission and helps to turn the wheels. Signs of a bad clutch, in both manual and automatic transmissions, are the clutch plate slipping.

Is Selling Your Car with Transmission Problems Possible?

How Do You Sell a Car with a Bad Transmission?

Your transmission is one of the most important parts of your car and, without it, your car won’t be worth too much to another consumer. Although you could sell the parts off individually yourself, this is extremely time-consuming. It is important to consider the year, make, and model of your car though, and if it is even worth it to do so.

Another place to sell car parts is a junkyard. This will probably yield you the lowest return, but it may be a quick sale. Be sure to know the value of your parts because they often try to give consumers low offers.

Despite this, you can sell a car for parts to a used auto garage or a car parts buyer. Typically these used auto garages will give you cash for your car. This way they can fix up the car at only the cost of new parts rather than labor.

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