What Are the Most Common Causes of Transmission Problems?

December 24, 2018 | By Mister Transmission

What Are the Most Common Causes of Transmission Problems?

Mister Transmission offers the best transmission repair services money can buy. Having said that, you still don’t want to bring your vehicle in for a transmission repair if you can avoid it, regardless if you’re bringing it to Mister Transmission. Of course, it would be foolish to think you can drive a vehicle for its whole lifespan and never require a transmission repair. Nevertheless, you want to minimize the number of repairs needed as much as possible. To do that, you need to know the root causes of transmission problems. So…what are they?

Transmission Problems

Transmissions are incredibly intricate and complex, more so than most folks think. This is because, to many people, the transmission is one part of their vehicle: the transmission. But in actuality, the transmission is a series of parts working in concert to deliver the power generated by your engine to your wheels. And when even just one of those parts is not working, that can render your whole transmission ineffective. What this all means is that a lot can go wrong with transmissions. Even the best built transmissions can run into problems because they are inherently complex.

Common Transmission Problems

While it can sometimes be exceedingly tricky to pinpoint the exact problem with a transmission, there are several common transmission problems that we hear about at Mister Transmission all the time. Here are some of these common transmission problems:

  • Hard Gear Shifts
    When you shift gears, you expect the change to occur smoothly. But this is not always the case. Sometimes drivers notice resistance to the gear change. It can be difficult and it is sometimes accompanied by odd clunking and whirring noises. This is not good.
  • Slipping
    Some transmissions have the opposite problem. Sometimes it’s really easy to shift gears. Too easy. So easy in fact that your transmission does it for you. You can be driving along the highway and all of a sudden your transmission slips into neutral. This is definitely not good.
  • Rejected Changes
    Similar to slipping, sometimes a transmission can “reject” the driver’s gear change. For example, you might change into reverse only to have your transmission switch you right back into drive. All of these problems are annoying at best and dangerous at worst.
  • Smells like Burning
    This one is fairly obvious. If ever any part of your vehicle smells like it’s burning, you should get it checked out. Unless you just “burned rubber” out of the parking lot. Which you definitely shouldn’t do, by the way.
  • Fluid Leak
    As you pull out of your driveway, if you see a patch of liquid underneath your vehicle, you have a problem. Do not ignore it.

Transmission Fluid Problems

This last point is important. Not every transmission problem is caused by an issue with your transmission fluid. But there is no transmission problem that cannot be caused or worsened by a transmission fluid problem. If you’re low on transmission fluid, top it up. If your transmission fluid is damaged or burned –smells unpleasant, looks opaque– bring in your vehicle for a fluid change. And if you suspect you have a leak, bring in your vehicle for a transmission re-sealing.

Get In Touch

If you would like to learn more about the causes of and solutions to common transmission problems, please contact us today.

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Customer Reviews
I took my truck in...
Glenn Moore
I took my truck in for differential rebuild. Kyle was great and very knowledgeable.Truck was ready right on schedule! Thank you to Kyle and his team .I highly recommend Kanata Mr Transmission.
Date: May 4, 2024
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Steve McRoberts
Google reviews brought me in, the service and honesty will bring me back. Peter is amazing and saved me from spending money I didn't need to. 10 stars Thanks again
Date: May 3, 2024
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I went in as my...
Troy Wallace
I went in as my truck was having some issues I thought it might be transmission problems, the tech scanned the truck and took it for a road test he came back and said everything is performing correctly with Transmission. He then let me know 3 codes that came up that was related to the high pressure fuel pump and let me know he adjusted my ethanol intake that was set to high All this was done for free under there free road test I was very happy and I would return if I have any transmission issues Also I would definitely recommend to others
Date: May 3, 2024
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I had my truck at...
Matt O'Reilly
I had my truck at the dealership twice in 2 weeks, both times they could not find an issue. Carlo had it for 5 mins and found the problem. He fixed it for a fraction of the cost I thought it would be. I can not say enough great things about him. He is FANTASTIC and easy to deal with. I will never take my truck to anyone else from now on, and I suggest he is the first person you call if you are having issues. Hands down the BEST mechanic I have ever dealt with. Thank you Carlo for helping me out. You are THE MAN!!
Date: May 3, 2024
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Great experience! Knowledgeable team. I...
Shawn Hare
Great experience! Knowledgeable team. I have a lot of confidence in the work completed.
Date: May 3, 2024
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Good service I recommend contacting.
Владимир Загородний
Good service I recommend contacting.
Date: May 3, 2024
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Top Notch Great Service Highly...
Craig Brennan
Top Notch Great Service Highly Recommend
Date: May 3, 2024
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Des and his crew are...
Stephen D
Des and his crew are nothing short of Top Shelf! Other shops recommended this and that and nothing worked except draining my bank account. I took my vehicle up to Brantford and had them take a look. After a test drive they explained their findings, gave me a timeline and a fair and accurate quote. They called me a few days early to let me know that a bay would open if I could bring it back in and the parts showed up early. I did and I'm absolutely please with everything. They are so professional, helpful and honest. I couldn't have asked for more. After 4 hours on the hoist, I left with my 13 year old vehicle running like it was brand new.
Date: May 3, 2024
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Great consistency in service for...
Dan Macinnis
Great consistency in service for the past 10 years , would highly recommend
Date: May 2, 2024
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Kris is tops at this...
WKL
Kris is tops at this Calgary South location! Knowledge, professional and cares about customer's needs.
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