To anyone who is not a mechanic, problems with a car’s transmission can be one of the most bewildering and mysterious of breakdowns. Transmission service and repair can also be expensive, but not having such problems checked out by a professional can be even more expensive and may even be dangerous.
Simply put, a car’s transmission is a box filled with gears. It sends power from a source, in this case an engine, to a drive mechanism. The transmission works by converting the power into torque. Chances are if something is going wrong with the transmission in your vehicle your car will soon let you know by turning on the check engine light. This is your cue to get your vehicle into a specialist sooner rather than later, but ideally a car’s transmission should be checked and serviced twice a year. This maintenance check-up should consist of changing out filters and filling up transmission fluid and should prevent most major transmission catastrophes. Perhaps it’s a hassle to have the transmission checked so often, but try to have this service performed in conjunction with other routine maintenance, like an oil change. It shouldn’t require a great deal of time and considering the problems it can prevent, it is definitely worth the extra time and expense.
The way a car is driven can also help keep the transmission functioning well. Drivers should avoid hard accelerations and try to eliminate friction while shifting. Despite best efforts, however, sometimes things do go wrong with a car’s transmission and then it is time to call in the assistance of an expert.
Sometimes these problems seem to come on suddenly, such as a car refusing to go. Other times the problem persists for awhile, such as in the case of a car that does not run smoothly. Both of these problems can be caused by issues with transmission fluid. A technician can tell you if the fluid level is low, which can lead to rough shifting and can eventually cause a great deal of transmission damage, resulting in costly repairs. Low levels of transmission fluid may indicate a leak which will almost always require the attention of a professional mechanic.
If the filter has not been changed recently, or ever, this may also cause issues with the car’s ability to run and shift smoothly. A reliable mechanic should check for simple, obvious issues like a fluid leak and a dirty filter before they start talking about things like costly comprehensive rebuilds of the transmission.
Troubleshooting and fixing transmissions are typically not jobs that can be performed in your home garage. Specialized equipment is necessary to perform these services and the equipment is simply too expensive for the average person to acquire. It really is much simpler, and cheaper, to have a professional perform these services for you.
For those occasions when a simple leak fix or filter replacement are not enough, a transmission may need to be rebuilt or replaced. Again, this is something that should not be attempted by the average person in their garage at home. A transmission is a complex piece of equipment that is an absolute necessity to your automobile. Without it, your car does not run and you have entirely lost your source of transportation. Leave a rebuild or replacement to professionals who have both the knowledge and equipment to get the job done right the first time. Trying to fix it yourself will likely lead to frustration and may even cause greater damage that a certified mechanic would have been able to avoid.
Some car maintenance and repair is routine and can be handled by the average car owner, but a transmission is not one of those things. You can check for leaks or a clogged filter yourself, but do so only to provide such information to your mechanic. Then leave your transmission in the hands of a trusted professional.