Common automatic transmission problems
In an automatic car, gear shifting is done automatically by the vehicle’s inbuilt system Net Photo
What you need to know:
- Automatic transmission cars are easy to drive compared to manual transmission cars, however, even they can be subject to mechanical issues. There are few common mechanical issues that if identified should be fixed immiediately or atleast pointed out at the next service appointment to make sure your car is in the best road condition.
It is true that these days, automatic transmission vehicles are more common than those with manual transmission. This is greatly attributed to the ease with which automatic transmission vehicles can be driven with one foot to control the brake and accelerator pedals, while your hands are glued to the steering wheel.
However, even with all this ease, automatic transmission cars are subject to a number of common mechanical problems. If you have a more than basic level of mechanical knowledge, you can easily identify some of these problems while others might only be identified by a qualified car mechanic.
Burning smell
Moses Kavuma, a motorist shares that sometimes when he is driving, he can sniff a burning smell from his Toyota Super Custom. It sometimes forces him to park by the roadside to inspect the car to find the source of the smell. When he parks the vehicle overnight, sometimes he finds brownish layers of fluids forming under the car.
According to Edward Jjuuko, a mechanic at CKK garage at Wandegeya, brownish layers of fluids forming under your car imply that your automatic transmission fluid is old and needs replacement. It means that the fluid has worked for some time hence the change of colour from red to brown.
Failure or delay to shift gears
Unlike manual cars where you have to manually shift gears using a clutch, in automatic cars, gear shifting is done automatically by the vehicle’s inbuilt system. So when gears shift much later than expected, it is advisable to have your mechanic inspect the transmission system to correct the problem. In addition to this, when you step on the accelerator and the car does not pick up speed, it is a signal that gears are not shifting to match your driving speed.
Sounds
Regardless of your vehicle brand, sometimes the sounds produced from your car may confuse you especially as far as their source is concerned. This is further complicated by the fact that there are many car parts underneath the car body.
According to Isaac Mujjawa, most grinding sounds produced in automatic cars are from the vehicle’s transmission system. These happen when your automatic transmission fluid levels (ATF) are too low to keep the parts within the vehicle transmission system well lubricated and subject them to friction that produces the sounds.
“If you only hear the sounds when you are driving on a rough road or over humps, there is a possibility that your shock absorbers are worn out or broken. The sounds could as well mean that your vehicle control arms that link and connect the suspension system to the car body using ball joints are damaged,” Mujjawa explains.
Like most car parts, the main cause of control arms damage is primarily due to longer mileage covered overtime and surfaces in form of bending or getting out of shape.
Check engine light is on
According to www.placentiasuperservice.com your “Check Engine” light is there to help you know there is a current or upcoming problem in your car. But the light can indicate a problem from many different systems in your car, not just your transmission.
Your transmission contains numerous sensors that can pick up anything unusual in your transmission – much more than you can. These sensors send signals to your computer that something is wrong. Then, the check engine light passes on that message to you that something is wrong.
“Why have the check engine light checked out? Well, that’s because if the problem is related to your transmission and an early detection indicates a problem, your solution may be small. If you wait, you could have just caused yourself a whole lot of unnecessary grief and money,” the portal says.
The portal advises that if your check engine light is on, have it checked immediately. It may be a very small thing that your computer has sensed and could save you money due to a repair.
Slipping
www.mistertransmission.com, also an online portal says automatic transmissions sometimes have a problem of slipping. This happens when your transmission slips out of one gear into another. As you can imagine, this can be a very unnerving, annoying and even dangerous problem. Slipping transmissions also often cause the vehicle to have trouble accelerating.
“A slipping transmission can be caused by a lack of transmission fluid. This should be easy enough to fix, but this problem could also indicate more serious problems. A slipping transmission could also be caused by worn out or broken transmission bands, clutches or gears or by solenoid problems,” the portal advises.
Much as your car service manual may schedule the next garage visit after covering 5,000km, it does not mean that you wait until you cover this distance before visiting the garage again. You can break the monotony and drive to the garage or have your mechanic inspect the car.
How to manage automatic transmission problems
Alex Kadoli, a mechanic at Bunga advises that management and repair for automatic transmissions problems is not only primarily dependent on how often you service your car but also how fast you are able to notice unusual sounds and behaviour or changes on your car.
For example, you do not have to be reminded that you have to pull the dipstick out of your engine to check engine oil levels. Make it a habit to check engine oil levels so that you do not experience an engine knock or engine ceasing.
“When you check engine oil levels, check levels of other vehicle liquids such as transmission fluid, coolant and the windscreen water to make sure your car runs on the right levels. These are little checks that you do not have to ask your mechanic to do,” Kadoli advises.
