Damage to the transmission can be a very serious problem for your automobile. Unfortunately, if you are like many other vehicle owners, you may not be aware of the various problems that can impact your transmission or the warning signs that may precede these issues becoming extremely severe.
Burning Smells And Smoke
If you notice a burning odor coming from the transmission or visible smoke, it can indicate an emergency situation with the transmission. Overheating can actually cause the transmission to catch on fire, which could pose an extreme safety risk and could likely result in the loss of the vehicle. Whenever you notice these odors or smoke coming from the transmission, you should immediately stop driving the vehicle. Unfortunately, the vehicle will unlikely be in a condition to be driven to a repair shop. Rather, it will need to be towed.
Inability To Maintain Its Gear
Another common problem for transmissions will be difficulties with maintaining the needed gear. This is often described as the transmission slipping. In addition to causing further damage to the transmission, this could also make the vehicle far more difficult to control as it will experience sudden losses of speed and power when the transmission slips. When merging onto busy roads and highways, this can be especially problematic. Over time, this slipping can cause further damage to the gear, which will result in the transmission encountering this problem more often. In extreme cases, the transmission may need to be completely rebuilt as a result of failing to have slipping repaired in a timely manner.
Visible Fluid Leaks
Transmission fluid leaks can be a minor issue that can quickly result in catastrophic damage occurring to the transmission. If this fluid is allowed to get too low, it can result in the internal components of the transmission suffering extensive damage due to friction and heat. Luckily, these leaks will often be fairly visible as they will collect under the vehicle when it has been parked. It should be noted that this fluid will appear different than the condensation that may be dripping from the bottom of the vehicle. While the condensation will be clear, transmission fluid will often have a pink or light red color to it. To ensure that you notice this problem so that repairs can be scheduled, you should get into the habit of checking where the car was parked when you move it. Otherwise, you may fail to see puddles of transmission fluid that have collected.
Contact an auto repair shop like AAA Commercial Transmission for more information.